I'm a PC, I'm a Mac

Apple have been running some TV adds in the U.S. I only heard about these in the last couple of days, when their response to the release of Microsoft Windows Vista gained a few column inches in various computer news magazines.

[ Watch them here ]

I'm a big PC fan, always used PCs and that probably won't change any time soon, but I love those adds! They over simplify a bit (but that's kind of the point), and they highlight out lots of significant problems that people have with PCs: the crashing, the "bundled" software, the ungrades, driver version hell, security issues. The truth is that to get the best out of a PC you really do need either a "techie" to sort it out for you every few months, or spend a great deal of time learning the technology instead of using it. OK for me, I like the technology aspect, but computers shouldn't be about computing. Imagine if all TV shows were about cameras, radio waves, electronics, and vacuum tubes? That is what using a PC is like sometimes.

On the other hand Apple are not comparing like with like. It sure is easy to be better than the PC when you exercise total control both the hardware and the operating system. There you go, an idealistic argument for the PC. If Apple controlled 95% of the market much of their security advantage would disappear (simply from becoming the bigger target) and many of their business practises would run afoul of competition laws. That is not a criticism of Mac owners though, you've made a good choice!

Anyway, after you've seen the "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac", and if you have any interest in the console wars, you'll get a kick out of the following little skit: "I'm a PS3 / I'm a Wii"! (Thanks for tipping me off Vinnie!)