Xinomorph

Apple's "I'm a PC. And I'm a Mac." advertising campaign was launched in the UK this week, and I can honestly say that it is without a doubt the most ill-conceived ad campaign in history. The point they're trying to make (and failing miserably) is that, supposedly, PCs are stuffy old machines geared towards dull and boring grey office work, whilst Macs are bundles of fun, all pretty and modern and casual and easy to use.

They really have to be kidding.

Amongst the arguments presented are: PCs get viruses, Macs don't; PCs crash, Macs don't; PCs are corporate and unfeeling, Macs are personal and fun; and other such bollocks.

• Since I got this machine, the only crash I have EVER had has been due to Apple software.
• I have personal experience of Macs crashing. And without any of the error feedback that PCs give.
• PCs are only work-related if that's how you choose to use them. Similarly with Macs.
• No-one (relatively) uses a Mac, so no-one bothers to write viruses from them.
• Any viruses which do get written aren't discovered, since, uhhh, no-one uses a Mac.
• The Mac's so bad in itself, you'd never actually notice if there was a virus on it.
• Macs are so ridiculously expensive that the kind of stupid idiot who would allow their machine to be infected can't afford one.
• "The Mac is intuitive and human" - baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahhahaahhhahaahahahahahahahahaha *breathe* hahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah. etc.

Apart from anything else, the "PC" character comes across as quite a nice, sympathetic guy, whilst the "Mac" character is just a smug, self-righteous twat. (And as someone on alt.comedy.british pointed out, that's fairly indicative of the average Mac user anyway.)

I really don't know how patronising and insulting your target customers is meant to be helpful to your business. Besides anything else, Apple's real problem is that it's hardware is just too expensive for the average user to whom this campaign is obviously intended to appeal. Unless one was looking specifically to use a piece of software only available for Mac, then why would one make the change?
Assume that you are in the market for a new machine. Would you buy a brand new Windows-based system (desktop or laptop), or for more than double the price, a Mac one with a much lower specification? (Hell, let's be realistic here. I could get quite a high-specification Windows laptop AND a similarly high-end Windows desktop machine for about the same price as the cheapest, lowest spec Mac!) I know which route I, and every person I know, would choose.

At the risk of sounding as condescending as Apple, the only potential customers who may believe the hype in such shitty campaigns as this are those who don't have the money to purchase their overpriced bloatware! Anyone else can see through the lies, the hype and the spin, and people don't appreciate being patronised in such obvious ways. (And just think of when they realise that the system which they are being asked to buy doesn't provide a correct keyboard layout!)

Apple, get your priorities right, and don't start belittling your competitors in such purile, immature ways. It's just plain boring.