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Microsoft seems poised to finally fight back against Apple’s Mac Guy vs PC Guy ads. The trendy, cool young ‘Mac’ guy versus the older staid business “PC” guy in a suit, have become pop culture icons. Every Mac user I ever knew was into granola, watching tree’s grow, and communing with nature, not trendy and cool. Microsoft’s position until now has been to sit back and let them play out. This may have been a bad move on Microsoft’s part. Mac Guy has been thoroughly ingrained into the national psyche.
Brad Brooks, the Corporate Vice President of Windows Consumer Product announced during his keynote address July 8 at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference that Microsoft is launching a 300 million dollar advertising counteroffensive against certain “unnamed competitors”. Dailytech.com quoted him as saying , "We know our story is very different from what our competitors want us to think. Today we are drawing a line and are going to start telling the real story (about Vista)."
He goes on to explain that most of Vista’s problems were due to hardware manufacturers not expecting Windows Vista to be delivered on time, and then being left unprepared when it was. He goes on to acknowledge that security changes and other changes broke numerous hardware and software apps, but that Microsoft fixed almost all of these problems and continues to improve Vista.
He’s right and wrong. Vista definitely suffered from an initial image problem. It still has trouble shaking off those image problems today. It is a competent OS, if a somewhat nagging one. Its major sin was not delivering on the hype. The media build up was so tremendous, it was a let down compared to what we were expecting. WinFS disappeared and DirectX 10 didn’t live up to expectations with people being hard pressed to tell the difference between high end DirectX 9 & 10 games. Combine that with UAC, vendors putting Vista on hardware too weak for the OS, and the green drivers it’s no wonder why Vista was viewed as a failure. It led to people overlooking its improvements and refinements.
Big business has been snubbing Vista, including Microsoft’s long time partner Intel which hasn’t helped the OS’s image either. The truth is for business, there isn’t a compelling reason to upgrade. For the usual business stuff like working in databases, email, word processing, there is no reason to leave XP. Even 4 year old hardware can do that without breaking a sweat. Microsoft seems to have recognized this and announced an ad campaign called "Move to Windows Vista with Confidence" targeting small businesses that would be purchasing new computers in small quantities versus corporations which shop in bulk.
I like Microsoft’s new aggressive marketing stance and can’t wait to see what they come out with. It will be a serious challenge to overcome the ‘Mac Guy’ image, and if not done really well, they could end up with egg on their face. Maybe they could stereo type Mac users with the crunchy granola look?
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Wildebeast
July 10, 2008 at 2:32pm
I kinda do hate Macs. Not just because I have a sister who talks like "Intel compters" are made of MSG, razor blades, and the like. [Macs are made of pixie dust & ice cream, I guess.] They do push innovation better than plenty of PC parts manufacturers.
It also bothers me quite a bit that (like a lot of companies) they used iTunes to dominate the mp3 player market. It was a better business model/copyright standard than anyone elses, but the rest of the industry should have been able to get together to get one just as good or better. (Still using my Rio Karma, w/b&w display.)
I am an XP user, learning Kubuntu Linux in hopes of having the option to avoid Windows 7 in addition to avoiding Vista. The problems I have will XP are all related to the security patches, or the junk MS pulled to kill Netscape, Wordperfect and Lotus. If they had found a comprehensive firewall as much a "natural part" of Windows as an internet browser, I'd have almost no issues with XP.
Oh yes, and because I run Home, instead of Pro --there's apparentely no way for me to actually save SP2 and SP3. I get to choose b/w hours of downloading after a fresh install and buying the SP disks from MS.
As for Vista, I hate that 2 guys go into a room to make something work, then when they leave and it still doesn't work, the finger pointing starts. A major point with Vista is that you have to have new hardware or upgrade for it --serious flaws in communication and being in too big a damn hurry are valid, but really crummy excuses.
Exclusivity sounds like a great idea [to them], when Apple, MS, Dell, music sales dudes, other software companies are using it to squeeze out their competition. Then when they don't have the sales, because their exclusive product sucks (probably due to lack of innovation and competition & higher price) they bitch about piracy, hackers & theft. ---Yes these are problems, but how much of it comes out of corporate inertia and greed?
Anybody seen the price of a CD drop, because iTunes $.99? No, they're delaying price raises, instead. Lacks in sales couldn't be because they act like "White people listen to country & classical, Black people listen to Hip-Hop and Soul."
Will you be able run the best possible graphics on the best possible PC mobo? Not unless you drop $5k on a high-end PC builder, because AMD, nVidia, intel don't want to use "a standard," unless they're collecting royalties from it.
I also can't help thinking that BTX didn't take off, not because users didn't want it, but because the big PC builders didn't want to be stuck with the old ATX stock.
Tobe_Dog
July 10, 2008 at 9:59am
You know its funny how alot of people say that every Mac user is as Chris put it, "was into granola, watching tree’s grow, and communing with nature, not trendy and cool."
I just happen to be both an avid PC and Mac user. I certainly don't eat granola, and I could care less about the trees growing because we are gonna cut 'em down anyways. (Yes pro-logger.) And the communing with nature, ha, im not into hemp or wearing socks with sandels. I also don't throw the fact that I'm using a Mac into a PC users face at every turn. I do think there are some easier ways to do things on a Mac than on a PC. True, you can't play games on a Mac so the PC is there to throw down on some Battlefield 2. All I'm saying, is I may not be trendy or cool, but I guess that also means that I am not the sterotypical Mac user.
OSX may be better than Vista, but with that said, I'd still rather have XP anyday of the week. Vista reminds me of Millenium in that 98 was awesome then this so called "best OS ever" called Millenium came out and everyone hated it and went back to 98. Are we seeing that again here with Vista? I think so...
Haipyng
July 10, 2008 at 10:24am
That was tongue in cheek, don't take it to heart. They say the same thing about us Vermonters. :) The Mac ads are targeted at stereo types. Are Vista users guys in business suits that are "Bill Gates" like? Of course not. Most Gen Xers would rather be shot than characterized like that. That's the sales angle.
On XP I agree, on my current system I wouldn't upgrade. Not because Vista is a bad OS, but because I don't want to sacrifice the level of processing power I have (single core proc and 7900GT) to push some eye candy that I could use elsewhere. On a new system I'd definitely go with Vista for the new features and eye candy. Most issues in Vista have been fixed or there are work arounds (UAC). We have processing power to spare so why not.
Skiplives
July 10, 2008 at 9:54am
After all Vista is not their fault. And the commercials aren't that funny. I am agnostic on the OS thing, I have two PCs and one Apple at home; a PC at work; and several Apple accoutrements. As long as it doesn't crash I am happy.
The problem is that Microsoft got it backward. Instead of the same OS at 35 different price points, why not one OS that is flexible and customizable. Everything outside of the kernal should be switchable. I can see it now - Windows 7 Gamer Edition - Now with command line interface! Okay, maybe not, but I can dream ...
Haipyng
July 10, 2008 at 10:28am
I don't hate apple, they are crunchy and good with caramel dip. They are even better when toasted. =)
And yes Microsoft definitely got the multiple versions wrong. Two versions was plenty, but I like the idea of a truly modular system.
Wareagle
July 10, 2008 at 9:35am
"He goes on to explain that most of Vista’s problems were due to
hardware manufacturers not expecting Windows Vista to be delivered on
time, and then being left unprepared when it was."No, it was supposed to come out in 2004. Vista was 3 years late, and had none of the features that were promised in Longhorn.
Vista is a very fitting name, because that's all it is. A different view of your desktop.
Haipyng
July 10, 2008 at 10:06am
Yes, hardware vendors didn't believe Microsoft when they said they were going to get it when they said they were after missed dates. Microsoft was also trying hard to control Vista and keep it under wraps. There is blame enough there to go around. Microsoft has learned from the crappy Vista launch and is trying the carrot and stick approach for WIndows 7 compatibility logos. Beta's are being made more available to vendors and the Hardware Logo Program is alot stiffer than Vista was. It's here if you want some dry reading.
Frankly, I am a bit worried about Windows 7, and the rushed 2009 release. Microsoft has one chance to get this right, or face an outright rebellion of users. So far I am unimpressed by the touch interface.
Wareagle
July 10, 2008 at 12:46pm
"Frankly, I am a bit worried about Windows 7, and the rushed 2009
release. Microsoft has one chance to get this right, or face an
outright rebellion of users."Sweet, maybe they'll switch to Linux. :)
brokenmoth08
July 10, 2008 at 8:57am
There is alot of anti mac cartoons on the internet, and alot of them are hillarious.
Strongbad536
July 10, 2008 at 8:38am
Haha, that ad is hilarious. I cant wait to see it on TV. in the words of tom, "well played sir, well played indeed"
