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Apple demanded Microsoft pull laptop hunter ads

We can slag you off, but you can't do it to us
Thursday, 16 July 2009, 10:01

AFTER YEARS of slagging off Microsoft in its adverts, Apple threw its toys out of the pram when Microsoft reversed the roles.

Apple's lawyers ordered the Vole to stop running the "Laptop Hunters" ads. The "unscripted commercials" were based on the idea of giving people $1,000 and seeing what laptop they could buy.

Kevin Turner, Microsoft's chief operating officer said that he knew the ads were working because two weeks ago he got a call from Apple's legal department saying the adverts had to be pulled because "Apple had lowered its prices".

"It was the greatest single phone call that I've ever taken in business," Turner said.

Turner thought the call was a joke, and when it turned out not to be, he thought the Vole would just "keep running them and running them and running them".

Advertising experts say that since Microsoft launched the ads, which are in response to Apple's "I'm a Mac" ads, there is evidence that the campaign may be radically altering value perceptions of PCs.

BrandIndex has reported that the Vole's value perception has risen steadily since the campaign began in March, while Apple's has fallen.

No wonder Job's Mob is throwing its toys out of the pram. But we think threatening the Vole with legal action just shows how Apple's sense of humour is really as paper thin as one of its airbooks. µ

 

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Comments
I want a laptop without virus

Apple has the "I want a laptop that don't have virus" advantage. Why they affraid to Microsoft?

posted by : Hok, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
Doesn't sound Apple-like

Normally I'd expect Apple to send all correspondence on paper made from hemp, enclosed in a box made from a solid piece of aluminium, deliver by a guy wearing a black shirt against an overexposed white background. This "phone call" doesn't fit the dossier.

I didn't think the commercials, after the first one, were all that clever... it was pretty much the same commercial with different people. But, hey, if their research says it's working, then it's working. I'd think they'd get more mileage going after the Mac image that was built in in the "I'm a Mac" commercials.

posted by : Dan, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
Battle of the Evil Spawn

Geez, Microsoft versus Apple. I hope they both lose. I'll be damned if I'll root for either one.

It's like Godzilla versus Rodan, you don't want to see either one win, but you know that either way, Tokyo is gonna get crushed.

Or like Alien versus Predator, and Colorado gets nuked.

Hok? Apples get viruses also. Or have you not been paying attention again? What's that? You're an Apple fanboi, you can be blissfully ignorant, confident in the intercession of St. Eve of Jobs to protect you?

posted by : rich wargo, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
@Dan

"I'd think they'd get more mileage going after the Mac image that was built in in the "I'm a Mac" commercials."

Au contraire. You dont attack at strength, you attack at weakness.

Theres *no way* anyone is ever going to think that M$ out-cools Apple - and M$ knows that.

However, Apple gear is overpriced - and everyone (except the most ardent fanboi) knows that.

And so it goes.

posted by : Anonymous Coward, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
Axioms

"The truth hurts."

"People vote with their pocketbooks."

"I'm loving it."

posted by : Doug Glass, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
@ Hok

I hate this virus reasoning with a passion. Yes tehre are a lot more viruses out there for windows, but thats because its a more popular os.

The fundemental arguement here is, why go for 5% when you can aim at 95%, even if you only get 1 in a million windows computers, thats still a few more than if you were aiming at mac.

I have anti virus installed as is expected in a windows pc. This is additional to the os, because everyone complained at Microsoft adding in the antivirus, the same way they are complaining about the browsers now.

And finally we have my personal gripe, I've not had a virus in over 6 months at least, and thats because I know how to surf. I know not to install download attachments from people i dont know, who offer me free P0rn etc. Surf safer and lower your risks, bit like sex really.

posted by : DaveMuk, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
Like a school bully...

...running off crying cus someone called him mom a fat alcoholic pig.

Grow up Apple... they thought it was oh-so-cool to poke fun at the mighty Vole and got bitten....

HAHA! I would love to have worked for Turner when he got the call.... a round at the pub or 10 would be in order.

Who thinks those "I'm a Mac" ads were actually cool choosing 2 of the most untalented joke "comedians" out there?

I would even choose the poof alan carr over those 2.

posted by : I know, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
Why not?

MS should just leverage their $100B extra value over Apple and ask Bill for some change to buy the lot and make em all use Vista on a netbook ......

...then we'll see who's cooler...
hehe... slow day in the office

posted by : I know, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
Title is misleading

The correct title for this article is: Microsoft says Apple they pull laptop hunter ads

posted by : LenH, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
"Pricing" vs Facts

Just did a quick check on price comparison, and guess what? Apple laptops are easily 20-30% more expensive for exactly the same thing. So much for price cuts.

Don't believe me? Look for yourself.

The cheapest Apple laptop starts at $1000, and no, it doesn't come with all the usual Apple software goodies (iWork, Final Cut, Aperture, Logic, etc.) installed. Not a bad computer, but nothing special. A virtually-identical Dell laptop (same graphics, equivalent processor, same RAM and HDD) is ~$750. HP is also in that ballpark, about ~$850.

Lenovo's first offering with comparable graphics capabilities is also $1000, but has a 15.6" screen, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM (vs 2GB DDR2 with the 'cheap' Apple), a larger hard drive and a faster processor. To get the same thing from Apple you have to shell out $1850. Do you see where this is going?

I'll never claim that Apple sells bad products, because that simply isn't true. But as far as laptops/notebooks go, Apple is still significantly more expensive most of the time for virtually the same product.

posted by : JonB, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
@Anonymous Coward

Now it's my turn to disagree with you :P

A great parody of teh Apple commercials: The PC is still an dork in a suit, but the Mac guy is a dork in a black turtleneck, and they are identical twins.

PC: I'm cheaper and compatable with more software.

Mac: I wear a black turtleneck.

PC: Your sweater makes you look fat.

Mac: Yes, but if I was in shape it would show how good I look.

PC: That's why I wear a suit.

Since so many americans are overweight it would probably be an effective ad.

posted by : mike, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
Peter Serafinowicz

Never mind price comparisons, the bomb will truely drop when MS start running adverts like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGGOn-H7s3Q

posted by : Gilbo, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
@hok

"I want a laptop without virus "

stop surfing pr0n then!

posted by : robbie73, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
Cool is changing

It is not cool to spend extra money that you do not have to spend these days. Besides, there are a number of "cool" new PC notebooks out there AND, there are now Apple virus and malware in the wild. There are also non cool Apple componnents such as an oversized monitor frame that conceils crappy sounding speakers and a notebook with a non replaceable battery.

posted by : Sami, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
You are paying highly for the OS

Those Apple fanbois that pick om MS should realize that the Apple tax, the hugh amount you pay extra for an Apple is just for the Apple OS. It is a decient OC but not worth $500 extra. Also, you can not geyt an i7 chip and DDR3 memory with an Apple so they are NOT equal in the hardware catagory, they are a full generation behind.
As for the cool factor, I gues there are those that think a Prius is cool. It saves gas but cool it is not!

posted by : Dan in CA, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
Spelling

Dan, your spelling is not cool either. However, I do agree with you.

posted by : Will T, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
Copyright, or copywrong?

This video is not available in your country due to copyright restrictions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGGOn-H7s3Q

Oh well

posted by : Luis, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
Copywrong

Grrr. Try this instead:

http://www.boreme.com/members/viewviral2.php?viral_id=20578&siteid=37798

posted by : Gilbo, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
An Act Of The Living

Well done, Vole. Ratchet-up the grip and let loose that sense of the living - a salvo of torpedoes. The SS Vole might be a monopoly of sorts, but she is susceptible to shellfire. With the SS Messianic, however, her mesmerised hip-hopping crew are dying to go down with the ship and as we all know, it’s those that are salvageable that matters. Ships are two-a-penny because imaginations fuelled by achievements are longer than the royalty-association queue.

Fashion, oka religion, damages by appealing to the sense of association with privilege amongst those lacking self-confidence. Those who were lost/addicted have their own justifications to account for but the innocent, unintiated and the naïve need no justification. They merely need a light within the tunnel, not saviours, whilst not forgetting that the saviour is he who needs to demonise to maintain his status quo. That's the difference between saviours and Truth for should Truth ever starts to demonise, there won't be many left standing. Especially the Chosen Fews.

posted by : duck ahoy, 16 July 2009 Complain about this comment
lol mactini

Gilbo that last link works! i laughed and laughed

posted by : Jeremiah, 17 July 2009 Complain about this comment
Haha This sounds like total FUD from MS

Apple crying like a little baby asking MS to stop running their average ads? Yah right! Sounds like MS is now trying BS trash talking as part of their sales pitch.

posted by : RU, 17 July 2009 Complain about this comment
More lies from the Vole's mouthpiece

Anyone with half a brain or who has ever worked in corporation know No Lawyer is going to pick up the phone and call a Microsoft exec. Lawyers send what is called a Cease and Desist order which then they can follow up with legal action. Once again all the Vole's worshipers are spreading the lies like the sheep they are.

posted by : SPL, 17 July 2009 Complain about this comment
Apple threatening to sue, what else is new?

SPL, Apple sends Cease and Desist letters (not order that's a judge) to smaller companies that shiver at such things, to Microsoft (a larger company with probably one of the few larger legal teams/budgets) they ask nicely before deciding whether or not they can afford a legal battle and the PR cost of an undeniable court paper begging for mercy. They still remember last major legal battle with M$ when M$ was the smaller company;
http://lowendmac.com/orchard/06/apple-vs-microsoft.html

Apple prefers to threaten lawsuits against people than actually confront them in court, because that's dirty and expensive, and against Microsoft it would be very dirty and VERY expensive.

This is simply Coke vs Pepsi of the computer world. More people drink Coke, but the Pepsi crowd tries to play on people's insecurities to make them think picking their product will make them COOL, and not just a dork with a Pepsi and an Apple or a Coke and a Winbox.

I use OSX (along with other OSes) on my IdeaPad, I don't care if it makes me cool, it let's me develop for the dorks who pay more for the warm fuzzy feeling of paying $999 for $700 worth of hardware, so I can buy better things, like the MSI GT725, or build better things like my desktop.

OSX is one thing, Apple hardware is another and I wouldn't pay much of a premium for either (nor for M$ or anyone else either), most of the Apple Fanbois seem to forget about the free or low cost aps out there like GIMP as already mentioned.

That people are talking about the M$ ads, and that they are getting fanbois angry, still at this late a date, means finally M$ has ads that work, unlike the millions they spent on ads ignoring their few competitive advantages and just saying 'we don't care' or the ambiguous 'me too' I'm a PC ads, which would be as 'actionable' as anything M$ is currently doing, and no more stoppable than the taste tests of the 70s & 80s.

posted by : OS/2you, 18 July 2009 Complain about this comment
@RU

I believe that what you mean is sir, is that it is a lie, and not FUD, because FUD means Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt - elements that would suggest that there is truth in a claim initially, but that it CAN BE BENT to cause the beholder/audience to leave with fear, uncertainty and doubt in that truth. Dude, think about it. If it was a lie don't you think that the holy Apple would HAVE TO sue if it weren't so? Don't be naïve, kid. All one needs to do is to look at just about all the top, reputable news publications and see that they are running the same news story, and you can get an idea of how widespread/mainstream this news is. I wonder if looking at things on a mere surface level without exploring additional and underlying evidence COULD PROBABLY mean that indeed there are some commenters out there working with but a miniscule fraction of "half a brain"...

posted by : collinvaughn, 19 July 2009 Complain about this comment
Kind of annoying...

That a Linux laptop is basically a Windows laptop with the garbage cleared off the hard drive. MS and manufacturers seem to be mostly refund-resistant.

posted by : Mostor Astrakan, 20 July 2009 Complain about this comment
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