

New Microsoft commercial: Windows is a generic OS X substitute - technologizer
http://technologizer.com/2009/03/26/microsofts-new-commercial-windows-is-a-generic-equivalent-to-os-x

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SwellJoe
That's the best Windows commercial I've seen...maybe ever.

It takes the one thing that Windows _clearly_ and demonstrably does better
than Apple and advertises it. Microsoft has always had a bit of identity
crisis...not realizing that Windows-based PCs are like Wal-Mart: a high volume
business based on offering a lot of variety at a really low price.

Of course this could, theoretically, backfire. Really cost-conscious buyers
might find the <$300 netbooks running Linux to be even more appealing, since
they're $50-$100 cheaper than equivalent Windows-based units. $50 isn't much
in a $1k lappy, but it's 15-20% of the price on netbooks.

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Timothee
It's a very odd ad I think.

If you were to compare Windows vs. Mac OS X on price, Mac OS is cheaper ($129
vs. $199.95 to $319.95). So the ad ends up comparing the hardware, with which
Microsoft has not much to do...

Another thing they kind of hint at is that Lauren in the ad looks like she
would buy a Mac vs. a PC if they were the same price. So, it's not saying that
Windows is better than Mac OS, it's just saying that she can't afford a Mac,
thus buys a PC. The fact is you can't buy a PC with Mac OS X, so she has no
choice but Windows. (leaving Linux out of the equation here)

