Microsoft Changes 'Laptop Hunters' Ad In Response To Apple's Pressure (VIDEO)

Microsoft has caved to Apple's demands.

As we pointed out last week, Apple recently asked Microsoft to change its 'Laptop hunters ads,' which showed price-conscious shoppers cheerily choosing PCs over more expensive Macs.

Apple complained that the price comparison claims were overblown, and COO Kevin Turner joked at a conference about getting an angry call from his arch rival. PC world reported on Turner's conference quip:

"And you know why I know they're working? Because two weeks ago we got a call from the Apple legal department saying, hey -- this is a true story -- saying, "Hey, you need to stop running those ads, we lowered our prices." They took like $100 off or something. It was the greatest single phone call in the history that I've ever taken in business. (Applause.)"

AdAge reports today that Microsoft has now changed its ads in response to Apple's pressure. Specifically, Microsoft changed its "Lauren and Sue" ad, in which Lauren and her mother search for a laptop for under $1,700.

The original version featured these lines: "This Mac is $2,000, and that's before adding anything."

"Why would you pay twice the price?" Lauren's mom asks. Unfortunately, that version has been removed from YouTube.

In the current incarnation of the ad, which we've included below, that section has been edited out. Instead, Lauren says: "It seems like you're paying a lot more for the brand." (Notice how she doesn't mention a specific brand). Lauren ultimately walks away with a $972 Dell.

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WATCH:

Microsoft issued this statement to AdAge: "We slightly adjusted the ads to reflect the updated pricing of the Mac laptop shown in the TV advertisement. This does not change the focus of the campaign, which is to showcase the value and choice of the PC."

What do you think? Is this Microsoft ad more fair? Are the changes just cosmetic? Will this convince you to buy a PC?

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Comments

[Mike Barden]

I gotta question:

Do you get all these D@^^ ^ pop-ups on a Mac?

[vandegrasse]

There are thousand dollar Apple laptops out there.

[nomorefed]

im hunting for laptops..please find me one

good articles: http://www.iamned.com

[KarateKid]

Spammer. Get a life, will ya?

[Elyriaohio]

All of these commercials show 1st time buyers (suckers) who know nothing about computers.
I would like to see them buy a car or a house. ("I want the cheap one")

[Erdgeist]

With any PC you will get the BSOD (blue screen of death) on a regular basis. Goodbye term papers, and dissertations. The best thing to do is to buy two PCs, one for the Internet that will be infected and crash all the time, and one not on the Internet used for school work. That will cost you about $1,800. But if you are smart, get a Mac.

[Burning Daylight]

You Mac-Moonies are worst than the conservatives when it comes to tired old talking points. With them it's "Class Warfare" or "Socialism" or their all-time favorite "flip-flopper." I have used PC's since 1995 and have NEVER had a blue screen of death. In fact, Windows itself has been absolutely reliable. The only times i have EVER had a problem was hardware related--when they wore out after tens of thousands of hours of use.

Blue Screen of Death! LMAO. Please, before you say stupid (bleep), make sure you know what you're talking about.

BD

[ThaGovna]

I've used both and prefer the PC. Mac's are great BECAUSE Apple isn't primarily just a software company. Microsoft is great BECAUSE it's primarily a software company.

I've had PC's built (DIY) that smoke whatever Mac was out at the time, time and time again for less than whatever the cost of the Mac.

So, if you're computer illiterate: Buy and Mac so they can hold your hand.

If you know a thing or two about computing: Buy a PC and have fun tricking it out.

I'm a ProTools user...and I am a PC.

GREAT ADS!

[mick7191]

There is nothing like those security updates. Windows blows.

[nemo1107]

Vista is a great product?!?

[KarateKid]

I have both, and love both, a Toshiba laptop running Vista Ultimate and an iMac.

If you're happy with your machine, who cares what someone else prefers? To each his own, and some of us own both.

Just sayin'

[dreamsugar]

1. It’s designed to make it faster and easier to get computing tasks done. This is mostly thanks to its “plain English” approach, especially compared to Windows, which has a legacy of being built by engineers for engineers and is, as a result, less intuitive for the everyday nontechnical user.

2. OS X makes it easier to find out about your computer. (For example, to find out key info about your Mac, such as which version of OS X you’re running, system specs, and so on, select Apple Menu > About This Mac. If you need to know your Mac’s IP address, go to System Preferences > Network and the info you’re looking for will appear.)

3. OS X is more secure than Windows. Yes, we know it’s because until recently, Macs were so much less common than Windows PCs that hackers didn’t bother writing viruses and malware for OS X, and there were fewer pieces of Mac software out there in which to exploit vulnerabilities. But there are more Macs out there than ever, and the number of Windows threats grows daily. To date, there are still no known widespread viruses or Trojan horse attacks aimed specifically at OS X.

4. The Mac OS is just prettier than Windows. Does that sound petty? To some, we’re sure it does, but to anyone who would mock, we say, “Stuff it.” How’s that for petty?

(source MacLife - and oh sooooo very true)

[KarateKid]

Who cares?

[dreamsugar]

The people who buy a Mac obviously (and those looking for a good reason to switch).

And if you didn't care...why comment?

[EggZacktly]

Why is it that every year during PWN2OWN hacking contest it is OSX that gets hacked into first? This year it took less than 10 seconds to hack into OSX. Windows is not the only OS that runs natively on a PC. Ubuntu or SuSi or Red Hat or Linspire..... all far more secure than either Windows or OSX.

[OilCrash]

People should use the computer and OS they like best. And stop talking about which one is best or whatever. Blah dee frickin' blah. It is a tool. Use it and stop flappin' yer gums about it.

[KarateKid]

hear, hear......­..laissez-­faire, baby.

[Winthorpe]

The daughter is smoking hot. What is she selling? Oh yeah. She should start modeling so that she could buy a real computer.

[rtgmath]

Hmmm. Well, I could get a nice Apple Laptop for $999, so the $972 Dull is really not that much cheaper. And $1700? Well, Apple has several nice ones for less than that -- with 7-hour batteries and displays to die for.

Not to mention that Apple computers just work. They do. Almost everything I would need a PC to do, the Mac does just as well -- and sometimes better.

I worked my last Apple to death. After 3 1/2 years of hard work, it finally died. I am saving for a new Apple, and I won't buy another PC for myself. I use both Apples and PCs, and I am much more productive on the Apple computer.

Not all PCs are junk. But you get what you pay for. Apple has quality products, by and large.

If you are sold on PCs, fine. Just don't trash those of us who enjoy the finer things in life. .

[dreamsugar]

Amen!!

[massthreat]

after 20 years on pc, i went to mac 6 years ago. And now i have to work on a pc occasionally at my job. The experience allows me to recall why I left pc in the first place. UI of windows is a complete disaster when compared with leopard. No contest.

[armchairprotester]

Windows Vista is the worst operating system I have ever used. Windows ruined their reputation themselves by using Windows users as beta testers and by continuing to release inferior, over priced and often flawed products.

Everyone should migrate to some Unix based operating system and only then can we lay off the Tylenol.

OSX belongs in the Unix family = ). Continue the good work.

[Palemoon]

If you wanted people to migrate to a Unix based operating system, you should send them to the best one. The AmigaOS.

Runs circles around even OSX. By the way, you do realize what OSX is shorthand for right? Obsolescence. ;o)

[OilCrash]

Yu nerdy

[jimby]

AmigaOS wasn't Unix-based. It was "Unix-like, which is not the same. Unix-based means the OS can run standard Unix commands, which AmigaOS could not do.

[KarateKid]

I have Vista Ultimate and have not had one bit of trouble, not once. I have OSX and have not had one bit of trouble, not once. Either I'm lucky, or you're not.

[nachtmantel]

I had an Hp/Microsoft laptop; never again will I sacrifice value for price. In three months, I had two hard drives fail. From now on, I will pay the price for an Apple.

[Palemoon]

I've had 2 hard drives fail in the HP laptop that I own. So what brand name were the hard drives of yours that failed?

Mine were Toshiba and Seagate. Now then, I don't recall either Toshiba, or Seagate being known as Microsoft or HP. The parts that actually were built by HP still work flawlessly.

[impishj]

Ahh so HP can build perfectly adequate plastic!

Did you trip over the cord, is that how your laptop hard drives died? because that wouldn't happen on a apple laptop, that and the battery might be the only significant difference between PC and Apple Hardware but it is not insignificant, nor is the fact that you can go to the apple store in person for help,

Also there are different grades of hardware offered by manufactures, perhaps HP didn't do all their homework before sourcing the drive for your laptop, it has happened with apple from time to time also but in my experience there are far fewer problems with PC Laptops then Apple Laptops and I think a lot of that is the quality of the physical case and quality control, I mean sure you could get a panasonic Toughbook but that is just as expensive or more then an apple

[czs5056]

I have a PC and am happy with it. I tried to use macs up at college and I could not figure out how to get them to work for the life of me. a simple thing of finding "print" took about 2-3 minutes even at that it still didn't print what I needed it to print. and for everyone that says "PCs sucks" just don't know how to use windows properly. the big part as to why PCs get the malware is because they don't know how to use windows properly. I admit I don't understand windows inwards and out but I know enough to avoid malware. the only reason that macs don't get as many malware is because there are not enough out there to make it worth wild to do anything. I also don't like that macs are compatible with only other macs (so far in my experience) and with the PC I can just go from one computer to another and get right to work.

[pointbeing]

Macs are compatible with just about any machine. In fact, in my experience I have yet to find a platform that isn't compatible. Macs are also very receptive to cross-platform files - a PC MSWord doc opens perfectly on a Mac with Word installed, but the reverse is more often than not a problem. As long as the Mac has the application used installed, it can open any respective PC created file without a hitch. I do this every day and have for over 10 years.

I believe your inability to "figure out how to get to work" a Mac is based more on your ingoing unwillingness to leave your PC comfort zone and learn how to navigate a Mac. PC's make you jump through dozens of hoops just to open one file. They're designed with the belief that the harder it is to access a file, the more obvious it is that only one of intelligence can operate it. Working harder is not necessarily working smarter.

[czs5056]

opening files on my PC is is a 5 second job (with looking for the folder) I can't figure out how to use a mac because I try to open what was labeled "photoshop" and it took me to photoshop with no explanation on how to use the program (it was my 1st time using it and I had no idea what anything did) I also can't figure out where this magic "force close" button is at. my "refusal" to leave my "PC comfort zone" is just that if I have a school project due in 5 hours I don't have 4.5 hours time to figure out how to open a file (true story) on a mac. I have no idea what your PC did to have you jump through hoops but my PC doesn't.