Actually they claim to be cheaper and have all the same features/power. It's like, why spend extra money when you don't have to.
That's why they start the commercial with "this is what I want" and then look at a Mac, say its too much $$, and then find a windows machine that has what they want for less. You can argue about whether it's true or not, but that's what the commercial is saying. You make it sound like Apple is a full course meal at a gourmet restaurant and Microsoft comes on with a commercial for McDonald's and says "but we're cheaper." That wasn't their message at all.
They desperately needed material to fill those presentations too -- they have so little new to offer, only talking about their products would fall short of the allotted time.
@ Flowah >> "Actually they claim to be cheaper and have all the same features/power. It's like, why spend extra money when you don't have to."
I'm saying that you can't directly compare a Windows laptop and a Mac laptop. It's not a good restaurant/bad restaurant situation. There are just too many variables NOT related to hardware. Forget about CPU, RAM and hard drives for a moment:
How much is that "Apple Tax" really? How much is a full 64-bit OS worth? How much value does iPhoto and iMovie add to a Mac? Does a Mac offer ANYTHING that might be easier enough to use? Or provide something that people will actually use?
For instance... I know a handful of Mac users. Every single one of them uses iPhoto. Those that shoot video use iMovie, and burn DVDs with iDVD. The rest of my friends use Vista... but none of them use Windows Photo Gallery or Windows Movie Maker. Or even know about Picasa or anything else. And they have never burned a DVD. You're probably pretty good with computers (you're reading Engadget)... but the average person, if they have a Mac, they use that software. And it's worth it to them.
I've seen dozens of photo galleries on Facebook from people playing with the webcam on their Mac. In contrast, I've never met a single person who uses the webcam on their Windows laptop. Forget video chatting... they don't even know how the thing works at all. I can't explain why... but Macs users (regular people) seem to get a lot of use out of their Mac. It's worth it to them.
Windows has photo managing, movie editing, and DVD burning built in. But you have to wade through a load of crap to get to it. Boot up a brand new Dell or HP... and you're presented with tons of apps loading up for free trials of software you'll never use or need. The computer comes with Roxio Creator Basic 9... what the hell does that do? Nobody needs an Earthlink icon on their desktop. It's a brand new computer, and it's already messy. Boot up a Mac for the first time, create a user name, and that's it. It's worth it to them.
Windows fanboys love to say things like this: "I can get an Dell laptop with HDMI and Blu-Ray for $899... suck on that Apple!" If you base the comparison on stuff like that... Windows will always be cheaper or have things that Macs don't offer. But, what about the things that Macs DO offer? OSX? How much is that worth? Macs have never been about about cutting edge hardware (although those LED screens and trackpads are pretty sweet). There are plenty of other areas where a Mac excels. It just happens to cost more for them.
But the value is there... you just have to appreciate it. And people appreciate their Macs. If they didn't... if people were getting ripped off... we would have heard about it by now. But people who buy a Mac, really like their Mac. It's the non-Mac users that think Macs are a ripoff.
The Rip is the latest addition to the Boogie eWriter line, devices that let you scribble notes and drawings and can be wiped away with the press of a button.
The most commented posts on Engadget over the past 24 hours.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
Getting a little desperate?
hardly, look at the OS X adoption, its accelerating, adding another 25 million users in the last year or so.
you honestly think don't think WINDOWS SEVEN is a PR job? get real.
Meanwhile Snow Leopard has ... well.. been 90% rewritten, and in the really deep core tech. That's a Service Pack to you? ha.
Cue Microsoft Laptop Hunters commercial:
"Our stuff is cheaper!"
Seriously though... Apple commercials say that Windows computers have problems... and all Microsoft can say is that Windows computers are cheaper?
Actually they claim to be cheaper and have all the same features/power. It's like, why spend extra money when you don't have to.
That's why they start the commercial with "this is what I want" and then look at a Mac, say its too much $$, and then find a windows machine that has what they want for less. You can argue about whether it's true or not, but that's what the commercial is saying. You make it sound like Apple is a full course meal at a gourmet restaurant and Microsoft comes on with a commercial for McDonald's and says "but we're cheaper." That wasn't their message at all.
They desperately needed material to fill those presentations too -- they have so little new to offer, only talking about their products would fall short of the allotted time.
Michael Strip
Er... Yes?
Windows say their computers are cheaper, and all APPLE can say are "blllleeeeeeh, YOU SUCK FOR BUYING WINDOWS".
@ Flowah >> "Actually they claim to be cheaper and have all the same features/power. It's like, why spend extra money when you don't have to."
I'm saying that you can't directly compare a Windows laptop and a Mac laptop. It's not a good restaurant/bad restaurant situation. There are just too many variables NOT related to hardware. Forget about CPU, RAM and hard drives for a moment:
How much is that "Apple Tax" really? How much is a full 64-bit OS worth? How much value does iPhoto and iMovie add to a Mac? Does a Mac offer ANYTHING that might be easier enough to use? Or provide something that people will actually use?
For instance... I know a handful of Mac users. Every single one of them uses iPhoto. Those that shoot video use iMovie, and burn DVDs with iDVD. The rest of my friends use Vista... but none of them use Windows Photo Gallery or Windows Movie Maker. Or even know about Picasa or anything else. And they have never burned a DVD. You're probably pretty good with computers (you're reading Engadget)... but the average person, if they have a Mac, they use that software. And it's worth it to them.
I've seen dozens of photo galleries on Facebook from people playing with the webcam on their Mac. In contrast, I've never met a single person who uses the webcam on their Windows laptop. Forget video chatting... they don't even know how the thing works at all. I can't explain why... but Macs users (regular people) seem to get a lot of use out of their Mac. It's worth it to them.
Windows has photo managing, movie editing, and DVD burning built in. But you have to wade through a load of crap to get to it. Boot up a brand new Dell or HP... and you're presented with tons of apps loading up for free trials of software you'll never use or need. The computer comes with Roxio Creator Basic 9... what the hell does that do? Nobody needs an Earthlink icon on their desktop. It's a brand new computer, and it's already messy. Boot up a Mac for the first time, create a user name, and that's it. It's worth it to them.
Windows fanboys love to say things like this: "I can get an Dell laptop with HDMI and Blu-Ray for $899... suck on that Apple!" If you base the comparison on stuff like that... Windows will always be cheaper or have things that Macs don't offer. But, what about the things that Macs DO offer? OSX? How much is that worth? Macs have never been about about cutting edge hardware (although those LED screens and trackpads are pretty sweet). There are plenty of other areas where a Mac excels. It just happens to cost more for them.
But the value is there... you just have to appreciate it. And people appreciate their Macs. If they didn't... if people were getting ripped off... we would have heard about it by now. But people who buy a Mac, really like their Mac. It's the non-Mac users that think Macs are a ripoff.