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Laptop Hunter Ads Tweaked After Apple Gripe

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 24, 2009 5:55 AM CDT

(Newser) – Microsoft has changed at least one of its highly successful "Laptop Hunter" ads after Apple called to complain about it, Advertising Age reports. In the original, a law student shopping for a laptop observes: "This Mac is $2,000, and that's before adding anything." Her mother adds, "Why would you pay twice the price?" But Apple's lawyer called to say the ad was out of date, and Mac prices had gone down. So the shopper now says only: "It seems like you're paying a lot for the brand." She still rejects a Mac in favor of a $972 Dell PC.

The edit "does not change the focus of the campaign, which is to showcase the value and choice of the PC," a Microsoft spokeswoman says. Microsoft’s chief operating officer gleefully told a company conference this month that Apple's complaint about the ads was "the greatest single phone call" he's ever taken.

[Images (2)]

[Videos (1)]

A Hewlett Packard laptop running Microsoft Windows XP is on display at Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Visitors check out Macbook Pro laptops at the Apple Store in New York. (AP Photos/Bebeto Matthews)

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This revised version of the "Laptop Hunter" ad doesn't mention the Mac's price. (WindowsVideos)

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 25 comments

CenterIndependent

Sep 23, 2009 4:30 AM CDT

Advice... if you cant figure out how to even program your own home dvd player get a Mac. Some people are just not technically and thats why we have a mac. I've did help support for many years, and I once had someone thought the dvd tray was a coffee holder. Macs ar not very complicated and almost idiot proof, and less software available for it to slow down your system.

CenterIndependent

Sep 23, 2009 4:25 AM CDT

Thats a sign you should stay away from computers if you manage to screw one up that bad.

CenterIndependent

Sep 23, 2009 4:24 AM CDT

I do not know why someone would spend that much on a computer(Mac) since you will need to replace one every what 2 or 3 years because of rapid technology advancements? I build my own computers and I do allot of research on computer parts... Apple is seriously over pricing their computers. Allot of people do not know that Apple does not even own or run a manufacturing plant..they outsource everything to mostly Chinese and Taiwan companies who also build PC parts. For example the MAC screens are Samsung screens... their cases are made by Foxconn who also makes cases for the PC market. Its also possible you can duel install a hacked Mac OSX on a Windows PC "Hackintosh".

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