Ping 12: Mac vs Microsoft, Ipod vs Zune: The Ad Campaign War | Ping!

intelman

Will there be a http://connect.microsoft.com style beta for Office 2010. Office 2007 was one of the best beta programs I've been in. The happy face sad face feedback tool was great. I just want re invited Tongue Out .

I think the ad wars are annoying. Apple stretches the truth quite a bit, and Microsoft's ads are just kind of lame. I guess my vision of Apple's retaliation is differnt, I think they are smug and just making fun of the campaign.

Microsoft is there with security, they have been since Vista's release (arguably Windows XP x64 which is based on Windows Server 2003). I think Microsoft is catching up on performance. Windows 7 is quite snappy. Windows Mobile.....not as snappy and smooth as the iPhone, but I am hopeful for Windows Mobile 6.5 and 7.

Ultimately I think Microsoft should just let the products speak for themselves. Windows the software is great. But their OEMs need to stay in check. When people buy a 500 dollar PC, it pretty much sucks. There needs to be a decent line of laptops between 1000-2000 dollars that is great quality. Apple's Macbook Pros feel so solid and nice. Aluminum body, lithium-polymer, batteries... I think some of Microsoft's OEMs are doing good work, but not consistantly and not all of them.

I like the Zune. I do not like DRM though. The pass is not for me. Amazon and Zune's DRM free MP3s are nice. Simple. Just make the Zune better than the iPod and iPod touch. It is that simple. Screw the pass. Sure a lot of people will like it, it will work for lots of people. But if I wanted to stream that music or use the Play to feature in Windows 7, I can't.

Oh and for a Zune ad , Zune Raw Deluxe, I like ads like that.

Max pointed out he liked, as do I.

Some Zune ads are just too interpretive. Especially at the very beginning, they were kind of psycho.... This was borderline but still good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJp6NThk7XE

If you look at the comments, the product does speak for itself.

"I'd say durability too.

I broke several ipods quickly, and I was taking care of them...

I treat my Zune like crap and I've never had a problem with it. 

And that counts for alot.."

"I used to be a huge ipod fan
(I've had 4 stolen from me)
And I'm currently borrowing my friend's zune..
It's amazing. It takes iTunes and Windows Media formats.
That's just the *! :D"
 
"I love my brick 30gb zune. <3 It still works, just needed a break. If zune can get Internet Explorer/Built-in Speaks on there... Screw iPod Touch. :D (Owns one anyways.)"

And to prove my point.

"i don't get this commercial, but i love my zune"

Microsoft is in a period where lots of great products will be released. Office 2010, Windows 7, Zune HD...just let the products speak for themselves with quality.

Edit:

I'd like you guys to explore http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/sideshow/Gaming_Solutions.mspx

http://download.microsoft.com/download/7/E/7/7E7662CF-CBEA-470B-A97E-CE7CE0D98DC2/SideShow_Gaming_Solutions.docx

Does Microsoft Game Studios have anything in the works? Are PC users going to suffer from console ports forever? Will this technology be viable? A laptop touchpad with an auxiliary display would be great.

aL_
Rx ftw

those apple commecials are just silly.. disregarding the fact that nither vista or 7 has had any large security scares and that there hasnt really been a [computer]virus scare in like.. years for any platform.

disregarding that, its not like there is just one mac to choose from! the whole point of the ad is that there is only one or atleast very few options with macs, thus making selection simple, but thats just totaly false! there are macs with small screens, big screens there are fast macs and slow ones. its just sooo contradictory.. and choise is a bad thing? apple used to be all about choosing something diffrent, but now they're saying choise is bad? but the biggest flaw.. macs ARE PCs ffs Tongue Out its only the OS [and the TPM chip] that is diffrent

apple shot them selvs in the foot on this one..

however, you guys should watch out so you dont turn into a marketing show though.. Smiley i agree with you but i think you'll loose viewer if its all "microsoft rulz, iphone sux" (not saying that it is, but its a slippery slope) it feels like every other show max talks about the awsomeness of the zune Smiley

Laura10

In reply to aL_

#May 18th @ 1:43 PM

I agree with you aL_- that's why we tried to cram all the marketing & ad news into one week- there was just too much to NOT mention it. But, that being said, we definitely want to represent honest opinions and not just BS Microsoft wonder dust Smiley Thanks!

Oh...and Max really IS a Zune fanboy- he talks about it at lunch, in his car, after work....

Moemeka
Me

The only thing that comes to mind when i watch those apple commercials is that Karl Marx had it wrond. If only he had focused on fancy graphic design and being 'trendy', thingls like communism, lack of free will and lack of choice would have prevailed. Apple and thier line of products are the classic example of complete dictatorships housed in a nice package. For intance, I've had a windows mobile phone for years. I've never had to pay for ringtones or have service on the device in order to use it. IN fact i could literally drag and drop media from my desktop onto the phone. I could purchase it and use it just as a PIM if i so desired. Is that the case ofr apple's entry into the handled device world? Windows is about FREEDOM, CHOICE, REPRESENTATION. Microsoft to me has ALWAYS had an open ear to the community and done the responsible (not holier than thou) thing. If I were involved in the Windows Ad campaign i would make a commercial which mimiced the 1984 commercial apple launched many years ago since that company has turned into everything it preached against.

rhm

Wow, nice marketing video Channel 9. <yawn>

But since we're on the subject - the fact that Microsoft still thinks it's competing with the iPod just shows how out of touch they are. I suppose MSN Search thinks they're still competing with Google too. Oh...

aL_
Rx ftw

In reply to Laura10

#May 18th @ 2:18 PM

yeah i see your point Smiley counter arguing the mac ads is fine and that really needs to be done.. they think they can get away with anything Tongue Out just imagine if microsoft had a campaign like that about apple, apple would suuuuuuueeeee but talking about marketing as you do most of the ep, isnt marketing Smiley

the max <3 zune parts are the ones in danger of the marketing slide imo Smiley but the man loves his music player and thats totaly fine, but the zune just isnt appealing enough for most people :/ its like win mobile, it could be soo great... but it isnt Sad or atleast its unclear why [and thus, if] its better than the competition. simply saying its great doesnt make it so :/

maybe if max had some zune specials where the awsome features are described [in a non markety way, keeping away from phrases like "next-gen"]? thatd be cool.. max could talk to the dev team and the designers and prove how great the zune is Smiley

again, im not saying you've fallen down the marketing hole now, but keep keeping an eye out Smiley

@moe

exactly.. "think diffrent"? all macs looks basically the same, and for a long time, all ipods did look exactly the same. how is that "diffrent" one has to wonder.. apple truly is everything they accuse microsoft of beeing..

Charles
Welcome Change

In reply to rhm

#May 18th @ 3:49 PM

If you make an investment in the future (losing market share in the interim as a side effect), then that's the risk you take. Who's to say we aren't making gains and innovating these technologies outside the scope of social networking communication and press releases? Smiley

C

Dark_Halmut

You're preaching to the choir by making this kind of video on this kind of site.

I was really let down by by this video. We're IT pros and developers here, we don't care so much about dirt throwing between corporate MS and Apple companies.

I thought ping was a view of whats going inside of Microsoft. This just isn't that.

Charles
Welcome Change

In reply to Dark_Halmut

#May 18th @ 6:45 PM

A question arises about the scope of Channel 9. Are only developers and IT pros interested in the content we provide? Do we only target developers and IT folks? Should we not offer multiple content types to enable Channel 9, the communication philosophy, for a variety of customers and interested parties, with necessarily varied conceptual frameworks?

Channel 9 has always been more than a community extension of MSDN... But you know this. Implicitly. Nobody tells you what to be interested in. Right? We will do our damn best to offer what you want in addition to what other people want, who may not want for the same things as you.

Is it OK for C9 to evolve? You better believe we will be compatible with the past (Ping and Going Deep and This Week on Channel 9 and 10-4 and random long Charles interviews with orders of magnitude smarter people than himself, etc, can coexist here as here is Channel 9, which is more of a conceptual framework than it is a website or RSS feed or Video or Text post).

Channel 9 is a way, not only a destination, brothers and sisters.

C