kingandy: (Dapper)
kingandy ([personal profile] kingandy) wrote2009-05-06 03:32 pm

Easy as 1-23

Apple have apparently started running banner ads based on their successful Mac vs PC campaign. (Well, it must be successful, because Microsoft ran a "Actually PCs are pretty darn nifty also" campaign.)

I find the campaign itself slightly odd, for two reasons.

Firstly, it loses sight of the fact that Macs are PCs. Fundamentally, right down to the base architecture, the modern Mac is a PC; even leaving aside the hair-splitting "Personal Computer" abbreviation, these days Macs run on Intel motherboards. The only real difference is the operating system (and arguably the proprietary peripherals). You can actually set up your Mac as a dual-boot Windows system, or even a triple-boot OSX/Windows/LINUX monster if you really want (or so I'm told). By advertising "Mac Vs PC" when what they really mean is "Mac Vs Windows", they're giving Microsoft more ground, as Windows becomes increasingly associated as the only "proper" PC operating system.

Secondly, I can never remember if we're meant to be empathising with the friendly, jovial gentleman in the neatly-turned-out suit, or the annoying young hippy twat.

[identity profile] doctor-kaos.livejournal.com 2009-05-06 02:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Hello, I'm a PC!

[identity profile] renniek.livejournal.com 2009-05-06 02:49 pm (UTC)(link)
There were several good spoofs - mainly focussing on how annoying the twatty Mac character is

[identity profile] doctor-kaos.livejournal.com 2009-05-06 03:26 pm (UTC)(link)
I particularly liked "Hi I'm a Marvel, and I'm a DC (and I'm Batman)" - the youtube classic.

[identity profile] ed-fortune.livejournal.com 2009-05-06 04:02 pm (UTC)(link)
The twattiness is more-so in the UK versions. It's Mitchell and Webb, and because PC is Mitchell, that just makes him more cuddly. Especially if you've seen Peep Show.

[identity profile] angelfire-75.livejournal.com 2009-05-06 07:32 pm (UTC)(link)
These guys did an excellent piss take of the lot:

http://tv.truenuff.com/mac/performance.php

[identity profile] marcushill.livejournal.com 2009-05-06 03:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Of course, you're missing the fact that all right-thinking people run OS2.

[identity profile] ed-fortune.livejournal.com 2009-05-06 04:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Right hemisphere only. As in stroke victim.

[identity profile] marcushill.livejournal.com 2009-05-07 07:37 am (UTC)(link)
It means people who choose their OS purely to piss off Linux evangelists like Alex.

[identity profile] looby-lu.livejournal.com 2009-05-07 06:09 am (UTC)(link)
The Linux Foundation's answer to the original Mac v PC ads: http://preview.tinyurl.com/cnzs9b

[identity profile] alexthai.livejournal.com 2009-05-11 08:14 am (UTC)(link)
Interesting!