"The value messaging will resonate with lots of shoppers right now."

Given a free alternative (Linux) and Microsoft's age old argument against Linux - "Total cost of ownership consists of more than just the initial purchase price" - maybe this argument is a bit 2 faced.

Check Amazon and compare the retail cost of Windows Vista Ultimate ($250) vs. OS X 10.5 ($109) vs. Ubuntu ($0). Hmmmm....

Well, she is obviously *not* cool enough. Nothing wrong with that, not everyone can/should use a Mac. Next stop for her: K-Mart.

Cheap is cheap... You get what you pay for. So enjoy that cheap cheap laptop while it last.

Joe,

Yes. It's a very good commercial and shows M$ is starting to hit its stride with this I'm a PC campaign.

@mikey:

Actually, Amazon is selling an upgrade version of Vista for $$137.97, which is a whole lot less than $250.00. Certainly, it's still a little more than OS X, both of which are overpriced compared to Ubuntu. But, then again most casual users aren't going to be happy with Linux once they have to start jumping though Wine hoops. Still though, your point is valid for some users out there, especially those who either know how to make their Linux systems play well with Windows programs or those who simply need a general purpose computer for doing online stuff only.

@Anona:

I bet you shop at Walmart, which is SOOOO much more upscale than K-Mart.

@Jubei:

There's a big difference between cheap and way over priced. In the case of a PC vs Mac, that's about a $1,000, so go ahead and knock Lauren's choice; she's making the right choice for herself, al beit about five months too early.

The tagline easily could have been: Congratulations Lauren, you got your second choice -- a PC.

I dont understand the "cool enough" line. Her first choice was a Mac, but she couldnt afford one, so she says she's not cool. So if Macs were cheaper she'd be cooler? Or would she be cooler if her budget was bigger?

Joe: Good points. Probably not wise for Apple to counter, but if they did, it would be worth noting that this is a really stripped computer - no 802.11n networking, no Bluetooth, and an AMD Turion processor that is much slower than the Core 2 Duo. Plus there are some hidden costs for the Windows computer: expect to spend $50 per year for antivirus software, and you could spend $100 to get the features of iLife. Perhaps that doesn't matter to 'Lauren' but it does show that the bargain PC isn't quite as cheap as advertised. Still, there is a widening price premium for Apple, which may be hard to justify in this economy.

@ Joe

the "cool enough" strikes me as mild sarcasm.

@Greg

There are other choices that wouldn't be stripped down. Most would still be cheaper than a Mac. That was the point. A/V isn't a hidden cost for Windows only. Any internet-connected PC should have it, regardless of OS. Too many Mac users assume OS X is secure by default. It isn't. iLife is a nice bundle that obviously MS isn't allowed to offer given the consent decree and EU. But there are many free alternatives in the Windows world. Several are superior in functionality.

Stop being a snob Jubei.

That Laptop isn't cheap because it's crap, it's cheap because competition keeps prices low.

Now exactly what competes in the OSX space?

Nothing.... You want to run it you have to run it on a Mac. Since they control the platform Apple controls pricing. And news flash.... since the advent of x86 based mac's it's the same damned hardware.

Same with you Anona. Buying pricey electronics to look cool is fucking stupid. I own a MacBook Pro and an Imac.... because

1. I support Mac users at work. I need to know the OS to do my job.

2. Garage Band kicks ass.

3. Final Cut pro kicks more ass.

I didn't buy them to "look" cool. I got them because It's the only Legal way for me to use their software and gain a high level of competence with fixing problems that crop up on them. (Yes they have issues too.)

A high price is no guarantee of quality.

@Greg,

Yes it is a "Budget" computer.... and a lot of people are on a "Budget"

Turion processors are more than fast enough for laptop computing. I have a laptop with an older gen turion with only 2 gigs of memory and I can run photoshop and edit HD video without overtaxing it so I'm sure someone like Lauren will be fine. As for 802.11.... dude it's a 17 inch desktop replacement. I doubt she's going to be lugging that damned thing to starbucks. And if she were she could certainly afford 30$ for a 802.11 adapter with the money she saved. Or heck she could use that extra 300.00 bucks to go buy an Ubuntu or WinXP loaded netbook for her more mobile computing needs. I think she made a fine choice.

Joe two points.

1. Yo shit is still broke man.

2. Mac's sales declines have nothing to do with MS marketing and everything to do with this freaking rescession.

Apple painted themselves into this corner because they bill the mac as a "fun" "luxury" Item, when it really is just a damned computer. One with a superior OS.... but still just a damned computer.

It's the same reason Dunkin Donuts is handing Starbucks it's ass. In the end it's just a damned cup of cofee.

When downturns of this magnitude happen people seek cost to value ratios.... Luxuries go out the window. Luckily for Apple they have guys like me who manage to stay employed by hook or by crook, who recognize the power of bastardized BSD wrapped in shiny goodness, and the legion of fruitloops who'll buy any damned thing with a apple logo on it.

MS can't market that away.

I do not see how admitting that a competitors product (MacBook) is cool and paying to advertise another companies product (HP notebook) is a good advert.

Microsoft is competing with XP machines which are 'good enough', they need to explain why you have to get a new computer and why XP needs to be replaced. Security is a red herring, whilst Vista is technically more secure, in practice it gets infected as much as anything else.

Unless they can convince large numbers of people that Vista/7 is a must-have upgrade then the uptake for 7 will be similar to the failed Vista. So far they are trying to convince business with the stick because they will be dropping XP support soon. I cannot see consumers responding to that sort of pressure.

Now if only we could get an ad with Linux running on that lower-cost laptop, then we'd have a great selling point. The OS (Windows) is the weakest part of the PC "product".

And desktop Linux is what? better?

Fucking laughable. 20 years in the making and you end up with a primative file manager, unreliable package management, and a so called community that can't even decide on a single distro so they can pool their resources and get it right. I gave up on Linux Desktop 4 years ago and never looked back.

I just wish I could get the time I wasted back.

@Paul

"Any internet-connected PC should have it, regardless of OS."

Speaking in terms of Windows, I completely disagree. I haven't used A/V on any of the three Windows computers I've owned in the past 10 years, and I've done so without acquiring any viruses. But, I do control rigorously what's installed onto my PC's, and after paying $73 for Vista Premium a little over a year ago, Windows Defender seems to do a nice job checking for malware. Moreover, it sounds like by mid-year that M$' Morro replacement for OneCare will give Windows a basic, free A/V solution that may make $$$ (i.e., free) worth considered for someone like myself.

Bethatasitmay, do most Windows PC's connected to the Internet need A/V? Yes, but I do not in any agree with the ANY statement, which just isn't true especially if the statement is making the case for overpriced solutions from Symantec and McAfee.

"I gave up on Linux Desktop 4 years ago and never looked back."

Good timing...

@Billybob.

Yep. It was excellent timing Billy. Bought a Mac. Been a happy OSX/Vista/XP user ever since.

And exactly why is Laren driving a Volkswagen if she's so into "cheap is the best?" I guess she feels it's okay to spend an extra $10,000 for an image car like a VW but oh no, people are committing a sin when they pay more for a Mac.

Hey, Microsoft! Why not give Lauren $12,000 to buy a car of her choice and see if she wants to give away her VW that she overpaid for!

Or may "value" is more than about price?

Ad is a big fail.

I shouldnt really feed the trolls (and thats what previously CC.Torment admitted they were, not an allegation of mine) but I couldnt let their comments stand.
-
Quote "20 years in the making and you end up with a primative file manager,"
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Rubbish. Explain what you mean. Whats primitive?
Since you admit you havent used Linux for 4 years how on earth can you know what youre talking about.
-
Quote "I gave up on Linux Desktop 4 years ago"
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Yep, and its exactly the same now as it was 4 years ago!!??? Is Vista the same as ME?...oh hang on a minute its about as liked, so yes.
-
Quote "and a so called community that can't even decide on a single distro"
-
That to me is a strength. Linux is about choice and tailoring the OS to exactly fit your needs. Im not sure what issue you are trying to highlight. The fact that I use one distro and say Billybob uses another makes no difference, hell we can both even run Windows binaries if we wish (and in many cases with better performance that native Windows)
-
Quote "Been a happy OSX/Vista/XP user ever since."
You posting tone doesnt suggest youre happy, it suggests youre an angry young person.
-
Quote "I just wish I could get the time I wasted back."
I think then it would be a start if you calmed down youre potty mouth and contributed properly.

"Whats primitive?"

He must have been talking about Nautilus, he obviously does not realise that Linux has nothing to do with a file manager and that there are probably >100 file managers that work on Linux that he can choose from. Personally I agree that Nautilus is crap. I am not sure how he can think that Finder is better though, it drives me nuts and is probably just as primitive as Nautilus.

Dolphin is far better than the Windows Explorer I use that myself.

Hi Billybob
I was trying to "pin him down" CC.Torment is very good at making sweeping statements, unfortunately they dont have the knowledge to back it up.
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Wild guesses, foul language and misleading remarks - they are the remit of CC.Torment.

I'd hate to be HP or Dell, pegging my profits on the more lucrative $700+ laptops, after Microsoft has heavily promoted the notion that all you have to spend for a 17" laptop is $699.

And, if that H-P laptop happens to be a weak one, or offer a poor Windows 7 experience, then this ad doesn't help Microsoft that much either.

Chip, you make an excellent point. If Microsoft sells the $700 lappie as the solution, Windows 7 better run well in a gig of memory and with integrated graphics, because that will be the rich user experience the buyer will receive. All signs say it will.

At the same time Apple is readying Snow Leopard. Both are due yet this year. Both are refinements more than new features. 64-bit computing will become mainstream. Who will be first? Will customers be happy? Will either one be a game changer? Stay tuned...

Yowzer. I like all the references to Apple. When's the next ad due out?

Linux users have been saying for 20 years that Linux is going to get popular and over take windows.

It hasn't, and there is a reason for that, and its not advertising.

Ask and 75% of users know what linux is, they know it is free, but the one MAJOR thing that holds them back. "Who can I call when i have a problem?"

Small businesses get windows server 2003 not only because it is a decent microserver suite, it also comes with 3 years of phone tech support, and unlimited email support.

When you invest in linux, you invest in having someone who knows linux, and for end users who don't have the time to learn linux, and for companies who don't have a budget to hire a new IT guy, its just not a good choice.

And the multi-platform of linux would be a strength, if end users didn't have to compile half the software for there distro. Is grandma going to be able to figure out how to compile a program because she can't find a compatible release so she can play solitaire? Sometimes non-conformity is good, but in productivity situations, almost never.