MacDailyNews - Where Mac news comes first

Jan 14, 08 - 11:57 am Comment from: deepdish

I was typing in a forum with a guy.

He didn't know macs existed anymore.

He says he hasn't seen one in a decade, and didn't see any for sale in a decade.

He was not pulling my leg. I have been talking with him for 4 years now in this forum. He is a little bit of a simpleton.

But it is depressing nonetheless.

Jan 14, 08 - 11:57 am Comment from: Crabapple

Yes!

On another note. Hello everybody, hope yaawwl fine!!! not to put too fine a point on it!!!!

Lots of Love Crabapple.

Jan 14, 08 - 11:59 am Comment from: izod

Interestingly, I think some of the "Get a Mac" ads do a very effective job of showcasing the features - symbolically.

I think the latest "Time Machine" ad does a great job of conveying the feature without having to stare at an image of a computer screen and watch a little arrow scroll around with a voice over telling me what's going on...

Jan 14, 08 - 11:59 am Comment from: Macromancer

The point of advertising is to take complex or abstract concepts and make them quickly and easily understandable for the viewer, while creating curiosity. The current crop of Mac ads does just this. Fanboys hate them, but the ads aren't aimed at their demographic.

These ideas of actually showing the OS are nothing more than the dreams of fanboys. And let's not even hear talk of an infomercial.

Jan 14, 08 - 12:00 pm Comment from: auren

All I know is that I've had more PC using friends comment about the current 'I'm a Mac' ads than anything Apple has EVER done. And that's what its all about, isn't it? To remember the ad!!

Jan 14, 08 - 12:03 pm Comment from: Zune Tang®

As usual Apple is too late. Microsoft had a head start by about a year and real computer enthusiasts have seen the magnificence that is Windows Vista, which can play games. Maybe you MAC sheep should check out an OS created with clear, consistent design rules, beautifully rendered transparency and gorgeous fonts. Why should us Windows enthusiasts have all the fun?

Besides, consumers want choice. You only get 1 flavor of Leopard, and Microsoft wisely offers 7 versions of Vista. How cool is that? Cupertino locks you into 1 version of their expensive and proprietary platform. Think different, MAC lemmings. Windows is just like a MAC but cheaper.

Your potential. Our passion.™

Warning to MDN:

Any more negative comments about what I do and you're done!

For the rest of you, get your butts in line. I'm trying to decide on whether fully faded or partially faded Levis will be best for tomorrow's show. Being the decider, I'll decide. That's it.

It may be helpful for some people to show off the features but maybe not as many as by targetting the people they are at the moment. It's not as if these adverts aren't doing well for them.

No.

Gee, that was easy

Jan 14, 08 - 12:09 pm Comment from: Zune Tang®

Nobody is talking about acid-wash. Nobody. The silence is deafening.

It's going to be acid-wash.

Your potential. Our passion.™

Yes.

Duh.



MW= "should" (no kidding)

Should'a been done long ago.

show a clip of leopard installing without any fsckups... seriously...

Think iPhone Ad! In the same simple yet effective way, show how "This is OS X, this is your Mac on the internet, this is your Mac doing email with "Mail", iChat, etc."

I think you could do a series of these ads that show the simplicity of the Mac's OS and the simplicity of iLife and they'd "get it"

Average consumers will get bogged down by OS X demonstrations.

The Get a Mac Ads now are clever in that they communicate the benefits of OS X, not the features.

Benefits sell, features overwhelm.

Jan 14, 08 - 12:19 pm Comment from: coolfactor

@Caesar, what are you referring to??

On topic, Apple should only show the OS in action when it makes sense to do so. -- i.e. when a metaphorical approach won't work, and so far, there hasn't been a need to show the OS. People would be uninterested in that.

I have always said Apple should send a Rep. and go onto QVC or The Home Shopping network for an hour special and show off OS X. Dell, HP, Acer, etc you see do it and I myself watch them to see what all they are showing. I think if Apple did this they would blow people away. Apple at least has stores you can walk into now and get someone to help you, but you could hit even more people showing off the Mac to millions of people sitting at home.

The only reason I can think of why they don't do it is because they usually have pretty big discounts on the machines that are sold on Home Shopping networks and Apple is probably unwilling to drop the price in order to be on the shows.

Dan

Everything on TV is fake. Trying to show something real on TV never works. The only way to sell Macs is to motivate people into the stores.

There's a joke about a man who asked a woman about her monkey and got conked on the head because it was her baby.
Even during the "Wow is Now" advertising campaign when Microsoft truly believed its monkey was a baby, and even though they have a huge installed base that is familiar with Windows XP, Microsoft did not advertise Vista in action.

Neither should Apple show Leopard in action. Apple would have to compare it with Windows to give viewers a point of reference. That would make it an advertisement for Windows, too.

Leopard is different enough from Windows that switchers have to go through a transition. It's not possible to do that in a 30-second commercial. Just saying "Press the command key..." loses your audience.

I have seen television commercials for software, but I've never seen a TV commercial that actually showed the software. Imagine a commercial that shows balancing an account in Quicken and nothing else in the software. The ad would mystify more than enlighten, and would make the software look hard and complex, even if it isn't.

For all these reasons, showing Leopard's features on TV to a general audience would backfire badly.

perhaps one of us should make the ad ourselves, put it on you tube and bring it to apple's attention...

Jan 14, 08 - 12:27 pm Comment from: coolfactor

If they were to show the OS, they'd do best taking one of a couple of routes:

1) over-accentuate the interface -- create a mock 3D version of it and zoom the user through the "depths" of the OS as if they were on an exciting action-packed journey.

2) overlay animated characters on the interface and do stuff in fast-forward mode.... eg. boot up, whip together a photo album, and then shut down... zooming in on the screenshots of those menu commands really closely.

Focus on the WHY, not the HOW.

yes... BENEFITS SELL

so you SHOW THE OS doing something beneficial.
Different cheesy music is required however.

There's no doubt that many people would not understand. Those same people are not likely to be moved by two actors 'symbolically' representing computers either.
But show a Mom how the parental controls work and you've sold a computer. Show how Searchlight works to anyone and you've sold a computer. There are simple beneficial features that could be shown, all tied up with a "and no worries about viruses and other problems that plague Windows machines".

I don't think ads about the OS will work. A better approach would be the infomercial, the 1/2 hour marketing blitz. It's good because those that want to see it will be mesmorized, channel surfers will catch glimpses and could be interested. A great way would be based on a company that provided tutorials and support for migrating from the PC to the Mac. Even if Apple only footed 1/2 the infomercial bill, it could be a huge generator of revenue. Seems that if Apple will give a discount to Best Buy, that a Company created to do the transition would be a potential partner that could earn money on the hardware sale also.

Jan 14, 08 - 12:33 pm Comment from: grok

Nobody wants to learn an OS, even OSX, during the commercial break. If we have to watch commercials at all, make them funny or fill them with large-breasted wenches - but please, no esoteric computer geek-speak.

Unless it's spoken by a large-breasted wench. Now that might work...

Jan 14, 08 - 12:34 pm Comment from: opal

exactly what Leader said. the iphone ads were a huge departure from the usually esoteric mac and ipod ads. i think this is a sign of things to come, to have more demonstrative ads for mac os. the 'get a mac' ads are clever attention grabbers, leaving most viewers with a laugh and connecting a memory with a product comparison. if you haven't recently done so, go to the apple site and look at all the 'get a mac' ads that have been made. it's amazing how they are cranking those out. so well done.

Jan 14, 08 - 12:39 pm Comment from: Zune Tang®

Do an infomercial, Apple!

I'm sure it would be riveting, electrifying stuff. The 'I'm a MAC' commercials are too smug.

Your potential. Our passion.™

Jan 14, 08 - 12:42 pm Comment from: ericdano

Showing how Time Machine can save your ass would be good. Perhaps like the iPhone commercials, the same voice, same sort of straight forward talking and approach.

Email and viruses, Spaces and window clutter and Web and Viruses in the above format. Perhaps I should do a video of it and have Apple buy it from me

Jan 14, 08 - 12:42 pm Comment from: effwerd

Should Apple show Leopard in action in ads: No.

Jan 14, 08 - 12:43 pm Comment from: Zune Tang®

Wait, wait, wait! It gets even better!

Wow! Cupertino actually did something right. I'd like to see mighty Microsoft compete with this!

Your potential. Our passion.™

There is nothing wrong with running multiple campaigns. Geico does it all the time, and quite effectively.

Jan 14, 08 - 12:48 pm Comment from: OBill-Wan Kenobi

The reason Apple ad's don't show the OS in action is because it's impossible to do effectively in 30 seconds. The iPhone is a different story because of the way you interact with the device. While OSX is visually beautiful, conveying it's intuitive design, ease of use and unsurpassed security in a 30 second clip is futile at best.

It much easier to make comparison points, like the Get A Mac ad's do with representations (Mac Guy vs PC Guy) that viewers don't have to think too hard about. The intent, I assume, is to entice people to the Apple website where they watch the tutorials.

Perhaps the question should be, "Should Apple do a better job of pimping their tutorials?"

Demonstrating the Mac OS in a 30 sec commercial and to make it as simple as possible for the "everyday" user to understand is just not possible. Showing features such as the new time Machine commercial is. i think Apple's next push would be to get customers into the Apple Retail Stores or resellers to see the product. A trained sales rep can then best demonstrate the product and the Mac OS and can customize his/her presentation to the customer's needs.

Jan 14, 08 - 01:07 pm Comment from: LinuxGuyAndMacProdigalSon

The new Apple Time Machine ad does exactly what the article claims is missing, and does it well. Some posters have noticed this, but most have not.

Jan 14, 08 - 01:10 pm Comment from: alansky

Perhaps Apple could show TimeMachine or QuickLook on tv but, honestly, the intended audience is PC USERS—How smart can they be???

Jan 14, 08 - 01:12 pm Comment from: kenh

I have been involved in advertising one way or another all my business life.

If they think the internet is "the big blue e", show them that it is a lot more than that It can be done in 15 seconds

Ad people overthink everything. An ad agency who doesn't do that can show things simply and effectively. Symbols are just that: symbols

iPhone ads do that.

Why not OSX ads? Don't overthink your answer.

Last I checked Apple is not having a hard time selling products.

Would you watch a 30 second spot about how vista works? How about a 30 second clever funny add about vista.

Most people will be completely overwhelmed by Leopard if shown in 30 seconds. That's a bad idea. Linux can look quite a lot better than Mac OS X in 30 seconds.

When I tell people how easy it is to upgrade or restore from a backup, they can't believe it. People won't be able to grasp the OS in 30 seconds.

Apple's doing a great job with the Mac vs PC thing they've got going on. They are making it uncool to own a PC and that is much more powerful than appealing to logic, even if you have the time to do it.

Jan 14, 08 - 01:27 pm Comment from: kenh

What is "cool" changes, sometimes within days. If you rely on "cool" to tell you what to think and do, you will get your head handed to you, and you would deserve it.

Would I watch a 30 second Vista ad. Yes. Once. That is because the product is not good and I think the ad would show me that.

Leopard has many good individual things. Show the individual things on their own merit. Of course, you can't show the whole thing.

Don't try.

The New England Patriots don't play 25 other teams every Sunday. They play one play, one set of downs, one game at a time.

Stop over thinking it!

I think the most effective commercials Apple has made are the iPhone spots that showed exactly what you could do with them. I wish Apple would make Mac commercials the same way. Then maybe my friends who need a Mac, but only think of them as more expensive windows boxes would understand why they would be getting more for their money.

Jan 14, 08 - 01:33 pm Comment from: effwerd

The new Apple Time Machine ad does exactly what the article claims is missing, and does it well. Some posters have noticed this, but most have not.

This isn't showing Leopard in action, it's a metaphor for a feature in Leopard. Showing Leopard in action would involve, brace yourself, showing Leopard in action, not having two actors and some camera/compositing tricks act out a script intended to convey a sense of the Time Machine feature.

Jan 14, 08 - 01:36 pm Comment from: effwerd

Don't overthink your answer.

Stop over thinking it!

Stop trying to tell people what to do!

Mac info commercials would go along way. Even on the Home shopping network.

of course they should. for example, when the iphone ads started coming out they showed, very quickly and concisely, WHY the iphone was so cool. the demo was a live, real time show of just what people can actually DO with them. apple should be doing this with the mac as well. its great to hear the pc vs mac ads with them battling about who is best but why not do the same thing as the iphone? show someone needing to talk to their spouse while over seas and hopping on ichat, doing some fun rollercoaster backgrounds and sending them a few files through it. or solving a problem for the spouse using screen share. these are the little things which make macs so incredible to use. 30 seconds of seeing that would be enough to make someone switch. it worked for my dad when i took him through a demo of how PRACTICAL macs can be after suffering through trying to do most of those things on his PC.

Focus on the WHY, not the HOW.

You provided good ideas... but "CoolFactor"... you told us the HOW!!!! Or the WHAT to show... but WHY... why show things that the OS is NOT. It could be misleading. Therefore DO NOT SHOW the OS in action - that's why. Cos whatever is shown WILL BE mislead to believing it DOES that or this.

As a HS teacher presenting to students and staff where most have never seen the Mac OS in action, I cannot tell you how many times after seeing just expose or spaces, I get the comment "Cool,I want that." That takes a lot less than 30 seconds.

Jan 14, 08 - 02:32 pm Comment from: Kit-N

Geez, I've been saying that since OS8!

It doesn't have to be complex, just show what it does!

Jan 14, 08 - 02:38 pm Comment from: gzero

The iPhone commercials work because they demonstrate how simple it is to perform certain tasks that are a pain to do on other phones, and it demonstrates it quickly. Quickly. Quick and simple enough to grab folks attention and hold it.

The iPhone is also quite limited in what it can do compared to a Mac. I can't imagine a 30 second spot that would highlight what a Mac could do better than Windows effectively and still be entertaining. Most people aren't tech heads, so the current ads do their jobs fine, IMO. I doubt very seriously the average consumer would sit through an Apple infomercial on TV. An Apple Store ad like those from Dell, however, is a different story...

Besides, Apple already has a Leopard infomerical on their website, and the current ads do a fine job of explaining MacOS features without resorting to geekiness (at least the ones that matter to most consumers shopping for a computer.

Now, where Apple needs to really get the word out is regarding the myth that Macs are more expensive than similarly configured PC's; that's the only point currently not addressed in the Mac / PC ads.

Jan 14, 08 - 02:40 pm Comment from: gzero

Wow. Zune Tang posted 4 times in the same thread. A new record, isn't it? He/She must be bored. Or running out of schtick. In any case, congratulations.

Jan 14, 08 - 02:56 pm Comment from: Zune Tang®

Thank you, gzero.

Hey, that's 5!

Your potential. Our passion.™

Jan 14, 08 - 03:02 pm Comment from: Macdoc

People are sheep, you have to drill things into their heads. Apple needs to advertise Macs and Mac OS 10 on every network channel 2-3 times an hour 7 days a week for at least a year for anyone to know they don't just make iPods. Yes, thats what I hear from friends and co-workers when I say buy a Mac...."Don't they just make iPods"??

Fu@ken Sheep.......

Jan 14, 08 - 03:08 pm Comment from: kenh

Re: "Don't overthink your answer.

Stop over thinking it!

Stop trying to tell people what to do!"

Why? You don't have to do what I say!

And No, I am not "imposing my values on you."

I am just stating what they are, you have no obligation to act on what I say.