Comments on: Advertising Works!

By: Alex Luft

Alex Luft — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:10:31 +0000

So now that the story is over a month old, what’s the opinion around this? With the recent announcement that Microsoft + partners are taking discounted pre-orders for Windows 7, will Microsoft begin to emphasize the OS aspect of the computing experience of the “PC”? I think so.

Has anyone concluded any definite sales numbers/figures here? If not, we’ll be covering this story + the adage story + any numbers we can find on today’s TechNest Report Podcast at http://podcast.technestreport.com

Harry, I’d love to see a follow-up post to this. I can even dig up some numbers and share them if you’d like.

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By: tom b

tom b — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:17:57 +0000

I think the AdAge numbers are suspect. Let’s wait for actual quarterly sales figures.

By: Josh

Josh — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:48:31 +0000

@JustCallMeBen: I think that’s sort of what Harry is saying. Of course you can buy PCs with better specs for less than a Mac. I also have a custom-built PC for gaming (although this will be my last because consoles are dominating the market and PC games have become tired and stale) but I use Macs for everything else because of the OS. I like Apple’s design aesthetics and I appreciate its attention to detail but, ultimately, it’s all about the OS and ease-of-use for me.

By: JustCallMeBen

JustCallMeBen — Tue, 19 May 2009 09:04:53 +0000

@avro: PCs simply ARE better value for your money when you get in the gaming segment.

I have two machines: a desktop for gaming, and a laptop for work. My laptop is a mac: I just think yo can’t beat Macbook in bang for buck when you consider ease of use, durability, specs and design.

But for my gaming desktop, the only thing that matters is having the best hardware. and right now, for 800$ (I kid you not) I can get a Core2Quad @ 2.4GHz, a Radeon HD4890 (1GB), 4GB RAM (DDR2 1066MHz), 640GB HDD, a superdrive like DVDRW, and all of that in a silent case. I have to admit these are just the parts: I build my machines myself.

Apple gives me for that same 800$ a mac mini: integrated graphics, 2.0GHz Core2Duo, 2GB RAM (DDR3, but at the same speed: 1066MHz, in benchmarks there’s no difference) and a slow 5400rpm 320GB HDD.
Ofc the mini isnt about specs but about… being mini, but that’s not the point: Even at higher priceranges you’ll find Macs always cost about twice as much when you’re only looking at specs, which is what gamers do.

So gamers don’t just “think” PCs are better value: in that segment, that’s just the truth.

By: avro

avro — Tue, 19 May 2009 07:16:28 +0000

People who play games think that Windows computers are better value than Macs. People who use computers for their work (writers, film makers, musicians) know that Macs are better value than Windows PCs.

Go figure :-).

By: Trine Curtis

Trine Curtis — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:47:51 +0000

@Brian: I know what you mean, except I have met people like that my whole life. Weirdly enough, mostly women, but that could be *completely coincidental*. They are pre-med, but have just started community college in their 30′s. They are going to study computers in college, but they have never used one yet. They are a film maker, but haven’t ever shot anything yet. It’s like super-optimism and weird naivete. But, hey, good luck to them.

By: Brian Cox

Brian Cox — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:07:50 +0000

Those ads bug me… every time i see the one where the young lady says “I’m a film maker” i say out loud “You are not!” if you were you would already have a mac pro of some sort.

By: dantynan

dantynan — Tue, 19 May 2009 03:04:35 +0000

“Should we make anything of the fact that only one of the five ads so far involves an adult male?”

short answer: yes. microsoft, like many tech companies, is waking up to the fact that women control most of the $$ spent in this economy, even on so called ‘male’ things like computers. (naturally, my lovely wife can tell you all about it on her blog, geekgirlfriends.com.) I think the selection of ‘hunters’ is very deliberate.

cheers,