Mar

Come on Microsoft – that ad doesn’t even make sense (aka: Why I just bought a Macbook)

The Windows vs. Mac discussion never stops to amaze me. That’s probably because I’m pretty agnostic when it comes to my operating systems. I’ve used Windows 3.1 to 7, Ubuntu was the main OS on my laptop for the last three years, I wrote some of my best stuff on an LC 630 Macintosh back in the day, and last weekend I bought a Macbook to replace my dead Dell laptop.

But Microsoft’s latest ad campaign, which made its debut today, just rubs me the wrong way because it simply doesn’t make much sense. Here is the ad, in case you haven’t seen it yet:

Please forgive me the unoriginality of this, but Microsoft is simply comparing apples and oranges here. Lauren, our bubbly college grad, is looking for a laptop with a 17-inch screen – and this is what she buys in the end. 8 pounds and 2:30hrs of battery life…

Aside: I love a big screen as much as the next geek, but from a laptop, I want portability – I have a desktop for my day-to-day work.

Apple simply doesn’t make low-end desktop-replacement machines – end of story. You can’t get a cheap 17-inch Macbook or Macbook Pro. It’s not the market Apple is in – so sending Lauren to the Apple store is simply a fool’s errant.

Implicitly, the ad compares the 17-inch HP machine Lauren buys to the $999 13-inch white Macbook. If she had been looking for a 13-inch machine, then the Macbook would probably have been slightly more expensive than the comparable option like an Inspiron 13 or XPS1330 from Dell (in terms of price and design, the XPS is probably the best comparison – and its price is similar to the Macbook).

Also, isn’t it somewhat odd that Microsoft – which is in the OS business and not in the hardware business after all – doesn’t even mention the OS?

Why I just bought a Macbook

When my laptop broke a few weeks back, I was mostly looking at Dell machines to replace it, simply because I generally had pretty good luck with my last couple of laptops from there – but in the end, the Macbook won out because even though the base prices on the Dells are pretty good, once you add all the necessary options, the price difference dwindles quickly (not the least because I also get a pretty nice discount at the Apple store courtesy of my wife’s job). In the end, I paid about $100 more for the Mac than I would have paid for the Windows machine. However, the specs I was looking for were different from Lauren’s – I wanted a portable machine – preferably with a 12-inch screen, like my old laptop, but somehow these have become ridiculously expensive luxury machines now, or, like Dell’s Mini12, they are underpowered for what I want to do with them. I also wanted to be able to get at least 4hrs of battery life from the machine – which is pretty close to what the Macbook does.

Sure – the Apple brand played a role in my decision – no denying it – and so did the excellent customer service I have experience at the Apple store – but also the fact that I’ve always wanted to spend some more time with OSX and that I just want my laptop to work out of the box (I’ve built my own desktops for the last 10 years or so). Because a large part of my work is done on the Net anyway, the only piece of software that I miss on OSX so far is Windows Live Writer.

Time will tell if it was worth it or not, but so far, I’m loving the Mac and OSX (and note – I also love Windows 7 on my desktop machine).

If I have some time this weekend, I’ll write a longer story about what switching between Win 7 and OSX is like.

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14 Comments to “Come on Microsoft – that ad doesn’t even make sense (aka: Why I just bought a Macbook)”

MG Siegler March 26, 2009 at 9:57 pm
well said.

This comment was originally posted on FriendFeed
Microsoft makes an ad for those people who were going to buy a PC anyway » VentureBeat March 27, 2009 at 10:56 am
[...] as the blog Last Podcast points out about Microsoft’s ad, “isn’t it somewhat odd that Microsoft – which is in the OS [...]
Technic News » Microsoft makes an ad for people who were going to buy a PC anyway March 27, 2009 at 11:30 am
[...] as the blog Last Podcast points out about Microsoft’s ad, “isn’t it somewhat odd that Microsoft – which is in the OS [...]
Susan Beebe March 27, 2009 at 5:40 pm
hahaha that is funny!

This comment was originally posted on FriendFeed
pgunupudi March 28, 2009 at 6:21 am
Liked “Come on Microsoft – that ad doesn’t even make sense” http://ff.im/-1KKiq

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Singapore Property April 2, 2009 at 11:10 pm
I have intention to get MAC as well.Apart from the appearance, the specs are really good!I wanted to learn on graphic design so I bet that's the perfect machine for me too!
Tubagus Rusmawan April 6, 2009 at 12:07 am
thanks for sharing the information. its very interesting.
Viess April 9, 2009 at 3:42 am
You're right. This commercial doesn't make any sense. I haven't seen it before but this little lady doesn't convince me at all.
Viess April 9, 2009 at 3:42 am
You're right. This commercial doesn't make any sense. I haven't seen it before but this little lady doesn't convince me at all.
Viess April 9, 2009 at 3:42 am
You're right. This commercial doesn't make any sense. I haven't seen it before but this little lady doesn't convince me at all.
Russian Bride April 16, 2009 at 2:09 am
Yes, very often commercials make us buy unnecessary things. Not long ago I wanted to buy a 17-inch screen Dell but I thought the matter over and decided that it was useless. I could not take it with me because it was heavy and so on. I prefered a much smaller laptop and I do not regret now. Of course, It wholly depends on why you need it and if you are going to take it with you.
UPrinting Design Template April 20, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Excellent customer service is definitely one thing I can say Apple can pride itself in. That alone is enough advantage for customers to choose their products among others. A 17-inch laptop is a back-breaking burden if you ask me, in a laptop I'd prefer mobility and portability.
Single Russian Lady April 21, 2009 at 12:46 am
Absolutely agree that this doesn`t make any sense. I looked the video but it is truly not conviniced. I think that there can be something else to boast about in this sphere.
Paul April 29, 2009 at 1:37 pm
However, Mac is kind of expensive for an ordinary student. And ordinary usere will always prefer a computer with Windows – cause everyone else use it. But… Mac is always the best in premium class segment.