News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

August 28, 2006

advertising

Get a Mac sha na na na, sha na na na na

Posted Aug. 28, ’06, 12:50 PM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Advertising

Trust MacApple’s added a third round of “Get a Mac” spots to its advertising campaign, featuring John Hodgman as the PC and Justin Long as the Mac. This time around, the spots tout Mac’s immunity from spyware, the MagSafe power adapter, and the ease of making iPhoto books.

Of the three, the spyware one will probably be the most contentious, following as it does the earlier ads which emphasized the Mac’s security from viruses. Spyware is nowhere near as much of a problem on OS X as it is on Windows, which is a valid point, but a lot of the backlash I’ve seen already resents Apple for ragging on its opposition instead of emphasizing its own features.

It’s marketing plain and simple though, and the lack of spyware, viruses, and adware is one of the most compelling reasons for using a Mac right now. NY Times Tech columnist David Pogue’s most recent blog post was all about busting the myth that the Mac platform’s lack of viruses stems from the company’s small market share.

Personally, I enjoyed the MagSafe ad. I know Derik’s covets one to help protect him from his cat’s antics, and I’ve run into more than a few incidents in which my MacBook has been saved by its intelligent design. For many of us Mac users, the attention to detail that Apple gives its products is what we really appreciate about the whole computing experience.


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Comments

No Spyware t me is a significant feature - I spend more time cleaning up the one XP machine we have at home - that's hardly used but I do support Windows apps - than I do using it. I use 5 Macs regularly and the time spent, basically doing software updates and updating virus definitions, is minimal and mostly in the background. Time saved is significant.

And it's not a small thing in other ways, too. I work in an academic setting where Macs are making their way in, but Windows is dominant. Today we set up a laptop for a guest to use in a lecture (last minute request). Sure enough, he was interrupted 3 times before he showed his PowerPoints. I know, you can turn off the antivirus and antispyware, but there's a real danger. With Macs, not so much. (The IS staff maintains our PCs so they're stuck with anti- duty). - John

Posted by: John Kahler | August 28, 2006 4:47 PM

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