Apples New Ad Campaign? Bad Move?
Monday, June 24, 2002 by mormegil | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
As someone who makes a living doing Graphic Design, on PC’s. I have always had a bit of angst toward the *Mac People* out there who think Macs are the only way to do anything creative.
However, I am a big fan of the tenacity of Steve Jobs. I Admire the fact that he is hell bent on making what he sees as the best computer he can make. And of late, at least since OS-X, or should I say NeXTstep reborn, I think that they have been making great systems. I would not go so far as to say the best, but very impressive. I have to give great praise to the creativity of design, and say it takes balls to just change standards whenever they get out dated.
That said, I have to gripes.
I am buying a new MAC G4 next month, not to replace my PC, just to go along with it. I like the BSD base of OSX and figure I can kill two birds with one stone and improve my knowledge base while I am at it. I think Mac and PC, can get along just fine, and that each has its strengths. This is costing me way more then A equivalent PC but I have been saving for a year, and I am going to do it anyway.
Now comes Apples New Ad campaign, which is amid at PC users. It almost lost the sale to This PC User when I first saw it. The Why I see it is This campaign will not attract any more PC users then before and will alienate the More Tech Savvy PC Users. (That they have been attracting for the last year with OS-X) The New adds seem to me to say, replace that crappy PC with a cool MAC. This insults anyone who likes there PC, I being one, and then try to sell the Mac on the on its Aesthetic appeal. No Facts are given. Tech Savvy PC Users what to know what makes the system better, not that it is “Not Windows”.
And my biggest gripe is that in all of that adds I have seen so far they make it a Black and White issue, They say quite using your PC throw it away and use a MAC. In my experience your average person doesn’t want to through away all they have learned and start over. That approach doesn’t seem to be a selling point. I use both, and soon will own both.
My question is:
As a largely PC community of Designers, Users, and Artist, do the new Apple ads piss you off or make you think of buying a Mac?
And Secondly, how may of you use both PC’s and Macs? And what do you think of the new Ads?
However, I am a big fan of the tenacity of Steve Jobs. I Admire the fact that he is hell bent on making what he sees as the best computer he can make. And of late, at least since OS-X, or should I say NeXTstep reborn, I think that they have been making great systems. I would not go so far as to say the best, but very impressive. I have to give great praise to the creativity of design, and say it takes balls to just change standards whenever they get out dated.
That said, I have to gripes.
I am buying a new MAC G4 next month, not to replace my PC, just to go along with it. I like the BSD base of OSX and figure I can kill two birds with one stone and improve my knowledge base while I am at it. I think Mac and PC, can get along just fine, and that each has its strengths. This is costing me way more then A equivalent PC but I have been saving for a year, and I am going to do it anyway.
Now comes Apples New Ad campaign, which is amid at PC users. It almost lost the sale to This PC User when I first saw it. The Why I see it is This campaign will not attract any more PC users then before and will alienate the More Tech Savvy PC Users. (That they have been attracting for the last year with OS-X) The New adds seem to me to say, replace that crappy PC with a cool MAC. This insults anyone who likes there PC, I being one, and then try to sell the Mac on the on its Aesthetic appeal. No Facts are given. Tech Savvy PC Users what to know what makes the system better, not that it is “Not Windows”.
And my biggest gripe is that in all of that adds I have seen so far they make it a Black and White issue, They say quite using your PC throw it away and use a MAC. In my experience your average person doesn’t want to through away all they have learned and start over. That approach doesn’t seem to be a selling point. I use both, and soon will own both.
My question is:
As a largely PC community of Designers, Users, and Artist, do the new Apple ads piss you off or make you think of buying a Mac?
And Secondly, how may of you use both PC’s and Macs? And what do you think of the new Ads?
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Peff
Reply #2 Monday, June 24, 2002 1:54 PM
Reply #2 Monday, June 24, 2002 1:54 PM
I personally hate the Ads!. Not only do they make me NOT want to switch, they give me the urge to find the actors (supposedly, real people) and remove them from the gene pool 
.
I had the task of setting up a new iMac a couple of years ago for my sister, and let me tell you - THEY DO CRASH!(maybe less with OS-X now). Not a fun experience.
In short, I think the ads suck.
Stefan
. I had the task of setting up a new iMac a couple of years ago for my sister, and let me tell you - THEY DO CRASH!(maybe less with OS-X now). Not a fun experience.
In short, I think the ads suck.
Stefan
jcg
Reply #3 Monday, June 24, 2002 1:58 PM
Reply #3 Monday, June 24, 2002 1:58 PM
They sound like, "Mac: High tech for the technically challeneged." They have people on who are supposed to be tech savvy (IT folks and the like) who would scare me if they were running my network. 
migellito
Reply #4 Monday, June 24, 2002 2:54 PM
i already use both. my old imac is running osx and our pc is running xp. people will go on about how macs crash, but that's os9. osx doesn't crash. mine has -never- crashed in over a year. and i do some pretty funky stuff with it, digging around in the system, fiddling with things, messing with the terminal [the command line.] my copy of ie crashes.. but never the os if this was just me it'd be one thing, but i've talked to -tons- of people, including i.t. people supporting hundreds of machines at businesses, and they all say the same thing. in fact, a lot of them are just plain ticked off at still having to support pc's as well. i think more than anything it's the inconsistencies.
which leads me to the commercials.. i've not seen tv ads since i don't watch much tv. i've read the net ads, and frankly i've -met- people just like the ones shown. therefore, it's hard for me to consider them hard to believe, even though i'm sure they're actors. however, i have to agree that in addition to their trademark ad style they need to run some ads with real hard muscle info. and i don't mean some inane teen saying "yer gettin a mac, dood!!" or a talking cow saying how good the dancers look.
don't get me wrong, i like xp. it's a good os - the best windows yet. frankly though, as i'm sure jt folden could tell you also, there are a lot of things i just find quicker and more straightforward about osx than xp. of course, they're both modern os's and you'd be hard pressed to actually find somebody familiar with xp who couldn't sit down at an osx machine and do just fine with no help.
also, paul.. when you say a g4 costs more than a comparable pc, what stats are you comparing? just curious
Reply #4 Monday, June 24, 2002 2:54 PM
i already use both. my old imac is running osx and our pc is running xp. people will go on about how macs crash, but that's os9. osx doesn't crash. mine has -never- crashed in over a year. and i do some pretty funky stuff with it, digging around in the system, fiddling with things, messing with the terminal [the command line.] my copy of ie crashes.. but never the os
if this was just me it'd be one thing, but i've talked to -tons- of people, including i.t. people supporting hundreds of machines at businesses, and they all say the same thing. in fact, a lot of them are just plain ticked off at still having to support pc's as well. i think more than anything it's the inconsistencies.which leads me to the commercials.. i've not seen tv ads since i don't watch much tv. i've read the net ads, and frankly i've -met- people just like the ones shown. therefore, it's hard for me to consider them hard to believe, even though i'm sure they're actors. however, i have to agree that in addition to their trademark ad style they need to run some ads with real hard muscle info. and i don't mean some inane teen saying "yer gettin a mac, dood!!" or a talking cow saying how good the dancers look.
don't get me wrong, i like xp. it's a good os - the best windows yet. frankly though, as i'm sure jt folden could tell you also, there are a lot of things i just find quicker and more straightforward about osx than xp. of course, they're both modern os's and you'd be hard pressed to actually find somebody familiar with xp who couldn't sit down at an osx machine and do just fine with no help.
also, paul.. when you say a g4 costs more than a comparable pc, what stats are you comparing? just curious
mormegil
Reply #5 Monday, June 24, 2002 3:23 PM
Reply #5 Monday, June 24, 2002 3:23 PM
I priced out building a dual 2Gh P4 Xeon with 1.5gig or ram and a Gforce4 TI Video, with 2 80gig 7200 UDM 100 hard drives. Running Windows XPpro. I admit I would have had to put it together, This is a good thing for me, not everyone. Anyway it came out at $2899. The G4 is going to run me $4018. (I am going to wait until after Macworld, maybe it will be less) The PC Prices were parts form different places so I cant give all the specks, as It was a while ago.
Any way I am buying the Mac, because it is a dam fine machine, I just think that the propaganda of the new ads will just piss of most PC users, not switch them over.
Any way I am buying the Mac, becuse it is a dam fine machien, I just think that the propoganda of the new adds will just piss of most PC users, not switch them over.
Any way I am buying the Mac, because it is a dam fine machine, I just think that the propaganda of the new ads will just piss of most PC users, not switch them over.
Any way I am buying the Mac, becuse it is a dam fine machien, I just think that the propoganda of the new adds will just piss of most PC users, not switch them over.
joetheblow
Reply #6 Monday, June 24, 2002 3:45 PM
Reply #6 Monday, June 24, 2002 3:45 PM
It seems that Mac ads never really are any good as far as selling there product. I lok at Mac's and wonder why they don't sell more of them. Then I look at the ads and say to myself why switch? Give me more than nice pictures and a commercial theme.
My experience as a designer, the desktop puplising industry seems to prefer Mac over PC. I am not sure exactly why except for the history of multimedia design starting on Mac.
But anyway, I like Mac's. The are good computers and have design appeal as far as cas covering and colors. I am personally getting my first Mac sometime next year as a laptop. Otherwse I will most likely get PC's for life. One Mac for evry 10 PC's
My experience as a designer, the desktop puplising industry seems to prefer Mac over PC. I am not sure exactly why except for the history of multimedia design starting on Mac.
But anyway, I like Mac's. The are good computers and have design appeal as far as cas covering and colors. I am personally getting my first Mac sometime next year as a laptop. Otherwse I will most likely get PC's for life. One Mac for evry 10 PC's
migellito
Reply #8 Monday, June 24, 2002 4:04 PM
Reply #8 Monday, June 24, 2002 4:04 PM
mormegil - wow!! $4018? holy cats.. what are you getting?
mormegil
Reply #9 Monday, June 24, 2002 4:13 PM
Reply #9 Monday, June 24, 2002 4:13 PM
Top of the line, saved up for the last year and am still having to finance. 
but it will be my only mac for the next 5 years min. Daul G4 1G 1.5gigs of ram 2 80gig drives and the Geforce4 TI 128meg video. To save money I am not getting the 56K modem.
but it will be my only mac for the next 5 years min. Daul G4 1G 1.5gigs of ram 2 80gig drives and the Geforce4 TI 128meg video. To save money I am not getting the 56K modem.
Griffinme
Reply #10 Monday, June 24, 2002 4:35 PM
Reply #10 Monday, June 24, 2002 4:35 PM
I saw a recent article about the ads. It said Apple had better be careful or MS is liable to start making their products for the Mac not quite as good as they are on the PC. How far can Apple get without decent support for MS Office? They wouldn't drop them just make them irritating to use on a Mac.
BTW: Doesn't MS own about 20% of Apple stock?
BTW: Doesn't MS own about 20% of Apple stock?
mormegil
Reply #11 Monday, June 24, 2002 5:15 PM
Reply #11 Monday, June 24, 2002 5:15 PM
Despite the rummered anger I dought you can get the Mac Developers at microsoft to do less then the best job they can. Thats just my opinon.
Jafo
Reply #12 Monday, June 24, 2002 9:38 PM
Reply #12 Monday, June 24, 2002 9:38 PM
Many products are sold on 'style' rather than competence...in fact, probably most are.
I think a lot of people 'claim' 'reasonned argument/investigation' led to their decision of one product over another, but if truth be told, it was an emotive decision.Since 'sex sells', all you need to do is make your product 'sexy' and yer a winner...
I think a lot of people 'claim' 'reasonned argument/investigation' led to their decision of one product over another, but if truth be told, it was an emotive decision.Since 'sex sells', all you need to do is make your product 'sexy' and yer a winner...
Jafo
Reply #13 Monday, June 24, 2002 9:40 PM
Reply #13 Monday, June 24, 2002 9:40 PM
If Macs looked as boringly drab as a backyard clone PC, I'll wager their market-share would be even MORE grim...
Griffinme
Reply #14 Monday, June 24, 2002 9:44 PM
Reply #14 Monday, June 24, 2002 9:44 PM
It wouldn't be a matter of having them do their best. It would be a matter of moving the best developers to differant projects.
Second tier overworked developers= substandard, late project.
Second tier overworked developers= substandard, late project.
kith
Reply #15 Monday, June 24, 2002 10:10 PM
Reply #15 Monday, June 24, 2002 10:10 PM
I think the ads work. I have seen a feww of them. They are annoying to me, but I think they get the point across. Most people will simply not but a Mac because the belief is that all the "stuff" they already have and the "stuff" they need in the future will not run on a Mac. If you can get that preconception out of peoples minds it might make the sale of a more expensive computer easier. I also don't think they are targeting the tech savy audience, but rather your mother or father who doesn't want a system with wires all over, taking up half the living room. Those people will buy a flower pot with a flatscreen sticking out! I have to think that they did some serious test marketing with those ads, because they are not like anything I have ever seen before.
jtfolden
Reply #16 Monday, June 24, 2002 10:32 PM
Reply #16 Monday, June 24, 2002 10:32 PM
I also think the ads work. I deal with 'normal' PC and Mac users every day and some of the stuff I hear in the new ads is exactly the same sort of stuff I hear out of my customer's mouths. The one with Sarah somebody is exactly like one of my customers actually. heh I think the ads are a big improvement over more recent efforts that focused almost entirely on style. They're not quite as good as the old "Power" ads though.
migellito
Reply #17 Monday, June 24, 2002 10:33 PM
Reply #17 Monday, June 24, 2002 10:33 PM
after going to the site and watching the tv versions, i'm in danger of re-thinking my original assumption that the testimonials are presented by actors. they might be actors, but reading all their facial expressions, tones and body language, they'd have to be -really- good actors.
mormegil.. wow, nice setup. congrats hmm.. i wonder how i might come by parts to build my own..
mormegil.. wow, nice setup. congrats
hmm.. i wonder how i might come by parts to build my own..
mormegil
Reply #18 Monday, June 24, 2002 11:47 PM
Reply #18 Monday, June 24, 2002 11:47 PM
I saw a dual 2Gig P4 System over at TigerDirect for 1999.00 Not bad. Cheapest I have seen assembled.
DavidK
Reply #19 Tuesday, June 25, 2002 12:13 AM
Reply #19 Tuesday, June 25, 2002 12:13 AM
wow - and I'm still using a 450MhzPII and thinking it's pretty fast... 
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Reply #1 Monday, June 24, 2002 10:59 AM