As the inscrutable Microsoft ads go on, the latest ones the “I’m a PC and I’m not alone” also known as Life Without Walls seem to have struck a chord with the Mac fanboys.
Here’s another:
As you recall, the long series of Mac vs. PC commercials that have gone from exaggerating the faults of Windows to just plain making them up, all started out with the phrase “I’m a PC. And I’m a Mac.”
Now the fanboys are whining that their Macs are PCs too because PC stands for Personal Computer.
Oh well, you can’t have it both ways, can you? It’s about time Microsoft took off the gloves and defended the most used operating system in the world. Or maybe that’s the whole point: they can take the criticism without comment and let it be seen for what it is, unjustified posturing and adsmanship.
The Life Without Walls commercials might just be the perfect middle ground. They don’t attack Apple, unless you think Walls is an euphemism for Mac. They do show PC users, presumably Windows PC users, as normal people like you and me and they’re happy with their PC. Unlike the Jerry and Bill commercials, which I’m told aren’t over, they are understandable and have a positive message. I like that MS didn’t sink to a direct response or attack on the Mac vs. PC ads. There is no need to sink to that level.
They don’t mention Windows explicitly. I’m not sure that Microsoft is even mentioned until the logo at the end. But it’s obvious they are showing a diverse and grass-roots support that contrasts the elitist feel of the Mac ads. If Walls is an euphemism for Mac, then maybe the varied people represent the way that Windows works with any hardware.
It’s got to be much easier to make an operating system that works on a tightly-controlled and short list of hardware than it is to actually work with manufacturers to make one that works on dozens of companies motherboards and thousands of other components. It’s not surprising that there might be a few problems along the way, but when you measure it against Windows 90-plus percent share of the OS market, maybe it’s actually pretty good.