Apple Tried to Kill Microsoft TV Spots
According to many articles, including this one, Apple tried to have Microsoft stop running ads touting how expensive it is to buy an Apple notebook. The ads showed a frustrating shopping trip of a twenty something who wanted a laptop for under $1000. She was frustrated at the Apple Store, and ended up buying an HP Pavilion running Windows for $699 at a local electronics store. Well, I have to back that up. Apple’s products are expensive. Now, many Apple fans will say that there are good reasons for that, and there are. This doesn’t alter the fact that the average consumer sees things in dollars and cents, pounds and pence, euros and whatever. I really can’t believe the nerve of Apple, though. After running those commercials where the pudgy facsimile of Bill Gates, representing the PC, was constantly bested by that pretty boy who was in Galaxy Quest, they had the gall to complain about Microsoft running ads that were ACCURATE vis a vie pricing? Give me a break, Apple! Apple should be touting WHY their machines are priced higher. You know, their OS is tailor made for the hardware and that there are less driver issues and incompatibilities because they have a closed system and control all that stuff. If Apple freed up the hardware and just marketed the OS, then Macs would be on the shelves for PC prices, but Apple is not MS and would never be viable enough without their hardware business. It is a slightly different business model. It has worked for them and I do not begrudge them this. I do begrudge them crying “No fair!” to what amounted to accurate Microsoft advertising.
Apple, you are better than that.
