[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Macs Produced Part of Microsoft's 'I'm a PC' Ads here

[jinx101]

I don't know why this is newsworthy. I'm a developer of Windows applications, I use Vista and on our team and we have 3 graphics designers who use Macs for their design work. Windows is still the way to go for mainstream business software but that doesn't mean Mac isn't useful... this isn't a us vs. you battle where 1 party always fails and the other doesn't. Both's OS's have their merits and high points. Let it go. ;P

[ayjuarez]

I agree...Microsoft for business and Macs are better for graphics/video editing....I am sure that Apple has Microsoft business apps running.

[microKOAT]

If you would like to see the ad, you can check it out on my YouTube page - http://www.youtube.com/mtrippe
I have the new ad, the original 2 Jerry & Bill ads and an assortment of other videos...
By the way, I use both an iMac & PC and just purchased the iPhone 3G. I agree they are both useful and they coexist quite well together...

[Gsound]

Big news? No. Ironic? Yes. I use both PCs (home and work) and Macs (Home and work) and have to say Microsoft Office on Mac looked like Office 2007 4 years ago. But to the point, there's no reason why anybody on a Microsoft campaign would be using a Mac for anything. It's funny that some of them preferred to do their creating on the Mac version CS3 rather than Windows for a campaign that's supposed to extol the virtues and "coolness" of Windows. Classic Microsoft "d'oh!" moment.

[ComputerDeveloper]

Just to balance the "news" here.....
Apple develops "ALL" their hardware products with design and simulation tools that only run under Windows or Linux operating systems.
(Schematic capture, Simulation, etc...)
Until the point when the "Parallels" desktop software became available to run Windows on the MAC, the hardware development work was all done on PC hardware platforms.
I don't think you will find, even today the necessary hardware development tools on a MAC to go from concept to production without a PC involved.
I don't think this will change anytime soon.

[ZetaZeta]

Who cares. Isn't this just Microsoft sending a subliminal signal (intentional or not) that both companies make good products, and that they aren't going to bash the competition? Macs are great. So are PCs. That's why I never liked Apple ads. Macs aren't that much better than PCs, they're just different. They do different things, they are for different audiences. I see too many people with both. Microsoft shouldn't stop themselves from using Mac just because they are a competitor.

[orangemetal]

The first thing Microsoft's $300M contract advertising agency should do is to publish a survey on what computers they use for content development at Crispin P and Bogusky and why they may not use windows vista machines - then Microsoft needs to solve that problem first. The ads should 100% honest and a lot more focused on the future of Windows. Why might these intelligent artists and content developers not use Vista?
3DStudio max runs 13x faster on Windows XP, Maya runs 20x faster on Windows XP.

[chicagodevguy]

I wonder if PCs (or, specifically, Windows machines or any MS software) were "used" at all in the making of any of the Apple ads. Think it might be possible that an Account Director, Producer, Sys Admin, etc. at TBWAChiatDay is using Windows or Office? Seems pretty likely.

[orangemetal]

According to the New York Times, "Intel information technology staff just found no compelling case for adopting Vista."

Intel is a major corporation with 80,000 employees -

[mathue]

So far I have no colleagues that work for companies that use Vista as a corporate OS. There are a few that use it because they asked, but no widespread deployment. To be honest though I don't understand why MS is advertising, they OWN 90% of the market for heaven sakes! And who on earth chose to take Apple's ads head on, you're reinforcing Apple brand by doing so. There are plenty of strengths they can play off of that would be effective.

[Bosco]

This is exactly what i thought when i read the article! It needed to be said. I'm a PC!

[shippou]

MS is such a copycat.

[eeejokesno]

Who Cares? Pixar, cofounded by Steve Jobs, runs Linux servers in their renderfarms. No big deal.

[chuckchuck]

Sheesh - nomenclature - Both the IBM Compatible Personal Computer and Apple Personal Computer are both PCs!!!! I wish they would get it right and stop calling them PCs and MACs - nonsense.

How about Clone PCs and Apple PCs or CPCs and APCs?

[mpheadley]

A few comments have gotten under my skin so I must write my peace.

I am a small independent video editor who has proudly chosen twice to not only use PCs but to use Adobe Premiere as well. In my industry, people are using Final Cut Pro just because everyone else is using it. I find it funny that Adobe is mentioned so many times in this article as having created elements in this advertising campaign... NO MATTER whether the software was on PC or Mac.

So, let's stop and think here. If there's the same fantastic software that will run great on either system, why pay so much more for a mac? Do people enjoy throwing money away because of perceived prestige in computing?!

The first time I decided to go PC I did so on the foundation that XP had become a solid platform. And then the much more affordable solutions and many more options to build my system fell into place.

Even though I haven't built a new system yet and I'm only looking forward to when I go HD, I made my second decision to stick with PCs and Adobe Premiere on the day Adobe had a live web show launching the CS3 suite. After that there was no point in going to Final Cut Pro for me.

Before Windows XP, I would have agreed with previous posts that macs were better for graphic design, video editing, etc. That history from years passed still lingers in people's minds. Like racism, a history of constant talk of "macs are better than PCs for graphics and editing" has been implanted in people's mindsets. But that time is passing. Macs and PCs today are no doubt on equal footing as other posters have agreed. I could even argue the PC route is better. After all, Macs use Intel processors now, and I've been told Asus builds their boards (who knows if that's true or not). I believe Macs are falling behind. I don't think they can keep up with how much the gaming industry drives the constant newer and better components of PCs which are often upgradable. Macs have much less capability of being upgraded. Apple recently renamed themselves because of their new focus on ipods and iphones and other devices instead of their computers and software. Those devices make the most money for them.

I think a time will come when FCP users will be left waiting for updates. Adobe is hot on FCP's trail in cranking out video format updates.

Finally, Kudos to Microsoft if it continues to take the high road in its advertising campaign against Apple. The important thing to remember is, MS is an operating system on a PC. MS does not equal PC. There are other operating systems that can be used on a PC. Microsoft has not made themselves into elitists like Apple has. This is the only thing Apple has going for itself. Because they make an OS for one computer, there will be limited problems. But is it microsoft's fault that there are so many manufacturers of PC components and brands of software? Microsoft is just trying to do the best it can under the circumstance. I'd be surprised if MS refused to make an operating system for the Apple computer if they could.

I do think MS either misstepped or moved too fast with Vista. But I think MS is trying to move toward unifying the massive amount of drivers and componenets out there and then as a result, they are blamed for the problem of not having backward compatibility.

But the main point is, Vista does not equal a PC like Apple's OS equals an Apple computer. We have choices for a PC. We can choose to keep XP, or we can choose Linux, or any other operating system.

People report that Vista is rock solid with all of the updates and when all of the computer's components and software are designed for Vista.

Even though early Vista was a pothole, MS is now creating stable operating systems.

Getting back to this article, sure, many pieces of this advertising were probably designed on macs, again, no surprise, because of that longstanding oversimplified misperception that macs are better for this kind of work. And that is why MS had to create an advertising campaign dealing with this misperception that that falsely and arrogantly targets the computer hardware rather than the operating system itself.

[tvtim08]

Thank you mpheadley, I couldn't have said it better. It doesn't matter what platform you choose, so long as it takes care of the tasks at hand. Like yourself I too use a "PC" for video capture, editing and mastering. I have no complaints with Windows 2000 really. I've tried on various Macs, and to no avail. It's up to each user, and their own personal experience(s) to choose the needed system to complete their own work schedule. Vista may not be for everyone, and maybe OS-X aint yer cup of tea either, but there's always Linux (about 31 flavours or so), Windows 95, Mac OS 7.5, or DOS if your so inclined. Never let media hype dictate your own computer usage, remember what "PC" stands for?



--TW

[Valethar]

If you're going to be picky about nomenclature, technically 'MAC' is misused as well. PC is an acronym, Mac is an abbreviation.

[justinrussell]

Just to be clear, Steve Jobs was not a co-founder of Pixar. Although the Pixar name was used after Jobs bought the company in 1986, they had been doing work since 1979.

[rgreen4]

"Mac" started as a street abbreviation for MacIntosh, the second GUI computer Apple produced (the horrendously high priced Lisa was the first), and then Apple picked up the abbreviation as a name. Then came the iMAC, and it will be MAC from here on until they decide to come out with a new name on a new computer, which is unlikely.

PC started out as a trade name for a specific company's Personal Computer (IBM, I'm sure those over 35 remember the Lil' Tramp ads) and initially they went after it's use by anyone else. Unfortunately it became so wide spread that the term "Micro Computer" died out and they all became PC's. In a similar manner the term Fridge originally referred only to a Frigidaire but later came to stand for any refrigerator.