MacDailyNews - Where Mac news comes first

Nov 11, 08 - 09:42 am Comment from: tmsruge

Pushing the envelope, nice!

Great ad, Apple should win awards for these web ads. On theother hand, I do think theTV spots are getting a bit old. I'd like to see a whole new ad campaign soon.

...and speaking of the other hand, does anyone else out there find Apple's new keyboard SUCKY? I keep on missing the space bar. It's another classic Apple mistake of function over form, in my opinion.

"I'd like to see a whole new ad campaign soon."


Is that you Mr. Gates..??

Nov 11, 08 - 09:48 am Comment from: MacintoshSoftwareList.com

The ads are effective. That is what every company wants. Why junk them while they are still hot?

I completely disagree with your opinion of the new Apple keyboard. I'm typing this on a new Apple keyboard, and use an older one at work. For me, the spacebar is no problem at all. The action of the keys is very fast, and I write for a living. It would be interesting to see how you type - perhaps the problem is your typing style, not the keyboard layout.

For me, the new Apple keyboard is fast. The keys are wide, and action short, and given that the board itself is very low to my desk, there is much less wrist strain. It might take a day or two for someone to get used to it, but once you do, trust me: you won't go back.

Nov 11, 08 - 10:00 am Comment from: British Mac Head

@G Spank
Just bought a couple of the new keyboards (1 of each) and I love em mate.

The low profile is great for my wrists.

As for missing the space bar, may I suggest you get your thumbs sorted out.

Nov 11, 08 - 10:10 am Comment from: Wealthy Industrialite

Best keyboard I've ever used. Amazing when you realize it's made by the same company that can't design a decent mouse.

I love the current keyboards, I'd almost get one for my Mac Mini, but since it's more of a spare machine and the old keyboard works fine it's not exactly a must purchase.

Nov 11, 08 - 10:31 am Comment from: HolyMackerel

I like the new iPhone ads where they show a real solution. Applying this to the MacOS would be nice.

> Best keyboard I've ever used. Amazing when you realize it's made by the same company that can't design a decent mouse.

I also like the new keyboard, especially the wireless model.

Isn't it ironic that Apple who practically single-handedly popularised the mouse and as you said can't make a decent one, while Microsoft who can't write decent software despite being the world's biggest software developer, makes excellent mice (for Macs!).

Perhaps Microsoft should rename themselves Microhard since they are far better at making hardware than software.

Quote: "Best keyboard I've ever used. Amazing when you realize it's made by the same company that can't design a decent mouse."

At least they did invent the damn thing! And they are about to invent the replacement that will kill the mouse for good... Multitouch advanced

Nov 11, 08 - 10:38 am Comment from: MacBill

Uh-oh, G Spank thinks the ads are getting stale! Better scrap the whole campaign, Apple! G Spank is sick of them! Oh, G Spank, anything else you're tired of? The iPod? The Mac? The iPhone? Why don't we just start a whole brand new company just for you? We'll get rid of everything that is popular and working and that consumers are responding to, just because you're tired of them. Damn, you're such a genius.

The current Apple keyboard is amazing! I type 7/8 hours a day and my wrists have thanked me ever since I got it. I immediately junked my expensive "ergonomic" Logitech keyboards.

As for the ads, I think they are making the PC guy too nice, he ends up being nicer than the Mac guy, who's too perfect.

Nifty ad, which clearly positions Hodgeman's character as an active shill for the Wintel gang. Microsoft can try to sell itself as the defender of the die-hard PC user's self image all it likes, it only draws attention to the products they're not talking about.

Speaking of which, Microsoft used to pay people to troll sites like this and leave negative comments about competitors' products. I hope the keyboard and mouse critics did well.

@ G Spank
I like the new keyboard, but I would like to see an ergonomic version of this keyboard.

@ Diana
It's funny how people can have such different perceptions of the same thing. I find the Mac guy too nice. He constantly overlooks the morally-impared and sometimes delusional behavour of PC guy. Maybe the way you would treat a troublesome childhood friend or even a pet. I can see where this ticks off the PC crowd.

The last line should have been, "Oh look, Apple stock is dropping."

Hmm, I wonder how many surveyed have actually called Apple. The Tool I talked to, in order to shop a recalled part back was absolutely no help. The part is still sitting on my shelf.

Nov 11, 08 - 11:23 am Comment from: alansky

Re. Apple mice: I agree that the no-button design is a mixed blessing, but the Apple mouse also offers the most positive click and the most precise control of any mouse I've ever used. To each his own.

Re. Apple wireless keyboard: The only free-standing keyboard in the universe, evidently, without a numeric keypad that will never be used by a great many people. Why must virtually all keyboards be designed for accountants?

I've had fun watching the Mac adverts, but I think you need carrot as well as stick. I'd like to see the iPhone format used to highlight all the user-friendly Mac features, such as Time Capsule, and Apple Stores with geniuses, etc. I know these have been mentioned, but the iPhone adverts really show you very quickly how something actually works.

@ Macfabulous

Apple didn't invent mouse or GUI. They just built a computer that used both. Xerox PARC invented GUI, Dr. Douglas C. Engelbart invented the first mouse and Bill English (Xerox PARC) invented the first ball mouse.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_Alto

Is it just me, or is it ironic that these web ads use the same Adobe Flash which Apple criticizes?

You can't even see the ads on an iPhone!

Nov 11, 08 - 01:19 pm Comment from: MacRaven

@ G Spank's Q. about the keyboard

I love the new keyboard as do the 20 others here using it. Not a single negative comment.

For F - sake stop these stupid negative ads and show people how gorgeous a Mac is and how amazingly good OS X is too.

Just show how exposé works or Spaces or Multi-Touch - and then struggle to keep up with demand!

Nov 11, 08 - 02:14 pm Comment from: Roger Knights

I think it's good that Hodgeman is shown as being likable. It give the ads a light touch; it wouldn't do for them to leave a bitter aftertaste. A little bit of sugar helps the medicine go down.

I like the gentle tune in those ads, too. It also sweetens the pill and makes it seem less offensively "negative." It also ties the ads together as a series, preparing the listener who liked the previous ads to respond similarly to the current ad.

Apple's light touch is a key to the success of these ads. (And Hodgeman is absolutely perfect as the PC Guy--I suspect he's better than the ad guys could have hoped for.)

Time Capsule and Time Machine are user friendly to a point - then they stop working. There are dozens of forums filled with complaints.

I saw the ad on my iPhone on YouTube. ; )

Nov 11, 08 - 06:00 pm Comment from: onionhead

@gspank

grow some opposable thumbs!

Nov 11, 08 - 08:09 pm Comment from: MacSmiley

@G Spank,

You're in good company. You know who really wants these Get a Mac ads to go away? MSFT and Dell.

@Masa
May I suggest that you read this account of Apple's history.

Folklore has an amazing list of contributors who were right there, at the pointy end.

Yes, I love the "Get a Mac" ads too, but it would be really cool if Apple started showing the Macintosh in action, like they do on the iPhone commercials all the time. Showing how the Macintosh is really fun to use as well as productive. Eventually the Windows fanatics will get it once they actually see it in action.