Please take our reader poll »
Apple reacts to Laptop Hunters using elimination
  • 45 Comments
by Ivan Beres on May 13, 2009

Okay so a PC is slow or has a small screen or has viruses causing you headaches. Apple’s response to the Laptop Hunters is just a little smarter than Microsoft’s ads. Or not at all. What’s more interesting is this other ad about customer care. Go check them out.

Comments rss icon

  • Ya know Apple is funny. From all the money theyve spent on advertising i still have no clue what makes a Mac better than a PC… All they ever do is point out the flaws on PCs and say, “we dont have that problem.”

    With people like me, who builds their own PCs (making them infinitely faster and cheaper than any Mac will ever be), and hasn’t had a virus since i was 12, hasn’t had a computer crash/freeze in over a decade, has only seen Vistas blue screen of death once, and has all maintenance routines (routines which even benefit macs granted theyre not run on pixies and the egos of “cool” mac people) scheduled to function autonomously at 4 am on thursday, all these mac adds fail.

    • I agree to some extent. But I would disagree that the ads fail. The ads bring “awareness” and gives an ounce of curiosity. When people visit the Apple store and interact with Macs, they take one home or want one. Ever since Apple started advertising their products like they do today, their sales have increased.

      You can’t target all people and you perhaps don’t see the success of the ads. But you can’t say that they failed. If they had, they would have stopped the multi-million dollar advertising.

      • Well, that is a really strange way to judge the effectiveness of advertising. Any advertising will increase sales over no advertising, whether it is a good ad or not. The question is, how much are you spending on advertising per customer response? Apple spends nearly as much as Microsoft on advertising (around a billion dollars a year), and yet reaches a tiny fraction of Microsoft’s customers. If you measure advertising the normal way, rather than making up special rules just for Apple, then Apple’s advertising is actually far less effective than Microsoft’s.

        Even with the iPhone, which I would be willing to bet is the most advertised single product ever, except maybe Levis 501 jeans, Apple is still selling fewer units than Windows Mobile devices, even though there is no Windows Mobile ad budget worth mentioning. What Apple’s ad budget has mainly been good at, is reinforcing the loyalty of their existing user base, but dollar per customer response, it hasn’t been terribly effective at wooing away Microsoft customers. If you assume, which from the tone of your post it would sound like you do, that Apple has a superior product, then the effectiveness of that advertising is actually far worse, because they are clearly not effectively communicating the advantages of their product, since on the whole customers aren’t buying. Of course I make no such assumption, and marvel at the effectiveness of their advertising, because I believe their products have no substance at all, but that is clearly not your position.

        Now, where you could say that Apple’s ads have been fabulously successful, is in creating a positive perception for their company, which has translated into a wildly overvalued stock. However that is a whole different subject and not what you are talking about here.

        • Hamilton-Lovecraft - May 14th, 2009 at 9:32 pm GMT+5

          “…which has translated into a wildly overvalued stock.”

          Apple has $20 billion in cash and is profitable and growing, selling high end product, in a recession. Their stock is not overvalued.

    • Then you’re not paying attention. They talk about producing books, playing music, using Garageband, and doing stuff because they’re unencumbered by so many foibles of the PC. You hear what you want, and not hear what you don’t want. That’s not unusual, mind you, but your comment shows you’re not hearing them, but that doesn’t mean they’re not saying it.

    • Now we know you are lying. I GUARANTEE you that you have had Windows Freeze or Crash on you in the last decade, I would put money on the last 10 days… You are not gonna stop the random XP Freeze or Crash its gonna happen.

      Not defending Mac in any way but your comment is ludicrous.

      • Your comment is just as ludicrous.

        How many Windows systems have you used? Or are you so terrible with computers that each and every one is infested to the bursting point with malware?

        It is extremely common for me for any system running Windows 2000 and up to not crash for months on end, and this is while im installing, uninstalling, playing games, editing pictures, etc.

        An uptime of over 4 months on this current desktop im typing on (Windows 2000 system, pentium 3, and SDRAM) is incredibly common, about the only time my uptime is reset is when I want to run a livecd or change it’s hardware.

        My laptop runs on weeks on end as well, I am just more likely to manually reboot it because I have multiple operating systems on it and switch between them far more often.

        I have never seen a system that wasn’t infected (which is incredibly easy to prevent with FREE software mind you) that is using Windows 2000 or above, and that includes XP, crash often.

        Oh and BTW, the last time I tried to install something on my Mac it crashed.

    • Not everyone is like you tard. Don’t have time to build a computer.

      • I am sure your time is far too valuable to save $1000 by building your own PC, despite the fact that you use words like “tard” and have the time towaste on a random tech blog…

    • People who build their own PCs? That’s about 0.01% of the consumer population targeted with these ads. So, that’s a pretty low fail rate for Apple, right?

  • “crashes” really? Macs don’t crash? Macs are not slow? Macs don’t have small screens?

    So choice in what works for you is somehow bad?

  • Are the Mac Fanbois happy now that they have an equally stupid campaign? Oh wait, they’ve had that for awhile.

    It would be neat to see Linux ads that have corporate budget backing.

    • Mac: Hi, im a Mac.

      PC: And i’m a PC.

      Linux: And im Linux! I can do anything these guys do and more! And its easy! Just remember to patch your kernel and check your dependencies and you have the right reposoroties set up so you can compile the right sources and have working binaries designed for your distro oh and of course you need to be a superuser before doing this and make sure all your installed FOSS is up to date and also….

      Mac: Hey PC, do you have any idea what the hell he is talking about?

      PC: Not really, want to go on a raid together in WoW while he babbling on? This could take a while.

  • I wish they would invest that money into their R&D and fix my mac issues. The revolving beach ball lockup is as annoying as a Windows Blue Screen of Death, just prettier.

  • No, Dubbs, it was actually quite funny, since it`s the very truth.
    No doubt you can get the same PC in terms of hardware as a Mac, that it`s cheaper. What you don`t get is quality, good software and a computer that is ready to use (you don`t really have to install much things on a mac after you buy it, including antivirus).

    • And whats wrong with customization?

      I can install whatever apps I want, whichever apps for that task I prefer, and nearly every type of app has a free version for PCs.

      When I asked on the mac forums about alternative video players, image viewers, etc because I didn’t like the ones my MAc came with, instead o fhelpful rpelies, I basically got “Why would you want to use anythign else? Your Mac comes with everything!” replies.

      Yeah, great, so apparently “think different” means “conform to everyting we tell you and don’t have options”, thats really thinking different there.

      As for quality? BULLSHIT!

      Macs have THE EXACT SAME HARDWARE as PCs, the only difference is essentially the motherboard. The CPU, GPU, Ram, HDD, Optical drives, EVERYTHING are common off-the-shelf PC parts that you can find in other systems.

      I assure you any system I personally build, will not only be cheaper but far higher quality than any Mac or prebuilt PC. And considering how easy it is to build a PC now, anybody can do it.

  • Praise the sauce all you want but the truth is the world will always be ran by PC’s.

  • As a devoted Linux user, Lucas, I don’t believe your comment really applies me. I have equal hate for both companies. I also believe both companies ad campaigns are ridiculous and aimed at people with little to no knowledge. I have noticed that a lot apple users are pompous asses who think they are better than any other user. This isn’t always the case of course, but in general it seems to hold true.

    Linux doesn’t get viruses either…and it doesn’t cost a fortune.

    Current operating systems being used:
    Work – OSX 10.5(graphics) and XP Pro(drafting)
    Home – Mint6, Ubuntu, Vista Ult(gaming), Mythbuntu, and openSUSE

    • Yes, some are pompus asses. As in the PC world, where Dvorak, Thurrott and Enderle make the pompous asses in the Mac world sound like Mother Theresa.

      And guess what? Linux does get viruses.

      Alaeda – Virus.Linux.Alaeda[14]
      Bad Bunny – Perl.Badbunny[4][15]
      Binom – Linux/Binom[16]
      Bliss
      Brundle[17]
      Bukowski[18]
      Diesel – Virus.Linux.Diesel.962[19]
      Kagob a – Virus.Linux.Kagob.a[20]
      Kagob b – Virus.Linux.Kagob.b[21]
      MetaPHOR (also known as Simile)[22]
      Nuxbee – Virus.Linux.Nuxbee.1403[23]
      OSF.8759
      Podloso – Linux.Podloso (The iPod virus)[24][25]
      Rike – Virus.Linux.Rike.1627[26]
      RST – Virus.Linux.RST.a[27]
      Satyr – Virus.Linux.Satyr.a[28]
      Staog
      Vit – Virus.Linux.Vit.4096[29]
      Winter – Virus.Linux.Winter.341[30]
      Winux (also known as Lindose and PEElf)[31]
      Wit virus[32]
      ZipWorm – Virus.Linux.ZipWorm[33]

      • Little Red Ryan Hood - May 13th, 2009 at 1:23 pm GMT+5

        I’m sure there is also a list of Mac Viruses out there. The reason that there are so many windows viruses is that so much of the world is running windows. If most of the computers were running OSX with Safari people would be spending time finding ways to exploit that.

  • My hate for Mac and Windows is not a viral hate. I could care less about viruses. I don’t hang out in the PC or MAC world. The only specific people I know that are pompous asses with macs are the ones I work with and know on a personal level. I don’t know any jackasses personally who jump up and down about PCs.

    Didn’t realize people attempted to make viruses for Linux. I’ve never entered my password in a root dialog box that I didn’t open on purpose, so I’ve never worried about it. Good to know though. I’m going to research what each does and what distributions are effected. Thanks.

    I’ve never gotten any attempts on my OSX tower either but my partner at work has. The malware that got on his just moved his folders and files everytime he booted up. It was strange. I forget how he fixed it.

  • ………. wow, just WOW.

    Their “response” to the Laptop Hunter ads are the same old “Well, we don’t crash or get viruses!” arguments used since the 90s? Seriously?

    And yes they do crash and anybody with a decent (and there are many decent and FREE) virus scanner will have almost no chance of infection unless they are complete idiots.

    • no beats the wiz - May 13th, 2009 at 7:36 pm GMT+5

      point is, with a Mac, you get alot more with the original purchase price, because they come with more built in. You don’t need to buy a virus scanner like you do with a PC, you don’t need to spend $ on iLife as its included, whereas a PC has nothing that compete with it.

      Apple also includes Time Machine many more. PC’s only come with malware lol and if you buy dell, you can get iron man pre-loaded for $30. awesome dude, you’re getting a Dell. You really don’t have to worry about frustration or time loss due to crashes as well.

      If you’re going to custom build a computer, then Windows or linux is your only legal ways to go.

      • Little Red Ryan Hood - May 13th, 2009 at 7:55 pm GMT+5

        I’ve never understood where Mac users got the idea that windows crashes like a bunch of drunk drivers. Outside of me doing something seriously stupid or having a hardware failure I haven’t seen a blue screen in ages. The way these Mac commercials portray it I would have crashed and rebooted 30 times while typing this.
        From what I’ve heard iLife is a good product and windows doesn’t have something to compete with it. I use Picasa to manage my photos which works fine for me, but if I had an option like iLife then I’d use it.
        I’ve never used time machine before so I don’t know how great of a backup solution it is. With about 15 minutes I can easily configure windows backup to probably get the same results.
        Outside of enterprise needs (which doesn’t come out of my pocket), I haven’t paid for an antivirus solution in almost 7 years.

        I honestly think the entire Windows always crashes and blue screens and freezes was created, at least mostly, by the Mac ads.

        • It comes from a desire for positive reinforcement of how special they are. The vast majority of bloggers use Macs (why is a whole different discussion I’m not going to get into right now), and so they go out of their way to run stories and make jokes about every single problem Windows has ever had. Windows 95 had a lot of problems with BSOD, so surely Microsoft hasn’t fixed that in the intervening 14 years. Windows 3.1 couldn’t support multiple monitors without multiple video cards, so clearly that hasn’t been fixed in the intervening 17 years. Then other Macheads read their blogs, and say “see, everyone knows that PCs crash all the time and aren’t as good as Macs.” Soon you have an entire society of Macheads passing around a complete mythology of what it is like to use a PC, coming entirely from people who will readily tell you they would rather be shot in the face than actually use a PC.

          Then, of course, anyone who tries to point out how wrong these myths are, is immediately shouted down, because they are just a PC user, so what do they know about anything? It totally escapes them that for the most part PC users are perfectly happy to let them like their Macs, and only respond when the Macheads cross the line and start spreading BS about how bad PCs are. To them, anyone who doesn’t hate PCs is obviously an idiot or insane. They have become so immersed in their mythology, that they can no longer see clearly.

        • “I’ve never understood where Mac users got the idea that windows crashes like a bunch of drunk drivers.”

          Simple, because the Mac ads say so, so all the Mac fanboys follow. This was only true back in the Windows 95/98 days, once the NT based Windows 2000 came along Windows has been surprisingly incredibly stable. 3-4 month uptimes on this VERY old and outdated Windows 2000 system im on right now are not just common but the norm for me.

          But Mac fanboys refuse to believe this (or any fatcs you tell them about PC viruses) because the Mac ads say so and because it would take away ammunition they can use against the PC.

          Among the crash and virus bullshit, I have also commonly seem Mac fanboys try to claim that Macs have higher quality hardware inside them, and plug their ears and go “la la la I can’t hear you” when I explain that it is the same off the shelf pc parts any PC can use too.

          Their final attack at that point is to try to argue that Macs can run Windows too, at that point they are completely unable to respond if I ask them why they would want to run Windows when they have just spent so much time telling me how Windows sucks and MACOSX is better.

      • Bull.

        Avast Antivirus or Avira AntiVir.

        There, theres two very good FREE virus scanners right there.

        Show me ANY Mac program, and I can show you a FREEware equivalent on the PC.

        Hell, have you ever heard of Gimp? A free alternative to Photoshop of all things!

        No, I honestly don’t think the sometimes $1000+ pricetag over a PC is anywehere NEAR worth it for the preloaded software a Mac comes with. I had to install a whole range of stuff, including replacements for apps that came with my Mac that I didn’t like, when I first got my Mac.

        • Screenflow
          No PC equivalent… closest is Camtasia Studio which cost $400 vs Screenflow $99

        • Ah ha ha ha ha ha, is this a joke?

          A SCREEN RECORDING app? You think there is no PC equivalent for a SCREEN RECORDING app?

          There are DOZENS, both pay and freeware, available for the PC.

          Even ones specialized for specific tasks like presentation, recording of game play footage, etc.

  • Well… MSFT surely copied the look of AAPL’s desktop /iconography.

    AAPL are master marketers. My iPod is a buggy piece of crap and way overpriced. iTunes – don’t even get me started.

    However, in terms of the Windows operating system, no one in their right mind would deny that MSFT has dropped the ball regularly for the past 20 years. Vista has been an unmitigated disaster and we eventually had leaked documents from MSFT employees that revealed they were sticking to XP themselves. Didn’t DELL eventually refuse to force their customers to use XP like MSFT asked them to?

    In terms of MSFT’s cutthroat business practices, I have no problem with them. Sure, they’re anti-competitive, but they got nailed a few times and just look at INTC this week. Everyone’s doing it, it seems.

    • sorry, should read ‘force their customers to use Vista like MSFT wanted them to’.

    • So I’m just curious, if selling more than 200 million copies in two years is an “unmitigated failure” wouldn’t every product Apple has ever released except the iPod be a laughable and utter failure?

      As a side note, I find it interesting how tech blogs stopped running their weekly “look how bad Vista sales are” articles back in about the middle of ‘08, and now you are hard pressed to find a single tech blog that will even touch Vista sales numbers.

  • these mac adds kills me. think about it for 1 second. mac charges you for a freeBSD based OS. something that is free they charge for. also it costs about 100 dollars more for a mac os license. now the kicker-mac is a PC. being based on bsd it is the x86 architecture, same as a “pc”, hence the intel cpu. so no viruses, no spyware, etc its only because of your file structure, you can mod any virus to work on the new mac oses since its just a unix based os, its fucking linux and they charge you? mac users = lowest of all technical intelligence.

  • To be honest, I’ve used windows for the last decade and over the last 4 years since I bought a new dell I never had the blue screen of death once. And I can’t recall ever having my system freeze up to the point that even ctrl-alt-delete was unresponsive (maybe its happened, but I cant remember).

    I bought a macbook 2.4 2 weeks ago. Its already frozen twice (i mean total freeze, not even the mouse moves). I haven’t experienced that in a looong time. Brought me back to the powerpc days.

  • This is so much fun! Please go on!

  • lol @ cats saying these ads are good. well, i want a computer that costs what it should in the free world. bye mac.

  • Why do Apple continues to say macs don’t crash !?
    I’m using Mac at work and our Mac Pro crashed multiple times. It freezes, you loose your data and need to reboot it.

    Is “crash” defined differently in Apple’s world?

  • @Cyber Akuma

    You are a little too emotionally involved in this, don’t you think?

    Reading your comments is much like hanging out in a comic book store or a bike shop where Mr. Minutia always has the last word.

    breathe

  • @ the mac store they use windows mobile devices, and at my office i currently sit near a mac that has been frozen for about a month. Not my mac thank god.

Leave Comment

Commenting Options

Enter your personal information to the left, or sign in with your Facebook account by clicking the button below.

Alternatively, you can create an avatar that will appear whenever you leave a comment on a Gravatar-enabled blog.

Trackback URL
Short URL
bugbugbug