“Apple may offer lower-priced machines on Tuesday, but one top Microsoft official said Monday that Mac buyers will still be paying an ‘Apple tax,'” Ina Fried reports for CNET. “In a lengthy interview, Brad Brooks, vice president of Windows Consumer Product Marketing, argued that Mac buyers face hidden costs if they try to add Windows to their Mac or if they decide to forgo Windows compatibility.”
MacDailyNews Take: We’ve had 100% Microsoft-free machines for decades and always communicated with the Windows sheep just fine, thanks. In business settings, no less. Oh, sure, we had to give them file extensions for years because their PCs were too dumb to recognize what it was looking at, but it worked. Of course, for decades we also did not spend a single penny on anti-virus packages and their annual subscriptions and also avoided an OS that “rots” and requires semi-annual wipes and reinstalls due to OS design and coding incompetence:
• Microsoft: recovery from Windows malware becoming impossible; better to to wipe and rebuild – April 04, 2006
Fried continues, “‘It’s really a definition now between choosing something that is limited, and somebody chooses for you, basically the ‘i’ way, or actually taking it to a much broader scope, which is ‘your’ way, and defining it through Windows, and the experience that comes with the tens of thousands of partners that build applications, services, and content for the Windows platform every day,’ Brooks said.”
MacDailyNews Take: Macs can slum it with Windows natively or via fast virtualization, moron. Macs are OS-unlimited. All other PCs are OS-limited. Macs also run Office natively, a product made and sold by Microsoft; a product that Microsoft claims will “provide the document fidelity with the 2007 Microsoft Office system that our users need to stay connected with their friends and co-workers on PCs.” In fact:
• Fortune Small Business: The best PC for Microsoft Office is Apple Mac – August 08, 2008
Fried continues, reporting that Brooks said Microsoft is “‘understanding what is really involved with what we call the ‘Apple tax.’ There really is a tax around there for people that are evaluating their choices going into this holiday season and going forward.'”
MacDailyNews Take: What are you afraid of, Brad? Never mind, we already know:
• Those who dump Microsoft Windows for Apple Macintosh are inevitably happier – October 09, 2008
• Mac adoption in enterprise increases four-fold in less than two years – August 26, 2008
• Yankee Group: Business Mac acceptance and adoption highest since the late 1980s – August 05, 2008
• More consumers dump Microsoft’s Windows, switch to Apple’s Mac – July 11, 2008
• Axel Springer dumps Microsoft Windows, switches 10,000 employees to Apple Macintosh – July 05, 2008
• Yankee Group: 8 in 10 businesses now using Apple Macs – June 27, 2008
• 25-year PC vet dumps Microsoft’s Windows for Apple Mac, finds ‘digital heaven’ – March 31, 2008
• Oregon’s George Fox University dumps Windows PCs for Apple Macs – March 03, 2008
• SMU Cox School of Business dumps PCs for Apple Macs – October 30, 2007
• Boom! Largest automobile processing company in North America dumps Windows PCs for Apple Macs – July 16, 2007
• Windows to Mac switcher finds comfort in ability to run Windows, then leaves Windows behind – April 16, 2007
• Wilkes University to dump all Windows PCs, replace with Apple Macs – February 22, 2007
• Top Windows developer dumps Microsoft’s ‘pile of crap’ for Apple’s Mac OS X – September 12, 2006
• Apple Macs that can run Windows are bad news for Microsoft – August 08, 2006
• Couldn’t you just buy a Mac and run Windows? Microsoft CEO Ballmer: ‘No, we prefer real PCs’ – April 29, 2006
• Japan’s Aozora Bank dumps 2,300 Windows PCs for Apple Macs – April 03, 2006
Fried continues, “[Brooks said] ‘There’s going to be an application tax, which is if you want choice around applications, or if you want the same type of application experience on your Mac versus Windows, you’re going to be purchasing a lot of software. And even at that you’re not going to get the same experience. You’re not going to get things like Microsoft Outlook, you’re not going to get the games that you’re used to playing.'”
MacDailyNews Take: Again, Macs can slum it with Windows for games or any other piece of Windows software. By the way, Microsoft used to make Outlook for Mac, but they stopped in order to keep users locked into Windows. It didn’t work. And, in the mark of a truly fscked up company, one arm of Microsoft is denigrating another. Microsoft obviously crippled Office for the Mac in order to keep the sheep in the pen. That didn’t work either:
• Microsoft: VBA returns to future Office for Mac versions – May 13, 2008
• Beginning of the end for Office for Mac? Microsoft drops Visual Basic support in Mac version – December 09, 2006
Fried continues, “Brooks [said] ‘If people want a Windows experience, then start with a machine that was built for the Windows experience.'”
MacDailyNews Take: “Built for the Windows experience?” What, do buttons just randomly fall off or inexplicably stop working on such machines? Does the hard drive wipe itself and reinstall the OS every 4-6 months? Does the screen just randomly turn blue and the processors lock up at the drop of a hat? Those would be machines “built for the Windows experience,” Brad. Not these:
• Apple Macs run Windows Vista less awfully than PCs – April 17, 2008
• Apple MacBook Pro is world’s fastest Windows Vista notebook – October 30, 2007
• USA Today on switching: Apple Macs can also be screaming-fast Windows machines – March 15, 2007
• PC Pro crowns Apple Mac Pro fastest ‘PC’ – October 04, 2006
Fried continues, “[Brooks said that] it’s ‘a fallacy to think that Macs are somehow invulnerable, or impervious to virus, or phishing, or spyware. And we will tell you that based on our own data that you’re 60 percent less likely to get any type of virus…if you’re running Windows Vista versus Windows XP SP2.'”
MacDailyNews Take: Let’s see, 60% of 500,000 examples of Windows viruses vs. 0 for Macintosh… Oh, look:
• Head of Norton AntiVirus uses an Apple MacBook Pro – September 29, 2008
• Sophos Security: Dump Windows, Get a Mac – July 05, 2006
Fried: You mentioned that Vista is 60 percent less likely to be a victim of virus than XP SP2, but how does that compare with viruses on the Mac?”
Brooks: You know, it’s hard to get a direct comparison, Ina. I want to be very specific in any kind of the data or the information that I give you there is that you’re running one system versus another. The best way to really look at it is based on the Internet services, and what’s really going on out there in terms of things like phishing or other types of scams that can actually happen through your browser or Internet experience. That really is much more of a direct comparison.
MacDailyNews Take: Wha? Answer the question or shut up, Brad, you fool. Here’s a very direct comparison:
• Mac vs. Windows in business case study: Macs have 1/3 fewer problems that are solved 30% faster – June 02, 2008
Brooks: On a Mac… you can’t get Outlook, you can’t get Visio, you can’t get Project. And when you do get applications such as that, they’re usually stripped-down versions that don’t have nearly the amount of features, or the usability like the ribbon on Office. Those types of things just don’t come with a Mac… In the latest version of Office 2007 there’s a number of features, usability improvements, enhancements that are universally liked by our users, and really differentiate the product as being the next generation of productivity suites. Those are things that just don’t come with the Mac versions.
MacDailyNews Take: If you need clearer proof that Mac users should not buy Microsoft products because Microsoft are intentionally denying or dumbing-down Mac versions in order to maintain their monopoly position, then you must be a Windows sufferer.
The abject fear continues in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft is scared; as well they should be.
“Brad Brooks, vice president of Windows Consumer Product Marketing..”
Is there such a department?
“The Department of Redundancy Department…” – Firesign Theater
Apple tax: a tax I’m more than happy to pay!
Brad Brooks is the one who designs packaging like this:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=36099539665548298&q=microsoft+ipod
“It’s patriotic to pay the Apple tax!”
-Joe Biden
It’s done Brooks. It’s dead. It’s alright, you can stop now. Give it up.
Ina (formerly ‘Ian’) Fried is nothing but a MS shill. This is strictly a FUD piece designed to keep the sheep in the pen.
Note to Ina / Ian: no matter what you do to yourself cosmetically to make you appear to be an ugly-ass woman, you are still, genetically, male. Deal with it.
It seems that he is talking about Microsoft when he speaks about tax. Really those people at Microsoft they don’t even know what the other arm is doing. Soon the guy will complain about XBOX…
” . . . or the usability like the ribbon on Office.”
Now I know this was satire. He was just ribbon us to make Office seem more palette-able.
Microsoft buyers pay an ID10T tax.
So?
All things considered, ease of use and its effect on productivity compared to Mac, Windows computers are far too expensive!!!!!
The Microsoft Myth of Choice (MMC™)
Buy a PC and you are still stuck with using Windows.
@loloontheair
No, the next release will be from the XBOX marketing manager complaining about the Sony tax, and telling you how great HDDVD is.
“It’s patriototic to pay those Apple taxationisms!”
-George W.
Of course, the fundamental problem with this analogy is that it assumes that all taxes are fundamentally bad. I’m quite happy to pay taxes – the argument comes in regard to how much they are and how they’re used. Personally I feel that any Apple Tax is more than worth it for what I get.
Give the guy a break. He’s just trying to do his job, and an extremely difficult job it is. He’s selling Windows to the consumers (like selling airconditioning in Antartica).
And the answer about comparing the sensitivity to malware is just priceless! The best way to really look at it is based on the Internet services… because that’s about the only way we could make it look like Macs are in any way vulnerable as well (since it isn’t actually Macs, or Windows; it’s just people who are ignorant). In other words, the guy didn’t answer the question (viruses) but instead re-framed it so that he can push his own answer. Just priceless!
i can’t wait for journalists and analysts to start Calling their bluff. Seriously, what other Company would be allowed to blatantly lie?
I should add that I would still argue as to the existence of any Apple Tax, because you can’t directly compare on specs to then see if they’re more expensive and so on.
I hate windows though, put it that way.
Apple Tax = Simplicity, more productivity, virus-free and a much better user experience.
Microsoft must be very scared ..
We have been talking about the Microsoft tax for years.. They can’t even think of an original epithet!.
The Microsoft CAL tax connecting to servers (not only users but devices as well) is just one example.
Mmmm here comes the FUD.
So much unspoken.
“…argued that Mac buyers face hidden costs if they try to add Windows to their Mac…”
Come on, don’t be shy Brad, Windows on any machine isn’t just about hidden costs it’s about “in your face costs” too.
“…argued that Mac buyers face hidden costs”… “if they decide to forgo Windows compatibility…”
You betcha. See, got rid of all those “in your face costs” by getting a Mac.
“It’s really a definition now between choosing something that is limited, and somebody chooses for you, basically the ‘i’ way, or actually taking it to a much broader scope, which is ‘your’ way, and defining it through Windows,” you forgot something Brad “YOUR WAY.”
“and the experience that comes with the tens of thousands of partners that build applications, services, and content for the Windows platform every day,”
When you don’t have a few quality applications, drown them with huge numbers of crap.
Now about those “in your face” costs. Just how many banks use Windows?????
What a maroooon.
Its very interesting that MS references them self as a tax.
johnsson,
“I can’t wait for journalists and analysts to start Calling their bluff.”
Isn’t that what MacDailyNews just did?
MS needs a transformation from the top down. They have tens of thousands of people working and they create nothing that is great; nothing that is more than a copy. No leadership. The first thing they will need to do is admit how bad they are. Repent. Then move on; doing things right. I do not think they are ready to take this pill. Not yet. Not while they still believe their own lies.