This is in response to my brother’s post, My $.02 on Apple’s Response to Microsoft’s Response.
Even though I use a MacBook Pro these days, I consider myself as much of an Apple critic as a Microsoft critic. The fact that I have used macs a lot lately has actually led to even more mac criticisms, but part of that is just because I’m hard on whatever I use. The other part is that I think Apple is following in Microsoft’s footsteps — but somehow is in denial about it all. While it makes for a funny ad, Apple has no room to talk about Microsoft’s advertising budget when Apple is even more concerned about image. I’m talking about everything from Apple’s highly theatrical upgrade announcements to the black turtlenecks worn by Steve Jobs and all his faithful followers — I mean employees. It’s downright creepy. Maybe you have to be this obsessed to have really good hardware design… I don’t know. But the real question we should ask is simple: who is really delivering what the customer wants? Let’s see…
- Vista license servers… because entering that 25-character Windows XP product key wasn’t fun enough
- iTunes’ proprietary .aac (and coincidentally incompatible with anything else) music file format
- The new and “improved” (and coincidentally incompatible with anything else) .docx document file format
No, thanks. None of that helps me. In a lot of ways it feels like a race to the bottom. And, just like the presidential race, I find myself trying to pick the platform I feel will be less awful… but not really what I want. In this regard Apple is giving Microsoft a real run for its money. And while everyone has been asking Apple for a cheaper mac laptop, when Steve Jobs unveiled the new lineup of new MacBooks this month, the closest Apple came to that request was lowering the price of the old white MacBooks to $999… until those run out of stock. Beyond that the price of the next cheapest MacBook jumps to about $1300. Um… did I mention that it has a fancy new metal case? *sigh*
So don’t let the cute “I’m a mac” ads fool you. Microsoft and Apple are both spending plenty of money on advertising (and fancy new metal cases, if you’re Apple.) They even run ads about the other guy’s ads. Does this sound familiar? In some ways I wish the networks would suspend Microsoft and Apple ad campaigns — at least until the presidential election is over. I can’t deal with both software and political ad campaigns at the same time. Too much of the same useless stuff. And if there is anyone else out there that thinks they can build a reliable computer AND listen to customers at the same time, I’m ready to hear from you.
I think my favorite part was the “I can’t deal with both software and political ad campaigns at the same time.”
But I guess I’d have to say that it’s all relative. Meaning, I might take issue with your “glass is half empty” perspective (i.e., “race to the bottom”). Just looking where we came from, I’m impressed. What Apple did for online music (even though now I use Amazon MP3) was amazing. And the .docx annoyance notwithstanding, I fine Office 2007 to be way more powerful and feature rich than its predecessor or competition.
I guess this is just to say that customer wants have been (are being) met in tons of ways. At the same time, though, I’m a huge fan of bloggers calling out the areas that need improvement.