Re: Apple's new line of commercials..

[Mitchell Spector <mitch2gs@hotmail.com>]

"Terry Olsen" <tolsen64@hotmail.com> wrote:

>> I think the new ads are fairly witty, and do address some real-world
>> differences between Macs and PCs (obviously with a strong Mac bias), but
>> the characterisation might tend to aggravate rather than entice PC users.
>
>As far as I'm concerned, Macs are overpriced, and over proprietary. 

    That's always been the case, since day one. Only difference is in the
past there was a reason for it that made it understandable.

>And now that they are Intel based, they are no different than every other PC
>out there.

    I would tend to agree, especially with Apple's own "Boot Camp" software
that allows Macintoshes to _natively_ run Windows XP. There is absolutely
no emulation involved, making it no different from booting up Windows on a
Compaq or Dell now. Some vendors are selling Mac's with Windows already
pre-installed out of the box. Who would've imagined 10-20 years ago that 
the Macintosh would become a PC compatible.
   
    There is only one unique thing left, and that is MacOS X. However it
won't be too long before people have OS X running on PC's (legal or not)
and the line between PC and Mac will have completely vanished. I wouldn't
be surprised if Steve Jobs one day announces MacOS X development is
being retired and Windows XP or Vista will be the official operating system.

    I do like the visual and cosmetic look of MacOS X over Windows XP,
though I find Windows having far more flexibility and user control (albeit
more confusing to first time or novice users--my parents for example). :)

>As far as mine is concerned, those commercials do nothing for me except turn 
>me off even more toward the Mac. I've never had to re-start my PC. I've 
>never had a virus harm my PC (though i've had infected files, McAfee has 
>always caught them as soon as I tried to access them).
>
>What was the last commercial about? Something about a Mac being able to talk 
>to a digital camera and the PC couldn't?  Funny, my PC talks just fine to my 
>digital camera.

    The ads with the "Mac" as a hip 20's-something guy and the "PC" as an
overweight middle aged guy in a business suit? I thought they were pretty
cheesy, something that would make me embarrassed to proclaim myself as
a Macintosh user. The ads aren't even about what the Mac does better 
(no surprise, the Mac essentially is a PC these days) just the message that
you're really cool, hip and young in spirit if you use Mac's. No reason why,
anymore than say a soft drink ad giving the same message would.

>I'm getting completely turned off to even hanging out in Apple communities. 
>I go because i'm fond of the Apple II. And when a community, chat room or 
>newsgroup, titles itself as an "Apple II" community, I expect to encounter 
>conversation about the Apple II; not how great the Mac is and how much the 
>PC sucks. 

    I should end this by saying I find both the PC and Mac dull appliance
like machines. There's little fun or magic in them, they're just appliances
(mine acts literally as a digital VCR, digital stereo system, digital photo
viewer/processor). Sure, there's more to them than that if you want but
that's just the general feeling I get thinking about my computer today.

    That's why I still have an Apple IIGS sitting on my desk and still find
myself tinkering with older 8 and 16-bit computers. Is it likely I'd find
myself cutting up cables, rigging up continuity testers and splices cables
up to connect my PC to a monitor? (still working on that one). ;)  Nah, I'd
just buy the part from a shop probably...that's no fun. :)

Mitchell Spector