We get it, Windows means cheap hardware

Apple should make their ads for the Mac like it does for the App Store. background music, showing several apps runnign and showing how neat the interface and how easy and nice it is to use a mac.

Did any of you see this?

http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windowsexperience/archive/2009/04/09/avoid-the-apple-tax-cash-in-on-the-value-of-windows.aspx

I thought the response in the comments was hilarious.

Microsoft is doing very bad under steve ballmer

No notebook computer that costs over $800 should have non-LED-backlit screens, that's all I can say. Especially if the screen is only 13". I really wanted to buy/like the new white MacBook, but ended up with a Lenovo C2D with 15" LED screen for half the price (and that's comparing apples to apples, refurb to refurb pricing.) And it runs Windows 7 quite well.

I will probably switch back to a unibody MacBook down the road because I still prefer OS X. But I think the wide range of Windows models also means you can find one with your specific needs in mind (such as me wanting a LED-backlit screen), which then tends to make the price difference feel larger.

Taglines for these MS ads:

We will pay you to buy our crappy computers. - Microsoft

Windows computers - cheap, because you're not worth it. - Microsoft

What is the point of creating an ad campaign that targets the consumer group your competitor is already avoiding? People trying to spend least bucks will not buy a Mac with or without these ads anyway. It doesnt matter how popular these ads get since Microsoft doesnt need to build itself a brand name. If anything , they should focus on the consumer groups they are losing market share.

By the way this discussion has nothing to do with which OS is better.. Its solely about marketing.

good take I think, M$ is reliant of the fact that in the computer world you cant compare computer with computer, even if you just look at "PC" offerings you cant do a proper comparison, everything is different from part types, makes, quality, software, price, colour, aesthetics, ease of use etc. But id have to say as a general rule Bill Evans sums it up nicely "A PC is no bargain when it doesn't do what you want. The one thing that both Apple and Microsoft can agree on is that everyone thinks the Mac is cool; with its great designs and advanced software, nothing matches it at any price."
As for the M$ adds well I think this guy says it all
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1s0xBgMArM

"According to the campaign, Apple's computers are "sexy" computers for "cool" people."

I bet the author also thinks Steven Colbert is a die-hard ultra-conservative republican. rofl.

One other quick point. If you haven't checked out http://imapc.lifewithoutwalls.com/#

just wait until they put that in a commercial. It has the AppleTV intro-esque wall and a ton of "I'm a PC user pics." Perhaps the advertising campaign is just a lame start to a very large copy machine.

If that was MS' message, that would make sense but MS' message is all over the board. It's pretty clear that when the Average Selling ASP of a Pc is around $550 and a Mac is $1,400 and mac sales are mostly growing (last quarter it was down by 3%) but most PC sellers dropped by much, much more other than netbook sellers ... it does NOT mean that Mac buyers overpaid - it means Mac buyers are willing to pay more for a personal computer - the reasons are unimportant here but Mac buyers do not live in a vaccum, they too can see the Sunday ads selling PC's for $399 or $299 but choose to buy a mac which costs more just as buyers of BMW & MB pay more for an auto or in your food buying choices or where you choose to vacation - NOTHING wrong in making buying decisions that suit your income or needs.

The oddity here is that PC users for whatever reason DEVALUE their personal computer experience so much they cannot understand why anyone would pay more than the bare minimum. You can guess at the reasons after 12 years of blue screen of death or 200,000 infections but whatever, they value a PC experience at $299 dollars or LESS if they can help it. So unlike a food buying decision where no one really questions whether you prefer McD over a fresh ground burger, PC users cannot fathom why anyone would pay more the bare minimum because they perceive the personal computer experience as a chore ... and of course, they as "the smartest tech guy' around cannot even conceive of how the experience could be better if they can't do it, how can you? To them, it's like they survive a 26-hour firefight and you standing there saying, "war is fun" THAT'S WHY PC users do NOT believe MAC users.

This is also why the MS ads do NOT make sense because PC users are already buying by the lowest price denominator - sure, they want an HP but if I offered a JOEJOE PC at $199 - which one would they buy? That's right ... Mac users? As evident by the market share of $1k+ retail computers where macs hold a 66% market share, they know what they want and are willing to pay for it.

While Apple ads are trying to get you to see that there's a better way to personal computing, all the MS ads are doing is saying the obvious. "PC's are cheaper." That's a revelation? Plus, the manner in which they do is all over the board. They are basically saying that PC's are cheaper but they cost anywhere from $699 to $2,000 AND everyone who;'s buying a PC has three feature needs ... so how exactly is that different than PC buyers now? Buying by price and a short list of features like buying butter?

The problem with MS ads is again, MS thinks of themselves as a "cool" technology brand when they are the "I'll take that OS when it's FREE with a PC" OS ... why did Vista sales flop and so will Win7 OS sales? Consumers loath and seldom choose MS when given an actual choice (MSN, watches, plays4sure, MediaPC, WINCE, Bob, Vista, WebTV, HD DVD, Zune, and even Xbox ($15 billion in the red after 10 years) - in fact, ZERO consumer successes since 1998. A staggering long time in technology to have 10-20 MAJOR and minor failures with hardly any return ...

Why would a consumer pay $300 for a full price of the OS when they will barely pay $400 for the computer? WIN OS is a fine Os when it's free with a $400 PC but pay for it? 70% of the market will not - for the price of the IS, why not just pay an extra $100 for a NEW computer?

MS ads are made by people who don't understand advertising or marketing and paid for by a company who is willing to throw money at it after being buttered up by the ad agency. That's what's wrong with MS ads.

The bottom line is what someone thinks about MS BEFORE and AFTER this campaign? PC are cheap and there are only three features you need to consider before buying ... You need to spend $300 million to say EXACTLY how people buy PC's now?

Only MS will spend $300 million to tell people nothing - no wonder they paid Jerry $10 million.