Gates confused by Apple ads
p2pnet.net News:- “I live in Japan, and we get our own version of Apple’s ‘defamation’ ads, and have considered, in amny instances, to report the ads as false advertizing,” says Nazo.
He’s commenting on a p2net story on the anti-Microsoft ads running off- and online, citing a couple of examples, including:
Mac – I have a lot of aplications like video editing, games, etc…”
PC – I only have solitare”
Nazo isn’t alone. Bill Gates doesn’t like the ads either. Here’s what he had to say in a Newsweek Q&A:
Newsweek: Are you bugged by the Apple commercial where John Hodgman is the PC, and he has to undergo surgery to get Vista?
Gates: I’ve never seen it. I don’t think the over 90 percent of the [population] who use Windows PCs think of themselves as dullards, or the kind of klutzes that somebody is trying to say they are.
Newsweek: How about the implication that you need surgery to upgrade?
Gates: Well, certainly we’ve done a better job letting you upgrade on the hardware than our competitors have done. You can choose to buy a new machine, or you can choose to do an upgrade. And I don’t know why [Apple is] acting like it’s superior. I don’t even get it. What are they trying to say? Does honesty matter in these things, or if you’re really cool, that means you get to be a lying person whenever you feel like it? There’s not even the slightest shred of truth to it.
Newsweek: Does the entire tenor of that campaign bother you, that Mac is the cool guy and PC—
Gates: That’s for my customers to decide.
And, “I mean really give me a break!” – adds Nazo.
“A crashed Mac is far more difficult to restore, especially if you use OSX (Which BTW was already a registered OS name here in Japan from before the Mac even existed). It’s just bad practice, in any situation, whether it be consumer products, politics, or even *PAA tactics.”
Also See:
anti-Microsoft ads – Apple boosts anti-Windows ads, February 1, 2007
Newsweek – Finally, Vista Makes Its Debut. Now What?, February 1, 2007
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February 3rd, 2007 at 2:36 am
Apple is just trying to attract people who have more money than sense, or style.
Besides it could be argued that installing vista is a form of surgery. A lobotomy that is.
February 3rd, 2007 at 8:42 am
Upgrading to Vista now would be merely stupid.
Getting a Mac would be evidence of one of two things; either a full frontal lobotomy or congenital idiocy.
February 3rd, 2007 at 5:15 pm
There have been more than one of these commercials that piss me off. I have no intention to upgrade my PC to Vista, but I’ve been using Windows XP since it came out. I didn’t have to upgrade my hardware to upgrade to XP from Windows 98 or 2K and while Vista may require some hardware upgrades to run certain features, like Aero, it doesn’t mean that it has to be done or is major surgery. Changing a video card is not major surgery.
Then there is the video camera. Give me a break. Video cams have been around for a long time. They are certainly not exclusive to Apple.
Also, most people use their PCs for a lot more than business apps. In fact I’d say that more privately owned PCs are gaming machines than used for business.
Keep up the good work Steve. Soon you’ll even alienate the customers you do have.
February 3rd, 2007 at 8:32 pm
I used XP SP2 for about two years and was so fed up with it’s bugs and virus’s that I eventually went the whole way and installed Suse 9.3 Linux instead. Haven’t looked back since then, desktop on Linux has indeed arrived and anyone who tells you otherwise is either very stupid, has a vested interest in Windows, doesn’t know what they are talking about, or they require extremely high end visual programs – Photoshop and etc. (Though Photoshop 7 can be installed using a free program called ‘Wine’).
There is no maintainance (i.e Defragging etc.); No rebooting when a new program is installed; The only time that an anti-virus is required is if you think you may have picked up something that you may pass on to others who are using Microsoft. It hardly ever crashes. There’s No Anti-Adware required. Tons of free programs covering everything you could imagine. it’s simple to install and what’s more it needn’t cost a cent. There really is no contest.
I’ve now been using Suse for well over a year so I don’t speak with the zeal of a recent convert, it really has to be tried to be believed, so throw off the shackles of both these companies and at least try a ‘Knoppix’ Live Disk (used entirely from your DVD, CD – so you wouldn’t have to uninstall Windows to try it) A.S.A.P. and I would imagine that providing that you’ve entered into this with the right spirit, you’ll be chucking Windows out within a few days.
As I also used to work on an IBM 370 Main Frame I have been totally reconverted to Unix systems. Therefore though personal experience I would have to go along with Apple on this one, simply because it too is a Unix based system.
February 3rd, 2007 at 11:33 pm
Mac’s vidiocams are BUILT IN! I too, use XP…but will NOT get Vista. I’m researching Linux. To hell with both Micro$haft and Mac!
February 3rd, 2007 at 11:45 pm
That leave Linux as the only intelligent choice, then. Wouldn’t it?
February 4th, 2007 at 8:39 am
Only if you’re in love with UNIX and hate playing games.
As much as I dislike many things about Microsoft and Windows generally, it is the only option for 99% of the population. The best option for these people is XP (preferably of the Pro variety).
Programs and support are easy to find for Windows. Support for Linux is much harder to find for the average person. I have recently installed a version of Linux to look at and have been reading some Linux boards.
People who ask questions on how to do something are given one line statements of what to do with no detailed help. When they ask the inevitable follow up question they are basically told to f*** off and find out for themselves. Doesn’t strike me as a way to get people into using it.
February 4th, 2007 at 9:54 am
yes and you are the person that when some guy comes on IRC asking how to get to his NTFS files from linux you e-mock him to death.
dude.. linux isn’t for everyone until everything is open source, which won’t happen in my lifetime. sure let me just stop using windows so every job you apply at that requires you to have general PC skills (and by definition they mean Windows skills) doesn’t hire you. Some people dont have the time or lack of life like yourself to learn linux, because thats what it is… learning. You might as well tell people to learn dutch because the english language is driving the black man down. get with reality. the commercials are targetted for stupid people with money to waste who dont use their computers for anything real other than video editting. mac may be better, but its still useless to 95% of the world. yay i win!
February 4th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
Pure FUD. The days of forums being filled with RTFM responses are all but gone. Ubuntu (all flavours) Suse, Fedora, et al all have very strick rules about telling new comers to read anything. For proof of this check out another of the great distros out called VectorLinux and their forum. Nothing but users helping users.
So please if you don’t like Linux, cool, but don’t lie about it to make your point.
February 5th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
I am sorry, but I have to agree with the comment before you.
I work in Japan using English and Japanese. I also use my notebook while working outside.
I have tried many versions of Linux, including Ubuntu, and it’s interesting, cute and has a lot of possibilities, and I really think that there is a strong possibility for it, but only if you are willing to give up a lot of usability.
Now, I as sure that that a whole slew of Linux fans are going to go balistic at that comment, but hear me out.
1st, there are many flavors of linux that support Japanese input, including Ubuntu. But many of these have trouble processing Japanese in office aplications, and really work lousey when tring to do email. Also the IME for these systems are not as well made as that found for the Windows/Mac systems. Also there are WAY TOO LITTLE APLICATIONS that can properly utalise Japanese.
2nd Notebook, I use a Sony Vaio Notebook, and power controll, Wireless LAN, and many other things that I need to use for work, don’t work. I have gone through many online remedies, and tried many iteas that are on each of the sites, but to no avail, and I don’t have the knoledge to make my own drivers.
3rd Desktop, Now my desktop experience has been much better, but still I can not get most Video Caputre hardware from Japan to work.
So, I guess it all comes down to the fact that unless you are willing to toss all that you know about your present OS, limit yourselt to specific hardware, and give up playing most games…
Linux is not the “easy” answer.
I know that I will probably be burned as a heratic for saying this, but unless they can get any single Linux system to natively run Windows aplications and hardware, I can not see myself recomending it to others.
Just my two cents
Nazo
February 5th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
It was nice to see my comments end up as part of the article. Thanks!
Just an update…
Just when I had thought I had see the last mac add, the latest ad hit the screens:
PC “You know, we are alot alike”
Mac “Yeah, we both use Microsoft Office and…”
PC “…” (not moving)
Mac “Are you ok? ”
PC “Sorry, I had to reboot”
Mac “Reboot?”
PC “…” (no moving again)
So I guess, now Apple is trying to say that Windows PCs always hang and need to be rebooted, but of course Apples NEVER crash, and NEVER freeze…
Yeah right
Just my two cents
Nazo
February 6th, 2007 at 8:44 am
I’m not lying.
I didn’t bother bookmarking sites which were so blatantly unhelpfull but the date stamps were generally in the latter half of 2006.
February 7th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Judging from the majority of hateful and factless rant comments, the old adage ‘Ignorance is Bliss’ still rings true.
The one guy who tries to give helpful advice about the advantages of Unix and OS X gets hammered for no reason.. humerous really.
February 27th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
I support both macs, running osx and pcs running Windows XP and I can tell you from personal experience. PC’s suck! They are a much bigger headache. keep up the good work Steve, you won’t alienate us!!