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Microsoft alters Laptop Hunters "Lauren" ad after Apple calls to complain

by Laura June posted Jul 24th 2009 at 12:31PM

In a continuation of the saga that began about ten days ago, Microsoft has altered one of its Laptop Hunters ads to reflect Apple's recent price changes. Last we'd heard, Microsoft COO Kevin Turner was boasting that the ads had been so successful that a rep from Apple had called to ask that the ads be pulled. Turner pointed out that Apple's complaint -- that the prices were no longer correct -- was the result of a price cut of "$100 or something." Now it appears that one ad -- the one featuring the second Lauren -- has been re-edited so that she no longer mentions the price of the MacBook Pro ("over $2,000"), which has been dropped to $1,700. We'll be honest -- we don't care how this turns out, just as long as we can keep on using the words "Apple" and "Microsoft" in the same sentence.

[Via Apple Insider]

Microsoft exec says Apple asked them stop airing Laptop Hunters ads

by Donald Melanson posted Jul 15th 2009 at 9:27PM

Apple may have publicly responded to Microsoft's Laptop Hunters ads with a counterpunch of its own back in May, but it looks like it may have been singing a slightly different tune behind the scenes more recently, at least according to Microsoft's Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Turner. Speaking at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference earlier today, Turner said that he knows the ads are working because "two weeks ago we got a call from the Apple legal department saying [...] 'Hey, you need to stop running those ads, we lowered our prices.'" Turner further went on to note that "they took like $100 off or something," before stating to applause that it "was the greatest single phone call in the history that I've ever taken in business" -- though he did apparently take a minute to ask: "Is this a joke? Who are you?" In case you're wondering, Turner also confirmed that Microsoft is indeed "just going to keep running them and running them and running them."

[Via Ars Technica]

Laptop Hunters part five: same schtick, different Lauren

by Ross Miller posted May 14th 2009 at 6:56PM

Ready for another round of Microsoft's Laptop Hunters? This time it's Lauren -- not the infamous original LH -- and mom seeking the perfect PC to take with her to law school. Top on the list of needs is a portable with speed and battery life, all for less than $1700. Shying away from the more expensive MacBook Pro -- a pretty tame jab, much like the last ad -- the dynamic duo settle on a Dell XPS 13a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, and a $899 price tag. All in all, not the most exciting commercial the series has fostered, and with Apple finally going on the offensive, we really hope the gang in Redmond take it up a notch. See the relatively bite-free video for yourself after the break.

Update: Looks like Microsoft's pulled the video, probably due to some audio sync issues -- can we get Sheila on the case? We'll let you know when it springs back up.

Update 2: It's back online and now in HD.

Continue reading Laptop Hunters part five: same schtick, different Lauren

Video: Apple responds to Microsoft's Laptop Hunters... with a Megan

by Thomas Ricker posted May 13th 2009 at 12:58AM

According to Apple, there aren't any PCs with fast processors and big screens that work without viruses, crashes or headaches. But folks, this isn't reality, this is advertising. In fact, this is Apple's first jab since Microsoft took off the gloves with its Laptop Hunters series of pokes against Apple. So grab a Coke (or Pepsi) and check the ad after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Video: Apple responds to Microsoft's Laptop Hunters... with a Megan

Microsoft's latest ad: iTunes and the iPod are crazy expensive

by Nilay Patel posted May 11th 2009 at 6:58PM

We've been wondering when we'd see the next Laptop Hunters ad from Microsoft, but it looks like the company's throwing a change-up: its latest 30-second spot features Wes Moss, Certified Financial Planner, explaining that iTunes "costs a lot" while Zune Pass "costs a little." The argument, of course, is that at a buck a song (or more), filling up your iPod costs way more than the $15 / month cost of the Zune subscription service, but we've got a feeling that Wes just won't convince as many people as Lauren and Giampaulo -- while we certainly think Zune Pass is a great deal, especially with the 10 free tracks a month now included, most people have plenty of music from all kinds of sources already, and an additional monthly bill in the current economy doesn't seem all too appealing. Plus, well, this argument has never really worked for services like Yahoo and Rhapsody in the past, so we're not sure it's going to work now. But that's just us -- we're sure you've got your own opinions, so check out the vid after the break and sound off.

P.S. If Wes looks familiar it's because he was a contestant on Donald Trump's The Apprentice. He was fired.

[Via Ars Technica; thanks Travis and Michael S.]

Continue reading Microsoft's latest ad: iTunes and the iPod are crazy expensive

Sheila the Laptop Hunter picks a PC, keeps it civil

by Paul Miller posted Apr 30th 2009 at 8:12PM

We're not sure if Microsoft is winding down its Laptop Hunter campaign, or just decided to step off the class warfare a bit, but this latest ad is pretty hate free. Shelia, a filmmaker with a $2,000 budget, asks the hard questions like "is this graphics card going to be powerful?" and walks out with an HP HDX 16t (an upgraded version of Giampaulo's kit of choice). The MacBook Pro's mere 2GB of RAM at that pricepoint just didn't fly, though we have to wonder which self-professed video editor hasn't already picked a side in the age-old Avid vs. Final Cut Pro debate -- which could've helped cut down on the soul searching. Video is after the break.

Continue reading Sheila the Laptop Hunter picks a PC, keeps it civil

Apple bites back at Laptop Hunter ads, 'agrees' with Microsoft that Macs are cool

by Ross Miller posted Apr 16th 2009 at 9:21PM

Looks like Apple finally has something to say to Lauren, Giampaulo, Lisa, Jackson, and any future laptop hunters showcased in Microsoft's new commercial series. In a statement to Macworld, spokesperson Bill Evans goes through the usual list of touted Mac features -- security, stability, design -- before quipping, "a PC is no bargain when it doesn't do what you want." Ouch. He continues by "agreeing" with Microsoft that, yes, everyone does think its computers are cool. We don't expect Redmond's ready to end the ad campaign anytime, and as enjoyable as this statement is, our only hope is that the gang at Cupertino ups the ante and retaliates tit-for-tat by sending Hodgman on an filmed adventure through Best Buy.

Engadget Podcast 141 - 04.10.2009

by Trent Wolbe posted Apr 10th 2009 at 2:16PM

That's right everyone -- it's the Engadget Podcast. If you're down with gadgets, chatting, and just kicking it ill, you're in the right place. Hear your friends Josh, Paul, and Nilay discuss the week in technology, and expound on their belief that the P.U.M.A. is a dangerous rickshaw, Acer has stepped up to the netbook plate in a big way, and Microsoft might not be totally on the level with its new ads. Ready to get the blood boiling? Dip your toes into the jacuzzi of chat that is the podcast, and enjoy!

Note: There appears to be some very weird timing issues going on with our audio in this installment. If it seems like we're talking over each other more than normal, don't be too alarmed. We're looking into it now.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: Back In Black

01:40 - Engadget's wild ride in the P.U.M.A.
15:35 - Peapod the friendly Neighborhood Electric Vehicle in the flesh
24:40 - Acer launches first NVIDIA Ion-based nettop: AspireRevo
35:15 - Acer announces Aspire Timeline thin'n'lights -- $699 to $899
46:15 - Microsoft's second Laptop Hunters commercial: Giampaulo buys an HP HDX

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New Laptop Hunters ad proves Macs are just for children

by Joshua Topolsky posted Apr 9th 2009 at 10:34PM

Microsoft's latest installment in its popular series of ripped-from-the-headlines, "real America" style 'puter-buying adventures follows a mom and son duo -- Lisa and Jackson. We learn during the commercial that the two need a computer which is "fast" because they need to "look up stuff" before they "get to baseball." Luckily for them, there are plenty of great PC options for their under-$1500 budget. Sure, they veer off in the middle there, almost buying a Mac -- which Lisa notes are "popular at this age" (we guess what she meant to say is that they're for children). Regardless, they're both so turned off by the cute-but-small computers that they hurry back to the affordable VAIO section and make off with a sweet 16-incher. But hey, don't take our word for it -- check out the really real mother and son for yourself in the full video after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading New Laptop Hunters ad proves Macs are just for children

Microsoft's second Laptop Hunters commercial: Giampaulo buys an HP HDX

by Nilay Patel posted Apr 4th 2009 at 6:17PM

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

Continue reading Microsoft's second Laptop Hunters commercial: Giampaulo buys an HP HDX

Microsoft's new ad shows how people shop for computers in the real America

by Laura June posted Mar 27th 2009 at 10:58AM

Microsoft's latest ad -- a companion-piece to its new "Laptop Hunters" website -- stars "real person" Lauren. Lauren's a little funky, a little folksy, and 100 percent real. She doesn't have an agenda to push, she's just out in the world, living in "reality" searching for a sweet laptop that's under $1,000. She admits to herself she's "not cool" enough for a Mac (though cool enough for a Volkswagen) and gets on with her life. She's a real American -- with an unpretentious, pragmatic life. The ad rather smartly puts the focus on our current economic climate, while expertly reinforcing that age old Apple-user-as-dick stereotype, pejoratively wielding the word "cool" as an underhanded insult -- odd, since the Microsoft portal it wants you to visit helps "socialites" pick a laptop. All in all? It's kind of a brilliantly mean piece of work -- check it out after the break.

[Via BoingBoing]

Continue reading Microsoft's new ad shows how people shop for computers in the real America