Microsoft and their new ads

Well, there are now finally some ads to combat the Apple PC vs. Mac ads.  Microsoft has decided to start what looks like a “real” ad campaign.  I have been listening to and reading the commentary from around the internet and it is all over the board.  The one note of guarantee was from the die-hard Mac crowd.  They HATE, H A T E, these ads.

So far, there are two ads:

First:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIS6G-HvnkU

Second:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRF9-5itZA4

They are generally whatever but overall, the message they are attempting to deliver is that Apple builds what THEY think you need and that the price of admission into the magic land of “Saint Jobs” is VERY high.

The ads are American but I am going to speak in Canadian $ as that is where I am.

The current Mac Books are CRAZY expensive for all that they are:

• Mac Book white 13”- $1149.00
• Mac Book Aluminum 2.0 GHz 13” - $1349.00
• Mac Book Aluminum 2.4 GHz 13” - $1749.00
• Mac Book Pro 15” 2.4 GHz - $2149.00
• Mac Book Pro 15” 2.66 GHz - $2699.00
• Mac Book Pro 17” 2.4 GHz - $2999.00

I am sorry, but there is NO way that Mac OSX or the “pretty” factor is anywhere near that price of admission.  For the sake of difference, I am going to do a comparision of what is generally, the most expensive family of Windows based laptop out there.  Alienware.  Where the Mac Book White is not as “cool” as the new aluminum models, it is not going to be used as a comparison, so with that…

Area-51 m15x vs. Mac Book Aluminum 2.0 GHz 13”

Right away, I can’t get a slower CPU in the Alienware.  It is a C2D @ 2.1 GHz.  It also has a older but more powerful graphics solution: An nVidia 8600M.  The Mac has the slower 9400M.  From there, the RAM amount and hard drive capacities are the same.  The next major difference though is the fact that the Alienware is a 15.4” screen with a resolution of 1440 x 900.  The Mac only has a 13” (Of course) and has a resolution of only 1280 x 800.

So lets see, on specs, that is a total of 4 wins for the Alienware and two ties.  Not looking good for the Mac!  And if there is anyone that tries to make hay over the fact that the Mac has DDR3, go pound sand.  In the REAL WORLD, there is hardly any difference between the slowest DDR2 and the FASTEST DDR2!!!  (I should point out that the Alienware can be upgraded to 8 GB of RAM vs. 4 GB for the 13” Mac and THAT is a bigger issue in the real world than DDR2 vs. DDR3)

And now for the “decider”, price.  The Alienware is only $1372.00!!!  Not much less but less none the less and for MORE laptop!!!

The real joke is that you should only be comparing equal chassis size when comparing laptops and when we do that, we immediately jump price VERY quick.  Going back and looking at the CHEAPEST Mac Book Pro 15”, we see that it is $2149.00, gets a bump from a 160 GB drive to 250 GB, sports a 9600M GT and a 1440 x 900 screen.  So back to the Alienware site to match where the Mac has changed…

Matching the CPU and the hard drive was easy but I had to select a GeForce 8700M, a Radeon HD 3870 or a GeForce 9800M GT.  To be sure of a match or “just  beat”, I selected the Radeon.  The 8700 is almos the same but it is a bit slower.

So having changed all of that, the price on the Alienware is now $1872.00 (A $277 “Apple tax”) .  That is STILL cheaper AND better in that the graphics are a bit faster and you can put more RAM in the Alienware.

Now, the final joke is that if I turn around and look at Best Buy/Futureshop, I can get a HELL of a lot of laptop for $1872.00, let alone $2149.00 or God forbid I want a 17” screen, $2999.00!!!

Conclusion

Apple is RETARDEDLY more expensive and with little justification.  They are selling pretty PCs that run what is effectively, a really well skinned Linux/BSD port.  That is it.  The average person just does NOT care about how zen their computer is or if it makes them feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

The reality is that Apple is or has become (A long time ago, might I add) the diametric opposition of the claims in its 1984 ad campaign: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8.  APPLE is the one that has become the closed world where you do as Jobs says and like what Jobs gives and then feel that anyone that criticizes the great Jobs is to be torn down and burnt at the stake.  Also note that Apple sells almost nothing but white products and charges extra if you want black.  Other than the iPods, there is basically white and that is it.  Much like the rows of identical drones in the 1984 commercial, everyone the same and entranced.

And as a final note to the Jobian followers that may read this…  Vista was fixed with SP1.  Vista does not suck any longer.  And if you insist, should I perhaps remind you of when the transition from OS 9 to OSX went on??? (Or does staring into your illuminated Apple logo blank your memory…)