Comments on: Microsoft Thinks Its Customers Are Idiots

By: Rob J

Rob J — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:48:55 +0000

It is a bit mystifying that the underlying idea here is Microsoft convincing their customers and would-be customers that "Windows 7 doesn't suck, honest!". What kind of message is that? It is even more mystifying that this idea is kind of taken as a given, even by Microsoft themselves, that people need to be convinced of this. Is this their way of being transparent?

Still, this is an improvement over ad campaigns of the past (Windows 7 parties, Seinfeld, et al). And at least they're not trying to be funny or 'hip'.

Cheers for the post!

By: The_Game

The_Game — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:31:19 +0000

I would love to purchase a Mac, but the costs are ridiculous. I can get a robust PC for under $600 these days. I’ve had my Dell laptop for three years and my Dell desktop for eight years. Those are the only two computers I purchased since I moved out on my own. They still work fine and allow me to do my job.

If you’re a designer, yes, I think you should get a Mac. But for general business owners looking to save some money, a PC is fine.

If Mac comes down in price to say, below $800, then you’ll see more people gravitate towards those.

In these economic times, people are looking to save money.

By: Haiden

Haiden — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:55:38 +0000

“But the less you know about HOW something works, the less you understand how it COULD (or SHOULD) work, which makes you susceptible to being under-served, over-priced and generally taken advantage of.”

The same could be said about Mac users and Apple. Macs are overpriced and most Mac users don’t know and don’t care how their machines work.

I’m a firm believer that there is no “best” when it comes to personal computers. Mac, Windows, and Linux all offer great options for users. What makes a machine great is matching it to your needs – software and hardware. When I hear someone trying to argue that one OS is better than the other in general terms, I can’t help but wonder if they themselves really “get” the technology.

After using all three platforms for years. I’m still hesitant to declare a winner. The only thing I know for sure is that the average knows very little about how their hardware works and doesn’t care to learn anymore. They just want it to work. For that reason, I think the ads work. They’re basically the same theme that Apple has been running for years.

By: Detroit: America’s Self-Loathing of the Rust Belt (And What That Says About Us)

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:02:13 +0000

[...] I explained why I think Microsoft sees its customers as idiots — an opinion that sparked a debate about the very nature of advertising. Like politics, war [...]

By: John Lane

John Lane — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:14:24 +0000

Fleeced. Ouch. I figured my dad was in that audience, and I don’t like the thought of him being fleeced. Lucky for me his Dell (which is running a Windows OS) that cost slightly more than half as much as the cheapest Mac runs all his needs — iTunes, Firefox, MS Word and Excel — just fine.

Thanks for the quick response.

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:36:59 +0000

John: You’re probably right that the people these ads are aimed at will buy into the messaging. And you’re also right that very few PC users care about how the tech works, as long as it does. And you’re also right that most PC users would rather stick with something that doesn’t work rather than start anew with something that does.

As for whether it matters if people know how their tech works or not, no, it doesn’t. But the less you know about HOW something works, the less you understand how it COULD (or SHOULD) work, which makes you susceptible to being under-served, over-priced and generally taken advantage of.

So if Microsoft can own the market because the market is filled with people who accept being fleeced… well, perhaps Microsoft is providing their customers with exactly what they deserve.

By: John Lane

John Lane — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:08:08 +0000

I couldn’t disagree more. I think these ads are great. That doesn’t mean I’m gonna run out and buy a PC with Windows 7, because I love my MacBook Pro. But I’m also more technically inclined than the majority of the personal PC market. You probably love your Mac, too (which explains a lot of your perspective, as Horsie alluded to.) Most of the paltry 10% of the market Apple owns would be like us: media pros, education professionals, gadget inclined folks, etc.

The audience these Windows ads speak to — and speak to well in my opinion — are the 90% of folks who are not really power users; they don’t care how their tech works, they just care that it does. (You speak of that like it’s bad thing…but why does it matter?) And the main thing they want to know is: “Is the system I’m used to getting better than it was? Did they fix the things I’ve complained about in the past?” These ads answer those question to a “T” in an entertaining, personal way. No matter how clever and fun the Apple ads are, the root of their offer to the same audience comes across as “start over.” And that’s a much harder sale.

Thanks for starting the debate!

@johnvlane

By: Horsie

Horsie — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:35:18 +0000

Microsoft fans will see the ads how they want to see them.
Apple fans will see the ads how they want to see them.

I personally don’t like any of Microsoft or Apple’s ad campaigns, they lack any technical detail for me.

By: Rob J

Rob J — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:01:43 +0000

It is a bit mystifying that the underlying idea here is Microsoft convincing their customers and would-be customers that “Windows 7 doesn’t suck, honest!”. What kind of message is that? It is even more mystifying that this idea is kind of taken as a given, even by Microsoft themselves, that people need to be convinced of this. Is this their way of being transparent?

Still, this is an improvement over ad campaigns of the past (Windows 7 parties, Seinfeld, et al). And at least they’re not trying to be funny or ‘hip’.

Cheers for the post!

By: Norcross

Norcross — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:00:41 +0000

I see it from a completely different angle. I work with a lot of people who are still afraid of their computers, and can barely use a web browser and email. For them, a machine (both Mac and PC) has become too complicated, and this commercial is giving them the idea that MS has simplified things. We’ve got to remember that tech-savvy folks like us are in the minority, and a small minority at that.