Code Name: Brick

After rumors a few weeks ago that a German store had received new MacBook Pros, we now have 9to5 Mac and MacRumors reporting that they have strong evidence that a new line of MacBooks (not the Pros) that could be arriving as soon as October 14! Supposedly, the tip off comes from the same supplier in Asia who let the world know about the ‘Rainbow iPod Nanos’.

It is rumored to be code named ‘Brick’. What is interesting about this is what the name may illude to. While some are speculating it refers to the form factor (I hope not, I thought we were past the brick laptop stage) Macenstein are saying it may refer to something else. They are deciphering it as a Windows killer, literally saying this about it: “After all, how do you break “Windows”? You throw a brick through them!”

But what would break the Microsoft market share? To answer this question, we have to look at what has probably constricted Apple’s market share until now. The answer is the price point. If you compare them, a PC could cost $200 less than a similarly spec’d MacBook. If Apple dropped the price of the MacBook to around $1000, they would be in an excellent position to make an agressive push into the market.

While this would be fantastic (I want to buy a MacBook for university), it could mean massive changes to the walled garden Mac users currently live in. In my opinion, Apple products are only as good as they are because they only have a 7% market share. Apple know their market very well and know what they want. Should millions of people join the market, they might have to diversify what they do for the Mac, moving it ever closer to Windows. I don’t want a product that doesn’t work like I want it to. Windows only has a bad name because Microsoft have to deal with the fact that 1 billion computers running Windows turn on every day and not all of those will work the way they’re supposed to. Apple will have to deal with this as well should their market share grow dramatically (but logically it won’t grow enough to threaten Windows).

On a personal point, Macs are only cool because on 7% of people have one! Lets face the facts, we have Macs because we are egotistical, competitive and want to say “Look at me, I have a Mac and you don’t because you can’t afford one.” Macs are cool because it is an exclusive club and that is something that we are protective of! If Macs evolve to take over 90% of the market, I would switch to Windows (should it improve) just to stay cool and say “Look at me, I have a PC and you don’t.”

Dear Apple,

Don’t change =)

Microsoft ♥ Seinfeld!

 

Gold! Gold! Gold! Two well known brands, somewhat stagnant and somewhat desperate getting into bed for an ad. If you haven’t heard yet, Microsoft is paying $300 million to create an ad campaign starting Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld. They plan to create the campaign around the slogan ‘Windows, Not Walls’. Apparently, Jerry is receiving $10 million for the job. Not bad!

It is obvious that Microsoft is responding at long last to the highly successful ‘Get a Mac’ ads, which I’m sure you know about. The ads will attempt to change people’s views about Windows Vista from the current scathing criticism of the product and to let people know that it works now (like it should have at launch. Boy did Microsoft screw that up). I admit, there is nothing wrong with Windows, but from personal experience I have found that Macs are easier to use as a personal computer. In my opinion, Windows belong in the office and Macs belong at home. It’s as easy as that.

Microsoft’s history of ad campaigns doesn’t set a very high benchmark for the new campaign to reach. The ‘Realizing Potential’ campaign (created in 2005) was so forgettable that I had to check Wikipedia to check what Microsoft’s last ad campaign was. For the record, the ad featured a series of deep and profound phrases that were so tenuously linked to anything to do with Microsoft that it took until the logo appeared for people to realize what the ad was for. Even after that appeared I still found myself wondering what they were trying to sell. I liked the tone of the ads, but they failed to sell me something. Note to Microsoft: try to sell something in this new campaign.

The huge hurdle Microsoft have to overcome is the known fact that Microsoft and Windows aren’t cool! Nobody from my generation gets excited about a Microsoft product release. Apple on the other hand have the infamous self driven free PR machine that I am a part of. Even though nobody my age (excluding me) jumped out of their chairs when the iPhone reached Australia, it was discussed and people knew about it. Microsoft just don’t have this appeal to the younger generation who are moving increasingly towards the Apple platform.

Using Bill Gates is a mistake in my opinion. Yes, he is rich, yes he is famous but does he make you want to use Windows? “Look kids! A giant security center!” Bleh! Seinfeld doesn’t really connect with the younger generation either. So when it comes down to it, Microsoft is failing to appeal to those who will be buying the PCs of Macs in the future. Apple succeeds in advertising their product so bluntly and unashamedly in the ‘Get a Mac’ campaign that everyone knows what they are selling and why they should buy it. For Microsoft to aim at countering these humorous yet effective ads, they need to do the same. They need to use the personalities of Seinfeld and Gates to create a tone of “Wow Vista is better then I heard it was” without making it looked forced.

In the end, this campaign will prove very little. At most it will prove that Microsoft feels compelled to compete with a certain company that is succeeding at swaying the personal computer buyer. What Apple fails at is what Microsoft excels at: business. So Microsoft, don’t try to sell the unsellable to those who don’t want to buy it, stick with what you’re good at and don’t feel pressured to fight Apple. Go with the flow and fix Vista, then you’ll sell computers regardless of an ad campaign. It’s worked before, right?