I'm a PC and I'm still a Mac
byMicrosoft produced this to address the “I’m a Mac / I’m a PC” ads about a month ago:
Several celebrities are visible throughout the campaign, including company co-founder Bill Gates, Deepak Chopra, and Eva Longoria; Microsoft employees, including Gates, have an @windows.com e-mail address attached to their appearances to emphasize their human connection.
Two shorter ads have also appeared with a similar exploration of the theme where people in various jobs explain how they wear different kinds of suits or are not alone, again tackling what Microsoft perceives as stereotypes of the average Windows user. [Electronista]
… and then Apple responded:
For PC users who are tired of Mac users telling them how much their productivity could be improved with an Apple system (and how your computer won’t crash all the time, and your operating system won’t suck) don’t worry, Apple still only has barely 10% of the marketshare… but they are gaining momentum so the smugness will only continue.
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I love these ads…and when there’s a little competition it forces the advertising to get even more clever! I hope the battle continues – great entertainment!
BTW..I am both PC and MAC! (could have something to do with split personality!)
Cheers!
Teri
Apple may only have 10% but it’s a very vocal group of “evangelists” and many influential people are pushing it. I’ve used a mac before and they are nice… It’s almost like a small cult that’s growing.
I think the only reason the 10% number is not dramatically larger is that most small to medium sized business have IT departments that only want to support Windows machines. Once enterprise realizes Macs are a viable alternative, I think the market share will increase rather rapidly. I would guess if you just looked at the consumer market only (especially in younger demographics) that Macs would be doing rather well compared to PCs.
Hehe our company is 100% Mac (iMac, Powerbook, MacBook) … and two people 😉
Hate the frustration and slowness of the Microsoft Systems and would like to get a Mac for all of it’s graphics programs, but on the general day-to-day computing Linux kicks both their asses. Also noticed as of late that Mac has been exhibiting certain tendencies that mirror those of Microsoft. Just look at how much more the iphone can do once you jailbreak it as an example.
At our company we currently have about 100 employees, and only about 5 Macs. IT refuses to support Macs.
I am a PC but reluctantly so. I would be using Ubuntu (Linux) but for recent crashes – yes Linux can crash – which seem to be something to do with the new Firefox 3. I try very hard to like Ubuntu – but there are still things that Windows does better. Mainly playing nice with other ‘puters
I don’t think it’s that businesses have Windows friendly IT folk so much as the fact that for the first 15 years the Mac was a walled garden that didn’t welcome home user friendly development, and for the last 10 years it’s been a more expensive box. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a mac user, as you know. But basic economics prevail: Windows machines got the market share and hence peripherals and software early which created that IT environment. And the big reason: Windows machines are cheaper, and in the real world (ie: typical mom n pop struggling to fill the gas tank and pay for jr.s cheetos or typical business buying 100-100,000 units for all the employees), price matters. Alot. Heck, our office has how many Macs vs. how many pc’s? 1-30 ratio maybe? That’s not because our IT dept. can’t hack it, it’s cuz the pc’s are 600 bux and below and the macs are 1200 and up.
The whole Mac vs PC thing is a bit of a false dichotomy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cldeHjFig_c
I own five computers, and none are Windows or Mac.
@Clay – Yes, PCs are cheaper, but what about the cost it takes to maintain a Mac vs a PC? Macs don’t get viruses, they don’t need tons of security updates, and you rarely have driver or other problems with them. So I would argue that you basically reduce the requirements for your IT team by using primarily Macs. You can now get Microsoft Office on the Mac, and I think 99% of the business that depend on Windows only require that one product suite — so there aren’t many reasons left why you wouldn’t be able to use a Mac at work.
Nice Alan! Liked that video. There second one is good too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVOnFdMf0RU&NR=1
Stephen – when did you last use Ubuntu? You may find that it is a new experience now. Agree that occasionally my computer freezes whilst on firefox, but this is about twice a month. The same computer running on Microsoft use to crash 5 + times a day and was excruciatingly slow. Now I like to call it speedy gonzales.
Also, if you know how to use it correctly, it plays very nicely with other computers. You just need to familiarize yourself with the differences and how to save compatible files. Quite simple and efficient to learn these days.
@Clay and @duanestorey Better yet buy a cheap PC, erase the Microsoft crap from it and Linux-ize it with Ubuntu!!!! Best of all worlds!!! And trashing the Microsoft programs is incredibly satisfying.
@Duane Well, yes we both know that it costs less to maintain a Mac in good working order. BUT…we still need an IT guy, and that IT guy’s salary isn’t going to change much whether he works 12 hours a day on Windows or 10.5 on Macs, right? We don’t call in a dude to build out our network or do exchange accounts or keep the servers going or what have you, we have a guy on salary who does all that. That guy would be no cheaper if we had 123 Macs and 5 windows machines…just slightly less busy. And that’s the problem. Even if we hired out IT services, the cost savings don’t become beneficial until they pay the difference in start up costs…if that ROI is more than 2 years, do think a company like ours would make the initial outlay for Macs? THAT’s the problem with the economics of it all. Which sux cuz i’d much prefer to use my Mac than this slow booting, reboot-y, kludgy, gurn gurn gurn-y piece of crap i’m using at work.
Some small business specific software has been developed for the windows system that hasn’t been made for Mac yet. Yes their are work arounds, but not everyone is comfortable with modifing even little thing on their systems.
We are also 100% Mac….
I personally find it fun to work on a mac than a pc!
We have 1 mac to do testing on. Other than that we are all windows and linux machines.
Macs would be too expensive to switch to, upgrades and customization is harder to do on a Mac and the software isn’t totally compatible.
I remember back in the day when I had an LCIII (68k mac) I loved it and would love to make the switch if I could ever afford it to a new one. Though I seem to remember back then they had 10% of the market too.. so umm like 12+yrs ago and they still have 10% of the market today tells me they haven’t really grown 😉
Macs don’t get viruses? They are out there.. just the chances of being infected with one are really slim. I’ve seen the code for some of the viruses back in the 68k days 😉 lol
Yes.. I like Macs.. I don’t slam them. So if anyone out there wants to send me a Macbook that be great. I am also accepting donations too!
To me Macs have always been built for multimedia uses: photography, video, music, recording etc PCs are everything else. I can’t play the games I like on a Mac….
This debate about Mac vs PC will go on forever with no end! What’s better Coke or Pepsi?
I’d love to switch to a Mac but the price of entrance is just a bit too steep for what you pay for. Vista frustrates me and looking at the recent news release of Windows 7 looks like I’ll have to switch to Linux or Mac OS soon.
In terms of why a lot of ppl haven’t switched to Macs yet… one, as I mentioned above, price of entrance. Second, familiarity. Some people just don’t want to learn how to use another OS. Third, I think this might be the most important reason… some programs aren’t supported on Macs, like a lot of engineering programs.
@ Duane, actually it’s a lot more complicated to run Macs in a work environment than PCs, and not just because of Microsoft Office.
Windows is enterprise friendly in the sense that it’s got a whole suite of administrative tools, from powerful Active Directory users/groups/email/system administration to Remote Desktop into servers etc. Also, PCs just are so much friendlier with server hardware and administration, which is half the job for most businesses.
For a small business, Mac probably makes perfect sense for ease of use, but the cost and administrative functions are necessary for medium-large businesses.
But I’m speaking from very limited information and experience about the subject, so feel free to correct me 🙂
Full Disclosure: I have a signed Bill Gates book so I’m a bit of a Microsoft fangirl.
I just know that working with Windows servers is a major pain. Then you also have to deal with so-and-so in accounting that downloads a virus and it spreads over to the computers in human resources hehe.
At my last office job we were purely Mac and it was heaven (about 20 employees).
“IT refuses to support Macs”
Of course, an IT Manager’s first realization when his company starts to become populated by Macs is that the next thing to go will be him.
When an IT manager told me 6 years ago that he wouldn’t support me because I had a Mac, I responded: “I don’t need your support, because I have a Mac.”
I’m a PC but who cares? Been on both sides and the only, ONLY, thing that matters is what you (yes, you) put out with it… and since so much has gone to the cloud I could care less what I am working on. As long as it’s fast enough, stable, can run flash, and with a net connection. I do need IE for work and it must be in a Windows environment (can do that on a Mac or Linux, too). Other than that, hardware-wise, I do like my tabletPC’s active pen screen. Do I have any other options? Nope? Oh, yeah, I like options, too. The more the better.
But priority one is net access. Everything else, meh.
I found it extremely funny that Pharrell Williams is in the I’m a PC but, in an interview a few weeks prior to the airing of the commercial he stated that he only uses Macintosh computers for music creation and personal use.
I have switched to Mac since a few months after the release of Vista and I’ve never been happier. My grandparents have just purchased their first computer and decided with a Mac. I find that the slick design of the OS and how easy it is to use is great for those not familiar with computers or who are just getting their first computer.
Another great thing about Macs is the music creation software, and yes there are “substitutes” available for PC but nothing can top Logic or the very handy GarageBand.
I don’t want more people to have Macs, I hope Apple starts losing market share. People who bitch about Macs aren’t good enough to ever own one. I don’t want more people using Macs, it gives many a superiority complex – when they know absolutely nothing other than how to open up safari and ichat.
Sorry about that.. just have had this bottled up inside for so long..
On the other side, OS X is better than windows/linux on many levels – but it’s far from perfect.
im using Vista (did i really just put a big V on that) out here in Ontario for the first time and HATE IT!! bah. it does nothing it licks.
Adam wants a Mac so Adam will have a Mac in time and i can observe.
i laughed so hard at the advertising Vista/Mac commerical those commericals are the bestest.