Williams World

Apple-Vista Thunder

by William Kammer exclusively for Windows-Vista-Update.com (2/13/2007)

Beginning a couple of weeks ago, Apple Inc. ordered some pretty pointed attacks on Microsoft with TV ads, and focused specifically on Windows Vista. The first Vista-related Apple ad had to do with an actor who was supposed to be a PC going in for “major surgery” so he could upgrade to Vista. The PC is scared, and doesn’t know if he’s going to make it through the update alive. This is a pretty misleading as, and it isn’t the only thing to come out of Apple’s arsenal.

There was then a second TV ad that portrayed Vista as being too secure. They did this by having a bodyguard behind the PC actor, and having all questions and emotions go through him for approval before reaching the PC. Again, a very exaggerated and misleading ad, but it shows what levels this battle between the two software giants could get down to.  Apple also announced on their Web site that iTunes might not work correctly with Vista. Not everyone who upgrades to Vista would be affected, but some would. They said to wait a couple of weeks for an iTunes update to come out before upgrading to Vista.

This would be fine, but as they announce the incompatibility between the two programs, rumors were going around that e-mails from the company were also being sent out saying, “you'll probably need a new computer to upgrade to Vista, why not get a Mac?"

To have TV ads that attack Vista is fine, so is having iTunes not be immediately compatible, and the e-mails are also okay to send out. When you combine all three of these things at the same time, however, it starts to get a little unethical.

With how personal and misrepresenting these ads are, one gets the feeling he is watching political campaign smear ads. It would be unfortunate if the rest of the advertising world started going down the dishonest route of smear campaigns against their competitors. We’re going to get enough of that in the very near future with the presidential race.

Apple store employees are expected to wear t-shirts reading “Go Beyond Vista” within the next week or so during their next marketing push as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if colorful bumper stickers are coming next. 

This will not be a one-side battle. Microsoft is sure to fight back against Apple, and we can already see the beginning of it with tings like when Bill Gates spoke about the Apple ads in interviews. In an interview with Newsweek on Feb 3rd Bill Gates refuted the ads, and said that there was not a “shred of truth” to them.

Microsoft is expected to use a lot more money than Apple will on these ad campaigns. Apple spent about $83 million on advertising for Mac during the first nine months of last year, and that is said to be less than a fifth of what Microsoft will spend while launching Vista.  Considering that we haven’t seen that much out of Microsoft yet, it’s probably just a matter of time before we see them coming out with some crazy ads of their own.

Who knows what depths these two companies will get down to. They certainly have the money to go as deep as they want, so it will come down to who has a conscience or a little bit of ethics. It isn’t too bad yet, but you can see them slipping with the way current things are going.

Will Steve Jobs and Bill Gates start having presidential-like debates? Apple and PC users are already divided almost like political parties. I don’t believe America has need more politicians, and it would be tragic if we began to see companies start to advertise like politicians do. Let’s just keep governments and corporations as two completely separate entities. Things are safer and happier that way.