Apple has debuted a new section of their Apple.com website. Entitled “Get a Mac,” it replaces the old “Switch” section. From Apple’s new “Get a Mac” site:
Why you’ll love a Mac.
The gold standard.
The Mac consistently gets 4-star reviews from publications like The Wall Street Journal and even popular PC magazines.
1. It just works. How much time have you spent troubleshooting your PC? Imagine a computer designed by people who hate to waste time as much as you do. Where all the hardware and software just works, and works well together. Get a Mac and get your life back.
2. You can make amazing stuff. Every Mac comes with iLife ’06, a suite of software that transforms your photos, music, and video into all kinds of projects. Make high-quality websites, photo books, DVDs, songs, slideshows, music CDs, calendars, cards, prints, podcasts, music videos, documentaries, and more.
3. Design that turns heads. You won’t want to hide your Mac in a corner of the den. You’ll want it front and center in your life. The Apple style shows in every detail, from its sculpted surfaces to its gorgeous Mac OS X graphics.
4. 114,000 Viruses? Not on a Mac. Mac OS X was designed with security in mind. Windows just wasn’t built to bear the onslaught of attacks it suffers every day. A Mac offers a built-in firewall, doesn’t advertise its existence on the Net, and isn’t compromised within an hour of being turned on.
5. Next year’s OS today. Since Mac OS X engineers aren’t busy damming a flood of viruses, they have the time to think up amazing new technology. Like Dashboard widgets, mini-applications offering a world of capabilities just a keystroke away. Or a built-in RSS news reader.
6. The latest Intel chips. Intel Core Duo processors put you on the cutting edge. In fact, a Mac with an Intel chip is so fast it surprises even longtime Windows pundits, who keep running benchmarks again and again. Results? Fast. Fast. Yup, still fast.
7. Instant video chats. Setting up a video chat with the people next door — or across the globe — should be as simple as picking up the phone. On a Mac, you just click an icon to have a four-way video chat in a full-screen window with amazing clarity and special effects.
8. More fun with photos. On a Mac, you don’t need any extra software to make a photo book. You don’t have to leave your photo software to visit a separate website and wait for forms to load. All you need is a camera and a Mac.
9. One-click websites. How long does it take to post a photo or video to your blog on a PC? On a Mac, you can shoot a picture or a movie with the built-in camera, then post it on the web in a few clicks. Pontificate, preachify, and publish. The hardest part is coming up with something to say.
10. Amazing podcasts. Want to get your message out to the world? Podcast it. A Mac makes it simple to create professional podcasts, complete with artwork. Add sound effects and jingles, even use the built-in radio engineer to make it perfect. So you can be a talk star in seconds.
11. Rock star tunemaking. Musicians get all the girls (or guys). And a Mac has the software to turn you into the musician of your dreams. Choose from hundreds of cool riffs and instruments to create your own songs. Get good enough and you could be on iTunes.
12. Hollywood-style movies. Connect your DV camera and turn your movies into spectaculars. Add graphics, titles, and sound effects in minutes. Then use your Mac to burn a DVD or post to your website.
13. No hunting for drivers. Just plug in your stuff. A Mac includes USB drivers for mass storage, digital cameras, input devices, iPod, and more. It can see Bluetooth cell phones and headsets, as well as FireWire cameras. No rebooting.
14. Awesome out of the box. Other computers include software, it’s true. But once you start using that software, you find that you’re hobbled in some way or another. Software included with the Mac, on the other hand, is critically acclaimed as best in class.
All those reasons you never bought a Mac? Not true anymore.
1. Know iTunes? You know the Mac. You’ll recognize features like library collection, playlist arrangement, and instant search in many Mac programs. So you’re something of a Mac expert already.
2. You can take it with you. A Mac can open most of your files with the right software. Most popular applications for Mac and PC use the same file formats, making it simple to exchange documents with coworkers or move existing files from a PC to a Mac.
3. Yes, Macs run Microsoft Office. Microsoft Office for Mac OS X gives you Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, all with familiar features and the same shortcut commands. And when you need to use it for collaborative work, Office for Mac connects to Microsoft Exchange servers.
4. No, Macs aren’t slow. The latest Intel Core Duo processors put other chips to shame. And a Mac just loves that second core, since Mac OS X has known about multiple processors from the start. Try burning a DVD while watching a TV show on iTunes.
5. No, you don’t have to buy new stuff. Your printer, camera, keyboard, and mouse will work with a Mac. PCs and Macs can usually share peripherals if they connect via USB, FireWire. or Bluetooth, three industry standards built into every new Mac.
6. Yes, you can even run Windows. So you have to run just that one thing, or maybe your office requires it. Now that the Mac has an Intel chip, you can configure your Mac to run Windows — in some cases even faster than on a PC.
Apple’s new “Get a Mac” webpages are here: http://www.apple.com/getamac/
In addition, Apple has debuted six television ads and also placed copies of the ads online in QuickTime in “small,” “medium,” “large,” and “HD” sizes. The six ads, “Viruses,” “Restarting,” “Better,” “iLife,” “Network,” and “WSJ” all feature two actors: Justin Long representing the “Mac” and John Hodgman as the hapless “Windows PC” (The “Network” ad features a third actor, playing a “digital camera from Japan”). The new Apple TV ads can be seen here.
MacDailyNews Take: Be still, our beating hearts, but aren’t these are actual, honest-to-Jobs Mac ads? Miracles do happen! Now, who the hell authorized this?! Seriously, what do you think? We think that they’re cute. They get the ideas across well without even showing a Mac or Windows PC. Hopefully Apple plans a large budget (God knows they have enough iPod cash littering the place) and a strong, comprehensive TV campaign for these new ads which do strongly state several Mac advantages over Windows PCs. Surely, they’ll back up the messages with in-store materials in Apple Retail Stores (see April 29, 2006 related article below).
Very strong ad on the virus issue; now we know why the FUD campaign was revved up again lately. If you think it was just coincidence that several news outfits generated stories about “Mac viruses” on and around the day that Apple launches a TV ad stating that last year there were 114,000 known Windows viruses and none for Macs, you’re naive. Microsoft and those that suck on the Redmond teat have long arms, lots of cash, and a desperate desire to protect their Windows money machine. From the mom and pop shops in every town that charge pigeons $99.99 per box to wipe and reinstall Windows on up to corporate IT bigwigs with multimillion dollar budgets and huge, bloated, MCSE-festooned staffs, we must assume that they’ll defend the Windows hegemony to the death, by any means possible, facts be damned. They’ve done it in the past. They’ve done it even today. And they’ll certainly do it in the future.
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Related articles:
Apple debuts flyer, retail staff t-shirts with slogan ‘We can help you do it all’ – April 29, 2006
Apple in secret deal with Microsoft to hide Macintosh from world? – January 19, 2006
Why in Jobs’ name doesn’t Apple advertise the Macintosh? – October 27, 2005
More would switch from Windows to Mac if Apple advertised more effectively – September 04, 2005
Forrester analysts: Apple should advertise Mac OS X Tiger on television and in movie theaters – April 29, 2005
Mac fans line up for new operating system as passberby asks ‘what is a tiger?’ – April 29, 2005
Apple posts QuickTime movies of Mac OS X Tiger features in action – April 13, 2005
Why doesn’t Apple advertise Mac OS X on TV? – April 12, 2005
Why doesn’t Apple show its patented Mac OS X ‘Genie Effect’ in TV ads? – October 07, 2004
Top Ten things Apple needs to show the world about Macintosh – July 30, 2003
Great Ads.
They aired the virus ad on tonight’s Daily Show.
The ads are good. It could be argued that they need more substance but, hey, we’ve been begging for advertising for the Mac and now we’ve got it.
Killer ads. Absolutely killer. I saw the virus commercial during the Daily Show, and then came in to check my mail, and saw all five or six.
Absolutely KILLER. The one with the Japanese girl is absolutely hilarious. I love it when the pc guy says “bongiorno”. HAHA.
AHHH! They were awesome! And they were FOR THE MAC!!!!!!! Boy, M$ is gonna hve something to wake up to tomorrow
Let me say at first I though the ads were lame, but since think they are alright.
There is a few things they could have added, like showing web browsing, email with PC users, using similar files with them etc.
Lot’s of PC users are under the misconception that Mac’s can’t be emailed or surf the web like PC’s do. Also that Microsoft created the whole Windows thing.
I like this “Why you’ll love a Mac section”
http://www.apple.com/getamac/works.html
The interesting thing is this… macs “just work” because Apple has an open relationship with their Developer Comminity, whereas Microsoft has thus far refused to disclose it’s “secret” code… ie the drivers suck, less integration, less exploitation of technology… Macintosh and Apple RULE!
MDR = voice… as in let Apple’s voice be heard finally…
Isn’t that the kid from Galaxy Quest? I couldn’t place him, and then it just hit me. What a great movie.
Honest, direct, short, and to the point. Enough to make Gates and Ballmer sweat – a lot more.
I too initially thought they were lame, but they are growing on me. Although, I’m a little bit worried that some may take offense at the Japanese camera one. However, I don’t think that particular ad goes far enough in pointing out how easy it is to download digital photos and manage them on a Mac compared to a PC. Has anyone ever tried to do that on a PC? It’s a complete freakin’ nightmare!!!
I think that what I really like about the whole campaign, even more than the differences between mac and pc that are pointed out, is just how sassy they are.
Apple is really sticking it’s neck out and being gutsy – I like it.
I think they need a commercial that states clearly that macs run windows at full speed if you have to go there.
I think the virus ad is the best.
“I’ll think I’ll crash…”
AWESOME! Hey, PC users…..SUCK IT!!!!!
Notice how the PC guy is this stuffy middle aged corporate looking dude and the Mac guy is this young hip kid.
It shows that PC’s are old and busted, Mac’s are the new hotness.
the ads are cute, but lack substance.
peecee geeks aren’t gonna care.
old folks might, but not the nerds.
and then the site has the full sell.
That’s called a marketing campaign. Nice!
Should show more Macs at the end though.
YEH-HEH-HEH-HEH-HEH-HEH-HESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!
Hey Al Jazzoo, there could be more ads coming to cover additional topics, since the web site does have 20 points (14 why you’ll love a Mac + 6 no longer true reasons not to).
Hey Al Jazzoo
Don’t you think the stuffy guy looks like Bill Gates ? It was the first thing I noticed…
Great ads! When the objective is to get someone to pay attention I think these will work very well with the consumer. They get your attention and they hold it.
Hopefully more will be added in the future.
I can see the pc trolls snickering at the Network ad: “see dude, Macs are gay!”
Guess I’ll have to see them more than once as they’ve left me pretty indifferent. I’d label them Switcher Ads Part 2.
I’d have liked to see one catering to the business pro (fellow in jeans perpetuates the macs for the artsy type) and another actually showing Oour eloved OSX!
Yaaaah man, you got it, Triumph!
And that’s Justin Long in those commercials. He was good in Dodgeball.
the ads are cute, but lack substance.
yea a little
peecee geeks aren’t gonna care.
Heard the same thing from the DOS geeks when the Mac was introduced, now they all use a GUI.
old folks might, but not the nerds.
ads are targeted towards new geeks
OH MY GOD THE PC GUY DOES LOOK LIKE BILL GATES!!!