OT: Technology and Geek Stuff Thread

[mason reese]

The MAC TV advertising was/is in very poor taste

strike a little too close to home, Coop?:-)

[Coop]

not really Mason - I laugh at it. But Apple won't gain marketshare with those tactics.............

You're a MAC user I take it?

[mason reese]

Nope. Ain't had an apple since the apple 2+ I grew up with, but I do have an appreciation for the machines they put out. I'm not a zealot for either side.

While I agree the commercials were poorly executed (I think it started ok, but over time got kind of "preachy"), what exactly did you think was in poor taste?

[Coop]

It's the whole "Macs are cool" versus "PC's are geeky" (which extends to Mac users are cool while PC users are not) and the silly idea that you can do more with a Mac than a PC. This is simply NOT true.

[unknown lions fan]

When I see the commercials, I get the message that Mac's are for people who don't know much about computers.

[Coop]

good point ULF - although in their defense - there are alot of smart MAC users out there.

[Masspartan]

You do realize that commercials are put on the air to SELL product ... not enlighten the public.

[fredsue]

I get the same feelings about the mac v pc com. they are really aiming at the new users in the market. Using scare type tactics to say that if you get a pc you will have nothing but trouble.

I like Macs but use PC.

[mason reese]

It's the whole "Macs are cool" versus "PC's are geeky" (which extends to Mac users are cool while PC users are not) and the silly idea that you can do more with a Mac than a PC. This is simply NOT true.

I don't think the message was that "you can do more with a Mac", but more that "it's easier to do things with a Mac". Silly, maybe. Untrue, maybe. But I still don't see what was in bad taste.

[unknown lions fan]

You do realize that commercials are put on the air to SELL product ... not enlighten the public.

That's kind of what I meant by my statement. They're trying to sell the Mac to technophobes and neophytes with this advertising approach - and it may be successful in that endeavor.

Coming off as snobbish to PC users doesn't matter - those who are proficient with a PC see the Mac as an inferior product anyway. ;)

[romster]

Interesting. I'm kind of surprised about the negative opinions of the commercial. I've always found them amusing. The message I get is a people might be surprised to find that a Mac can do most anything a PC can do and is superior with graphics/art type stuff. I've never used a Mac but I know they are loved by their users. I've never been turned off in the least by the commercials.

[Drew]

Feel the same as Rom.

[bimmer84]

If I could finds components (motherboards, graphics cards, CPU's, cases, etc.) for a Mac I would probably build one and see how I like it....I love the open competitive market of the PC's. And I have to agree with Rommy. It isn't an attempt to reshape society...they just want to sell PC's. Humor attracts attention.

[tdbark]

I have never liked the 180 Apple took when they created the Mac series as a closed box system. Apple (Woszniak and Jobs) created the personal computer hobbyist. I owned an Apple II, but I had a friend who owned the Franklin Ace. It was that lawsuit that made Apple decide to go closed box with the Mac. The worst mistake they ever made. The IBM PC was a crap computer compared to the Apples, but because IBM opened the box to third party developers, it became cheaper and far, far more versatile. Eventually, competition actually took PCs beyond Macs in capabilities. Apple still doesn't get it, which is why, except for the occasional blip such as when the iMac was introduced, Apple will never have a large share of the market. The commercials literally gloss over the deficiencies of the Mac under the guise of "ease of use." It didn't help when they first tried that strategy back in the 80s... it won't work now.

[Coop]

and is superior with graphics/art type stuff.

they USED to be

now it's all about the "cool" factor