The second installment of Microsoft's Laptop Hunters commercials went live today, and if you thought our
actress friend Lauren lit a fire, well, get ready for Giampaulo, who professes to be "technically-savvy" and calls the unibody MacBook he looks at "so sexy," but ultimately rejects it because he wants to pay for "computing power," not the "brand." Armed with a $1,500 budget, he walks out of Fry's with an
HP HDX 16 that features a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB drive -- raw numbers that would cost you $2,499 from Apple, although you'd be getting a vastly better display. Fair? We leave that up to you -- video after the break.
P.S.- That's the two commercials and two HP machines purchased, anyone sensing a trend?
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Read - CNET
Read - The Fry's listing for the $1,099 HP HDX 16
posted April 4th 2009 6:17PM
All of you are worse than politicians. lol...?
Raw computing power is always worth more than a better display.
People don't have to buy a new computer every 3 years because their screen isn't a high enough resolution. They have to buy a new computer because their old one can't keep up with new programs.
Microsoft is absolutely correct in running ads like this. People don't have a lot of money right now. Pointing out that you get way more bang for your buck from a PC is a way better marketing scheme than the Apple commercials that show how "cool" a mac is.
I'd also like to point out that Engadget was so quick to notice the trend in HP products being purchased. What about the obvious biased journalism from the Engadget staff? Seriously. Who in their right budget conscious mind would pay an extra thousand dollars for laptop to get a better display?
Hell, if you love the Mac OS so much, format your hard drive and boot it on a PC.
You get much more than just a better display. You get a portable. Over 7lbs of 1.7" thick plastic is not a portable. People who get notebooks that big never take them around like a true portable. He could have just as easily purchased a desktop and saved even more money.
If you build a good OS, people will buy the OS in a plastic moulded case or a chiseled aluminum block, because OS IS WHAT MATTERS MOST...
If you dont, then we start switching to the one that *just works*... Price is all about the have and the have not's. The majority of have not's is greater.
Hey, give the kid a break, he's broke and can't afford a kick ass computer. Some drive Hyundai and other's BMW's. Don't know what this did drives but it sure as hell isn't a Beemer!
After Hamidxa completely shut me down with his comments, I had to re-look at myself and my comments about Microsoft and this ad they were mean and I felt bad about that, after all Apple ran a whole series of ads that took pot shots at Microsoft and Windows Vista.
Perhaps for the context of this debate we compare what is commercially available, that means what would be on the laptops that were available in the ad. This would be Windows Vista and Mac OS X Leopard and leave the next generation operating systems or previous generations out of the argument.
I can't argue with anybody who says that the direct hardware comparison is in the ad is incorrect. But feel free to tell me who buys a computer with out software on it? In the ad Giampaulo doesn't say that he will be loading anything else onto the machine so we can assume that what is listed on HP's website is that Giampaulo got Windows Vista.
Now also based on what is on HP's
(http://www.shopping.hp.com/series/category/notebooks/HDX16t_series/3/computer_store)
website we can also assume that he is getting what every one else gets with Windows Vista a set of basic applications, nothing that would allow a Tech Savvy user to do anything special.
Now for the scope of this debate I won't be comparing basic applications, (e.g. Web Browsers, Emal, address and calendar etc) if we assume this and we must hold the Macbook (http://www.apple.com/macbook/) to the same conditions, then what comes on the Macbook?
(taken from Apple's website: http://www.apple.com/macbook/software.html)
Bootcamp - For those times when you need to use a Windows application, Boot Camp lets you start up your Mac in Windows.
Time Machine - Backing up your files has just gotten a lot easier. See how your system looked on a given day and restore files with a click.
iLife '09 - iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb, iDVD.
So it seems to me that out of the box that if you actually want to do anything with the machine without downloading any extra software than the Macbook does seem to be a better value proposition. ;)
The video is pretty bad but its is true that macs are over priced. I'm sorry, not everybody that wants to buy a mac wants to do photo/video editing! Drop your prices please you elitist asshole Steve Jobs!
I am from Amazon Rain Forest, Brazil,
For us, third world, you people from north america n Europe has high quality on services, transport, education, hospital, urbanism and so...But in one thing you are like us: You use the same shit Windows - Windows "Exploder". After many years I buy a mac: cool!
So, stay with windows and send to us the macs!
yes microsoft has won.. jsut the mere fact that we are all commenting on this ad, i own a mac and love a mac but the more that the economy crubbles the more i think that my next computer will be a Windows laptop. One more thing if there are over 500 comments on engadget, from a marketing perspective Microsoft has won, jsut imagine the ordinary ppl who do not know computers like most of us, they will have(microsoft) definatly succesfully marketed their computers and might, just might have created an edge over apple. Marketing does not always have to be loved by everyone, just needs to create a buzz, and these past few ads have definatly created a buz, every single tech website i go to has many many comments , its incredible!..
Cheers!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
But you have to be really blind (stupid) to even consider this HP.
Apple is investing in much more then putting parts together. It's the whole experience of hardware and software together.
That's the thing you're paying for. A computer plays a much bigger part in your life then let's say 10 years ago and Apple anticipated on that experience (lifestyle). Microsoft's difficulty is that they're depending on what HP, Dell, Gateway, Sony, Toshiba etc etc gives them.
From crap PC's to very well designed high-end PC's. Here's where the problem starts. That's why people have very good and bad experiences with PC's. The overall experience with macs is most of the time a better experience because Apple develops/innovates hardware and software all together. Looks, stability, productivity etc etc will gain from that. So yes, you can buy a cheaper PC(laptop) with the same specs or better but will it improve your day to day life like a mac does? I don't think so.
MIcrosoft should spend their money on who and what products they give (licensing) their software to than only think about profits and pushing it to everyone. The software ain't that bad most of the hardware is. Apple bashing won't work better products and experiences will.
Macs are better - MIcrosoft know this, and they are scared, as these commercials clearly show.
I'll be happy with an Audi, and you can be happy with your Kia. Since it costs so much less, the KIa MUST be a better car.
now suck my Mac cock by low ranking me! Yeah, you know you want to!
Microsoft is doing an awesome job of selling cheap, plastic HP's. It's in their best interest, since they are a shoe-in for the Windows license.
These ads are not about an OS vs. another one --or else they would be discussing 64-bit versions and their advantages. The truth is Joe Consumer doesn't care / understand. These days they'll go for price if it looks OK --like Giampaolo's 7.5 pound slab of 1.7 inch thick plastic with a 2.5 hr battery life and a netbook-resolution screen.
80% of the people I know don't even know how to change the resolution on their screens, and those that do are still using 1024x768, ha! Viva blown-out pixels.
If Giampaolo, Lauren and all the other NDA-bound SAG members Microsoft and Crispin Porter & Bogusky will throw at us want to buy the cheapest computer, and do non-equivalent comparisons --that is because they know David Ogilvy was wrong. The consumer *is* an idiot. 80% of them at least --the 80% that do not read Engadged, or AppleInsider, or any other tech blog. All they want is e-mail, watching movies, using an office suite (maybe) and browsing around on the internet.
Oh, and porn... just look at this dude. He surely gets most of his love from himself.
Cheers
A
+1
Can we get this level of coverage and outrage every time a Mac vs PC ad comes out? Hey, has anyone cyber stalked this guy yet and found out his real name and address? You people are insane.
The funny this is that all these people are doing is comparing hardware. No the OS itself. I have both a mac and a pc, I use both they both have great qualities. For bang for buck on HARDWARE a pc works great, it has all the bell and whistle anyone would need. Microsoft is attacking apple on hardware, and not going after any of the services the OSX provides. In addition to getting OSX and ilife, you get security, ease of use, excellent warranty though apple care, and very high resale value. A mac is just worth more. Macs are luxuries, they know that, and they don't care to be competing in the numbers game they compete in the user experience game. A comp can have all the bell and whistle, but if the usability sucks everything sucks. That be said this commercial makes a ton of sense, good spec computer that is $1000-1400 less then the comparable mac.
But really why on earth would you want to carry around a 17" laptop!
Ok, I have been reading this blog for years and I don't post on Engadget ever, or any other blog for that matter but I feel that I must interject in this conversation.
First, can we just stop saying that all mac users and all the PC users are the same people? We buy computers for different reasons, not to just see if we can frag as many people as possible. On the other hand, people actually use their computers to to real work.
Also, it's not a freaking game people, It's comparing two things that are similar but different enough to not need comparison.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE OS! If you like windows.... GO BUY A PC! If you like OSX... BUY A MAC! if you want both that work seamlessly together on the same hardware, BUY A MAC. Is it really that hard to wrap your brains around? cost is moot if I want a PC that runs OSX like it should.... no matter how cheap a PC with windows is, I won't buy it because it is not what I want. same goes for the windows guys, as sexy as macs are, they don't want them because they want windows.
As you may be able to tell, I am an apple fanboy but here is something that you don't see every day: PEOPLE STOP BUYING MACS....PLEASE! Don't buy them because they're hip, or cool, buy them because that's what you really want. Remember when it used to mean something when you saw someone else walking down the hallway with white earbuds? there was a 90% chance that the guy wearing them would converse with you about what system he was running or what kind of gear he had.... now those days are gone, and personally I feel that Apple's resurge in sales recently is bad for the community as a whole.
Sorry... went off a bit there but can we all just be happy about what works for us personally and not hate each other? it ruins my day.
> Apple's resurge in sales recently is bad for the community as a whole.
> Apple's is bad for the community as a whole.
> Apple is bad
Also, I dont remember: "Remember when it used to mean something when you saw someone else walking down the hallway with white earbuds?"
i do have to say kudos to apple for being able to sell an image instead of a product for so much money, i dont hate apple at all, in fact i admire them. however, i'm not paying a premium in order to feel like i'm cooler than everyone else. also, linux user so hardware is pretty much what i'm paying for. i'm thinking about just building my next laptop myself cause it seems that now we pay so much extra for the OS.
I am a Mac guy simply because of OSX. I have a much faster work flow vs. when I'm in a Windows environment, and time is money. Sure Apple computers are over priced in terms of hardware, but I find they vastly make up for it in software. This is just me, I don't expect everyone to have the same opinion, but I feel Mac users tend to have the same mentality.
A closer look at the commercial:
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/04/04/microsofts_latest_ad_attacks_mac_aesthetics_computing_power.html
Mac fanboy here. I actually like these commercials - even the "i'm a PC" spots are good spots for Microsoft. See, when Microsoft does something right, that's a good thing. Apple needs reality checks every so often to keep them grounded and competitive. So, I say - kudos Microsoft. It's about time you finally found an angle in advertising that actually is sorta 'fresh' and sorta relevant.
As more of an Apple fan than all the Apple Fanboys here.....(because most of them didn't exist before the iPOD).....
I have an APPLE IIc on up to almost every model of mac up to 2006....then I converted to HACKINTOSHes because I got sick of the restrictions that Apple continued to place on me with proprietary overpriced relabeled mid-range hardware which not only limited my choices but my ability to make the machine that suited my needs.
Let's be honest....Apple is a hardware profit driven company for the most part with iTunes & iPods making up the bulk.
We've all known it for years that Apple really gouged on price and charged us for STYLE. Think Different became "I'm an elitist"
It is sad to think that the Rainbow Apple really used to be the innovator rather than what seemingly is a greedier and greedier Silver Apple protecting its iTunes service and iPod rehashes every year.
Aaah....Rainbow Apple.......we miss you.
Ok seriously lets dissect this commerical! I am not saying the Macbook is best computer in the world but what this "tech savy consumer" said he wanted was definitely not what he purchased.
"What would have the best battery life, that could still accommodate my needs?" Giampaolo asked while shopping. It sure wasn't what he picked out. Battery life not so good
HP rates its built-in battery for less than 3 hours, but reviewers gave it less than two. That's not very good at all for its category. HP also offers a $150 expansion battery that hangs off the back of the already large system to give it twice the battery life. The "sexy" MacBook is rated for 5 hours with a single battery.
"It's a pretty strong contender"
In terms of power, Giampaolo's third primary need, the "recommended configuration" of the HP Pavilion HDX 16t that he apparently purchased ships with a 2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo P7450 paired with 4GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 RAM, which is a slower memory architecture than Apple was shipping in early 2006 MacBooks three years ago.
The latest MacBooks that Giampaolo feared were "all about aesthetics" pair a Core 2 Duo P7350 or P8600 with PC3-8500 DDR3 RAM, delivering a peak transfer rate that's twice as fast as the HP machine Giampaolo selected.
So much for Macs being about "aesthetics more than they are the computing power," or Giampaolo being "technically savvy."
Hopefully, Giampaolo is at least technologically savvy enough to upgrade to the 64-bit version of Windows Vista (or downgrade to the 64-bit version of Windows XP) in order to actually take advantage of that 4GB of RAM, as the standard version of Windows can only actually use about 3GB of it, a technical problem he wouldn't face on the MacBook.
Given that only a fraction of the PC installed base runs a 64-bit version of Windows (Microsoft reported that less than 6% of users hitting its software update servers were running 64-bit Vista last June), there's lots of "technically savvy" PC users with loads of installed RAM their computer can't even use.
And while Giampaolo can upgrade to even more RAM, he can't upgrade his new system to use the faster DDR3 RAM specification used in the MacBook. That would make his system faster overall and allow it to take full advantage of the installed CPU's 1066MHz front side bus, which HP chose to cripple by pairing it with a 533MHz memory architecture to save money and deliver a cheap system for people who don't know what they're really buying as they shop at Fry's for good-sounding GB and MHz numbers rather than focusing on finding a computer that does the things they want it to do.
Giampaolo was distracted by marketing
Of course, with the scant money that he's saving (he could have bought the high end MacBook by matching Microsoft's money with his own $100), Giampaolo will now get to go shopping for software, where he can easily spend several hundred dollars just trying to match the features and usability of the free iLife and Mac OS X tools Apple bundles with the MacBook.
Giampaolo will also have to spend hours of his time installing and running antivirus and adware tools, and stay on the lookout for that Conficker computer worm that Microsoft is warning Windows PC users about on the front page of its corporate website.
The strangest point of this ad is that Giampaolo didn't get the portability, battery life, and power he was looking for, he just ended up with a cheap-appearing machine that obscured its real technical limitations under a flashy layer of misleading, specification-oriented marketing, the very thing he thought he was avoiding with HP: buying a brand rather than a computer. And that's exactly what Microsoft wants people to do: buy its brand rather than a computer that does what they want it to do.
why did you copy and paste the article from the link above???
DIssecting the commercial above is kinda fruitless because the viewer never really knows his needs......what the ad is pushing is the idea that CHOICE + OPTIONS + AFFORDABILITY = a PC.
Hey its a commercial, get over it. Apple users can take flak as well as PC users can, and if you can't then switch to Linux. Vista sucks, Apple is over priced, blah blah blah. How about instead of arguing over which brand is better (MS doesn't make a PC....hmm...maybe they're about to buy out HP?) you choose what YOU want and leave the rest of the world alone to be happy with what THEY want? I don't mind that I paid more for my MBP, its what I wanted, but I admit my PC I BUILT was a heck of a lot cheaper, and runs almost as well.
He made the serious mistake that all narrow minded windows users make; he only looked at HARDWARE specs.
Any machine with OS X will be the superior machine, it is the worlds most advanced OS.
compare the : speed of usability; functionality, speed; hinderance (virus scanner blah!)
os x will be better.
is better!
The advertising department over at Microsoft is full of idiots Basically, they're calling all of their customers technophobes. Apple is an innovative company, constantly developing new products, and improving on existing ones. Microsoft is just a failure...how can their selling point be hardware? The only hardware they make is the Xbox 360, and how many of those have died on people? How is Microsoft even involved in these commercials anyway...it's Apple vs. PC...not OS-X vs. Windows....
This applies to comments faaar back. (Have you guys and girls had one single look at the MSFT stocks lately?) It would tell you that microsoft is somewhat scared at the moment, because their screwup with vista has brought their per share value down to a level of 15$ per share, while apples range about 18 and are increasing. MSFT shares went up to around 18$ per share over the last 3 months or so, due to the launch of Windows Server 2008, but this is only for the back room and does not generate that much value per sale as their desktop products which are in fact driving the stocks at rapid rates. Still they will earn more share value as Windows Server 2008 becomes sold into back rooms around in the world. But the fact that it takes time and effort to implement new server os'es will still hold the shares on a quite low increase rate. However since Microsoft so far has done it quite well with windows 7, and that will probably promise for a "gutzy" 115$ per share out Q2 of 2010 probably. At least everything seems to go in that direction. So if people got the money, invest in MSFT shares, they have not been this low in a very long time, So its a good investment anyway. When it comes to the financial crisis, will certainly make the shares move slower than under normal conditions, considering a weakened private economy mostly but also firms going out of business rather than increasing share value and are willing to upgrade anyway. And also firms will wait longer to upgrade than the private market which have also been willing to wait on 7 in some cases.
So for me, invest in microsoft and use a mac while investing.
1) It's just an ad, calm the F down.
2) Point 1 is not directed at the (non-existent) Apple fanboys, but at the idiots who claim to be "responding" to them
3) There were no comments from fanboys "crying" about this ad, before the idiots started "responding" to them
4) If you demand that an imaginary group stops "crying" about an ad when no-one has been, then you are *awfully* defensive ... and I wonder why you are
5) There are no "Apple fanboys" in the same way that there are no witches, no aliens, no communists, no bogeymen, no illuminati et cetera
6) While we're at it, there is no "Engadget bias" either - those who think there is are suffering from confirmation bias - recall bias specifically, and are also succumbing to the bandwagon effect.
7) Thirteen pages of comments? Sheesh, you "Microsoft fanboys" (heh) really are defensive, hey?
The first one made sense but this one just fails.
He wants a laptop for portability yet he picks the hp which is 1.7" thick and weighs over 7 lbs?
I know this is as much a HP commercial as it is Microsoft's but damn, pick a different one that isn't so heavy if you want to emphasize portability...
EPIC FAIL
Ok, I think that this thread is done. We have covered the same material about five times over the span of 630 comments. Enough is enough. please.
Fry's in Fountain Valley, CA FTW!!!!
@ Proud Japanese
While I agree with your point you made here, I can't help but feel slightly empty of heart when I read one of your comments on a piece about the PS3.
Here's what you have to say about Macs here:
"What happened to Apple hardware being superior and the premium well worth paying? Hypocrites"
And on the PS3 post.
"PS3 might be more expensive but it's the Mac of the console world. Better design, better and more reliable hardware. Like with a PC, you spend more time repairing the Xbox than playing on it. Enjoy your RROD."
Get a grip man.
All I want to see is a set of comparative benchmarks, comparing the Apples and the Oranges. Try some resource-hogs, BF2, Crysis, etc.
I'm sick of bananas telling me that their junk is more high-performance. If Macs were actually faster, I bet you'd see them posting the results somewhere. But they don't. Because their blind faith is no substitute for impartial truth.
Mac's have systematically scored lower on every benchmark that it goes against a PC on. Apple's are slow, and shittier for more money.
I used to have a PowerBook G4. When it died after 3 years and it came time to get a new one, lower price, warranty and support were the biggest reasons I switched to a Dell laptop. I can do everything I want on a PC or Mac. But the Mac was $900 more for a comparable PC and $300 more for the warranty which is only 3 years and does NOT cover accidental damage.
For $1450 I got a 15" Dell, 4 year warranty, 4 year damage insurance shipped. Macs are sexy and I miss OS/X sometimes but I love having $1000 more in the bank and knowing if the darn thing falls out of my bag on the sidewalk, it will be fixed or replaced for no extra cost. The warranty and damage insurance are what closed the deal. Drop a Mac on the sidewalk as you're walking out of the Apple store, you're SOL.