I’m A PC. Keep The Change.

Microsoft was built by engineers. Marketing has always been its weak spot. But its new ads poking fun at Apple hit the mark.

By Daniel Lyons | NEWSWEEK
Published Apr 4, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Apr 13, 2009

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  • Posted By: KyndKristen @ 05/04/2009 11:24:01 AM

    I just had the best customer service experience of my life at Apple this weekend when my 3-year-old Macbook was replaced with a BRAND NEW one for free because of a hardware issue. That's why I will always be a loyal Apple customer. Since 1982 when I bought my first Apple, the few problems I've had have been handled without a hitch. The slightly higher price is justified by a glitch-free (and virus-free) operating system and exemplary customer service. With Dell, you're lucky if your customer service rep speaks English.

    • Posted By: Evilbert77 @ 05/06/2009 7:05:30 PM

      No longer virus free. A new one was just released in the wild and you can bet a flood more to follow. Apple made the mistake of angering the hacking community with its security lies.

      • Posted By: Kirkog @ 09/15/2009 8:23:08 PM

        waiting for the flood evilbert...

  • Posted By: dap689 @ 05/25/2009 10:55:58 PM

    You would have to be an idiot not to know that this was not scripted. You can't film in Best Buy without permission and they would have had to tell her. On top of that she was in Best Buy which has Macs cheaper then that. Of course it was scripted, Why was she sent to the MAC store in the first place and why didn't the Best Buy salesman not show her the Macs. Since I work at Best Buy I know that it either was scripted or the commercial edited out them talking about the virtues of Macs. As a matter of fact none of the commercials has anyone talking about Macs. Hmmmm

  • Posted By: qubee @ 05/11/2009 11:06:33 PM

    Oi vay. Steve Ballmer isn't exactly an engineer, is he? Microsoft spends easily twice as much on marketing, events, and sales than they do on R&D (we're talking billions here). I don't mind the message of the article but try and get your basic facts right. And while you're checking your facts, you better whip out an Excel spreadsheet and figure out how much margin Microsoft is making on low-cost computers like Netbooks.

  • Posted By: byronv @ 05/04/2009 9:05:57 PM

    I own both platforms.
    An overclocked Intel quad with Vista, XP Pro, and Ubuntu Linux, which I put together for gaming. It's a work of art. It's very fast. I probably have $2200 in it not including the OS's, keyboard or monitor. I've been building and over clocking PC's since Windows 3 (486). I also have a 5-year-old HP laptop with XP Home. It sits in a corner. I just got a Macbook-Pro in October. It has OSX and XP Pro on it. I have about $2500 in it not including XP. It's also very fast.

    I dual screen both machines. All have Firefox, MS Office and Photoshop. They are all networked to a laser and inkjet printer, Central storage and a scanner.
    But hey, whatever. PC-Mac, I can live with either.
    Get all the quality you can afford. Cheap machines can have cheap parts in critical areas. When the thrill of a cheap price is gone. The bad taste of low quality is still there.
    When the pain of a higher price is gone, the satisfaction of a quality machine is still there.

    • Posted By: Evilbert77 @ 05/06/2009 7:28:09 PM

      cheap machines are fine for some users. If someone just wants to play on myspace then a freaking PII is enough horsepower :-) I just sold an old HP Omnibook 900 with a PII running win2k to someone for that purpose. Yup a HP LAPTOP that I got 2nd hand 9 years ago is still running just fine with all original hardware running the same installation of windows 2000 that i put on it when I got it. It has been with me to almost every state in this country and abused pretty harshly :-)

    • Posted By: Evilbert77 @ 05/06/2009 7:03:25 PM

      Ubunto rocks. How do you feel about Apples practice of an OSX installation "breaking ubuntu" if it is already on the machine. Microsoft doesn't try to prevent you from using other vendors OS's in combination with theirs. In fact they assist you with technical advice. Thank god apple is the minority. Apples approach is that they will TELL you what you can and can't do with a machine that you purchase. Why anyone would support such an immoral company is beyond me. The litigation directed at Microsoft is quite unfair considering what Apple does to shut out 3rd parties.

  • Posted By: labman57 @ 05/04/2009 2:32:00 AM

    Curious that the newest Microsoft ads only discuss the merits of the HARDWARE in the PC, which have nothing to do with the operating system. As far as the PC being cheaper, well as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

    • Posted By: Evilbert77 @ 05/06/2009 7:08:42 PM

      Wow, and apple advertised on the basis of a built in webcam. In the past they advertised on the basis that their chip would "SMOKE" any intel on the market and a intel celeron (budget processor) destroyed it in benchmarks. Now they ditched their motorola chip for intel. How can anyone not see that everything that comes out of apple's marketing department is a flat out lie.

  • Posted By: byronv @ 05/04/2009 8:59:18 PM

    Fanboys parade their ignorance and prejudice.
    It reminds me of the liberal-conservative debate.

    As far as Mac users being snobby, I don't know. I think it is a personal problem available to both platforms. You want snobby check out the Linux fanboys.

  • Posted By: cujat @ 05/04/2009 3:20:34 PM

    Apple is already working on a counter-ad. It starts out with..........18 months later. It then follows the same woman from the previous commercial as she goes back to the same store to buy her second $700 computer in a year and a half after spending several hundred dollars on anti-spyware and anti-virus' trying to get the POS to work again. Would you rather spend $1500-$2000 for a computer that will last you 5-10 years with minimal problems or 3+ $700-$1000 computers with constant problems over the same 5-10years?

  • Posted By: 江戸和道 @ 05/04/2009 2:02:01 PM

    This is an apples vs oranges comparison. A Mac is a computer. A PC is a smoking POS dressed up like a computer. The girl who spent $700 on a PC STILL does not own a computer. What she owns is a continual source of frustrations and error messages.

  • Posted By: NeoPoliticus @ 05/04/2009 3:58:23 AM

    Microsoft doesn't have a clue. Price is exactly what drives great brands - from Nike to BMW to Apple. Apple is an image - the pc is a cut-rate appliance.

  • Posted By: mastover @ 04/07/2009 5:58:20 PM

    If you want a cheap mac, you can always buy one of those little $300 netbooks and with a little web surfing find out how to load Mac OS on it. We have one here. It's working perfectly. Nope, the components aren't the greatest, but the OS is stable.... something you could never say about Windozzze.

    • Posted By: Evilbert77 @ 05/04/2009 12:41:09 AM

      Win2k and XP are stable. Any instability is most likely caused by user error. Unix is a very stable OS. From what I have encountered alot of its stability has been lost after apple got their hands on it.

  • Posted By: GizaDog @ 04/07/2009 6:28:05 PM

    It's obvious that the Windows users only argument is that they cost more. If you start comparing the REAL usable software that comes on an Apple compared to a stock Windows OS the Apple computer rulz!. This is where Windows users miss the mark! Apple hardware is "super solid" and if you needed you even install Windows OS on the Mac hardware! The best of both worlds in one package!

    These ad's try to play off Apple's hardware costing more but that is MS only angle. I've give this a two thumbs down!!

    • Posted By: Evilbert77 @ 05/04/2009 12:37:33 AM

      I've brought up numerous advantages to Windows and the PC over Mac. As for hardware, Mac changed to PC hardware. Apple charges a much higher price for the same hardware. The advantage of the PC with hardware is that I can choose what I want in my rig. Apple chooses what hardware you are stuck with. If the mac had surperior hardware all these years then why did they change over to an intel chipset? Get a clue man, everything coming out of Apple is a lie. They switched to pc hardware and ditched their OS for Unix.

  • Posted By: SCAudio @ 04/07/2009 6:00:53 PM

    It is interesting to see how the mac users come out of the woodwork for what they immediately assume to be a smack at Apple...well it is, but I don't think it is aimed at the user personally. I have had great experience with both PCs and Macs, and my ultimate preference is PC. This is due to a number of reasons, first and foremost that a PC is easily upgradeable, and cost-effective if all you need is a bit more juice out of your machine. Keeping that in mind, Macs differ greatly in their stability and useability. They tend to be made for the average user and run Unix which has always been a rock-solid operating system, so that should be taken into great account as you can run Unix on either (ever heard of Linux?). The main problem with macs? Hardware and software. PCs have it where it is at with the variety of products available since there is very little in the way of proprietary hardware (Mac users beware...all that shiny hardware? Proprietary...good luck with that). One last item that champions PC over Macs...games. Plain and simple. Ever heard of a Mac built for gaming? Hmm...and the gaming industry drives technology. Wonder why that is?

    • Posted By: TD3k @ 04/07/2009 6:27:06 PM

      I got news for you bud. My Mac Pro can run circles around most PCs on the market today. I play games in both OS X and in Windows natively and from one computer. The assertion that Macs can't run games is just another myth in the long line of PCers not knowing what they are talking about. Bottom line - use the computer you prefer. I started out on PCs and now I am on Macs because I think they are far superior in design and ease of use to PCs. The operating system, OS X, is light years ahead of Windows and has been for several years now. But, I say to each his own. I don't care which computer a person uses. But, when people call me up and ask me to help them trouble shoot their crapped out Windows box, I ususally say, "sorry I can't help you - I recommend a Mac."

      • Posted By: Evilbert77 @ 05/03/2009 9:35:59 PM

        I love that, your insanely priced Mac pro will run circles around MOST pc's. Look at the benchmarks my friend. I can buy a PC for A LOT cheaper than your Mac that will run circles around it.

    • Posted By: The Truth 123 @ 04/07/2009 6:31:19 PM

      Dude, you are so 90's, get with the times.

  • Posted By: The Truth 123 @ 04/07/2009 6:43:04 PM

    PC READERS: MACS DON'T GET VIRUSES OR SPYWARE....enough said!

    • Posted By: Evilbert77 @ 05/03/2009 9:33:01 PM

      New virus infecting macs in the wild. It's not a particulary nasty one but they are soon to follow. One rule of thumb to follow in the IT world, don't anger the hackers and don't challenge them. Advertising mac's so called security will prove to be a pretty big mistake for apple.

  • Posted By: ranscoste @ 04/08/2009 5:49:08 AM

    Now spending 20+ hours per month LESS (i.e. zero) cleaning up adware, spyware, browser hijackers and other garbage on a Mac compared to a PC. That alone is worth the price differential. Then add in great photo, video, etc software and the added value is plainly there. IMHO.

    • Posted By: Evilbert77 @ 05/03/2009 9:25:27 PM

      By the way, you have to CHOOSE to install spyware/adware so don't blame Windows for your mistakes. I havn't had a spyware infection in over 5 years and I run XP. Click hear for smileys in your email. Only nitwits fall for that one.

    • Posted By: ArmoredTACO @ 04/08/2009 10:41:11 AM

      Honestly there has to be something up with your browsing habits if your running into so much of that stuff on a monthly bases. Or a sucker for a sob story and email attachments or spam links. Few Viruses and worms actively roam the internet, most already are patched up to their block enterance or sever connections. Most Viruses and spy ware are reactive, often requiring someone to click or silly enough to disable all the browser security settings. With the cash you poor into a Mac you can get software protection and higher grade components like memory, ram, and graphics and probably still save a couple hundred bucks. All It requires is a few more brain cells to be relegated to understanding your computer beyond "I turn it on, and it does stuff for me." I get some people like it simple like a TV or a simple DVD player. But it's a computer. For something I spent so much on, I'd like a little more control over it. Vista was bad but I love all I can do with my PC.

  • Posted By: Nyarlat @ 04/19/2009 7:06:59 PM

    Nice M$ fanboy article. Well done!
    The problem with windows is that it´s not better but has grown a monopoly.
    So most people buy what others have already bought.
    Only a severe crisis can change an ecosystem completely.
    But if you are a programmer like me and you can easily see that OS X is the better Object Oriented OS. And Windows is legacy crap. To really feel the diverence you have to use both systems for some time und do your daily work on it.
    Mac OS X is far better thought out then any WIndows i have used. And i had to use some.
    What anoysme is that you sell a "taskbar" as something new! Are you kidding me?

    • Posted By: Evilbert77 @ 05/03/2009 8:11:06 PM

      Legacy crap? Unix is more of a legacy OS than Windows and that is what is lying beneath OSX. Do you think before you post?

  • Posted By: Nyarlat @ 04/30/2009 5:00:02 PM

    If you develop software you wil find that "Mac OS X" is far superior to any WIndows or Linux Version. The Object Model of Coocoa makes all the difference.
    The bad thing about Apple is that you get the superior OS only by buying Apple hardware. There was a time when it´s name was NeXTstep/Openstep and it ran on many hardware platforms.
    So it´s bullshit to make a hardware comparison as long as it´s impossible to get OS X to run legaly on any X86 hardware.
    So Microsoft compares Windows with Mac OS X by comparing Apple hardware with thirdparty hardware. Makes no sense at all. The videos miss the point of Microsoft being a SOFTWARE company. Not a hardware manufacturer. But you americans don´t recognise this fallacy. I wonder why?

  • Posted By: ben_rockwood @ 04/23/2009 11:25:32 PM

    Microsoft is a Marketing company. Engineering has been its weak side. If you look at the history of Microsoft.. from the day it bought DOS for $50000 to Windows to internet explorer ...etc.. there is not single engineer marvel other than smart marketing. I am not a Apple fanboi, but your article is always baised on anything where Steve Jobs is involved. So i don't expect anything other than picking up some pretext to bash Steve jobs

    • Posted By: Ron Paul For Pope @ 04/29/2009 8:18:03 PM

      You're right. I've worked as a kernel developer for both Linux and Windows, and I thank God I'm not working in Windows anymore. The core operating system is fine, because it's based on VMS, after all. The rest of it looks like some congealed mess dreamed up by the marketing department.

      For example, the filesystem architecture (especially FastIO) is an abomination. So much simpler in Linux.

  • Posted By: Ron Paul For Pope @ 04/29/2009 8:12:03 PM

    If Microsoft's point is that being smart and frugal is the new cool, then buying a bare-bones computer with no OS and putting Linux on it for free is even cooler than Windows. No Microsoft tax. No Vista shoved down my throat. I'm using a Linux machine to write this message, and it works just fine.

    Macs are nice to look at. We have one here at work to give sponsors some eye candy during demos. But when they leave, I shut it off and get back to work on my Linux box.

  • Posted By: reng2009 @ 04/28/2009 1:22:17 PM

    How is paying more for an Apple computer "wasting money"? I believe in frugality and value, but I also recognize that there can be a reason to spend more for better industrial design, higher build quality, and more streamlined operation. I'm not a Mac fanboy (I use both PCs and Macs), but when I put my hands on a MacBook or MacBook Pro, I can appreciate all of the above-mentioned qualities. It makes me feel better to use a Mac than a PC. There's a place for PCs, but Macs have a genuine value proposition, as well. It is ignorant to reduce your entire buying decision down to the lowest price.

  • Posted By: astrobill @ 04/26/2009 1:23:55 PM

    Decent article, but I'm as confused by Mr. Lyons' description of a "task bar at the bottom that shows what apps you have open" as a "slick new feature" in Windows 7 as the earlier commenters. Yes, the Task Bar has been in every version since Windows 95 and has always done EXACTLY what he says. What, exactly, is slick or new about the Task Bar in Windows 7? Could Mr. Lyons please log in and answer this for us? Thanks!

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