|
Mac360 Power Search
Click below for advanced search options »
|
Home » YouTube Watch »
Can Bill Gates And Jerry Seinfeld One Up Apple? No.
Microsoft’s Bill Gates hired former Mac user Jerry Seinfeld to make Microsoft seem hip and cool. Did it work? In a word, no. But there’s more to it than that. Apple’s television commercials pitting the ineffectual Hodgeman (PC) against the affable Long (Mac) evoke a sense of Wile E. Coyote vs. the Road Runner. Inept and incompetent meet pleasant and comfortable. In the end, the PCs reputation for everything from security to bugs to lack of chic is denigrated, while the Mac’s understated elegance and apparent simple competence is enhanced. The PC is bad, the Mac is cool. So, what does Microsoft do? For years, nothing. Now the Redmond, WA sleeping giant is awakening. Or, so they would have television viewers believe. Microsoft hired Jerry Seinfeld to help tidy up the software behemoth’s lumbering persona. Seinfeld, if you recall, often featured Macs in his New York apartment. Seinfeld is cool and hip, therefore the Mac is cool and hip. Seinfeld’s venture to help Bill Gates and Microsoft polish their respective images works, though not in the expected way. In the first of a few television commercials, Seinfeld plays himself, and Bill Gates plays himself. They meet at a shoe store in a shopping mall and Seinfeld helps Gates pick out a pair of shoes that fit. Size 10. There’s not much insinuation that Microsoft’s Windows is better than a Mac and OS X. There’s no feature comparison. There’s no mention of the Mac at all. Instead, Jerry Seinfeld plays himself and remains cool and hip with it; pretty much like the Seinfeld character. Remarkably, Microsoft’s Bill Gates does not come across as a twisted, evil dweeb, but as mildly hip himself, his own reputation perhaps polished and shined up a bit. In all, the television commercials featuring Seinfeld and Gates are mostly benign and don’t harm wildlife or competition. They also do absolutely nothing for Microsoft or Windows Vista, therefore do nothing to help turn the tide of switchers going from PCs to Macs. What do you think? Does Apple have anything to fear from Bill Gates polishing up his public persona and reputation before he rides off into the sunset? Share your view in the Comments section below. Off Topic Note: To start the new year I’ve updated the Mac360 Store with over 100 new categories—More Macs, more iPods, more Mac books, more software. Click Here and select any category for more detail, or use the handy search function. Whenever you buy from Amazon through the Mac360 Store you help support Mac360. Finally, here’s a few questions for Mac users: (1) What’s the world’s fastest browser? (2) What’s the best notebook for Mac users? (3) What’s a good back up strategy for your Mac? • Article by Ron McElfresh • Published on Tuesday, September 9, 2008
• Category: YouTube Watch • 7 Reader comment(s) • Email This • Shop Now •
« Previously What Do You Do To A Mac To Protect Your Kids?
Nextly » How Lockdown Secures Your Mac From Theft.
Talk Back to the folks at Mac360 Michael fromArgonatz says:
First of all, I’m a PC! As an Information Technology Specialist I support Microsoft 100% for if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have any real work. As for Gates ver Jobs, I don’t see Jobs giving back to the world in the kindness and volume that Gates has so again koodose for Gates - Oh and I don’t wear tweed either… — Posted on Thu Sep 25 at 12:40 pm by Michael fromArgonatz
Alaskan56 says:
Why does Microsoft do such crappy things? It’s inherent in the company to copy, albeit poorly, because their soul as a company, epitomized by evil dweeb Bill Gates, is shallow and self serving. — Posted on Tue Sep 09 at 11:27 am by Alaskan56
jansen says:
It just shows that Bill Gates is willing to spend tens of millions of dollars to try to be as cool as Steve Jobs. He never has been. He’s not now. He won’t be in the future. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s ad agency gets big bucks, the media people get big bucks, Jerry Seinfeld gets big bucks, Mac users get a few chuckles, and Windows users think, ‘WTF is that?’ — Posted on Tue Sep 09 at 11:24 am by jansen
Michael Teuber says:
I’m not sure that the image of Gates locking eyes with Jerry Seinfeld while a little smile plays across their faces, then wiggling his ass at Jerry’s suggestion is the kind of polish that Bill wants to put on his public persona and reputation. Moist and chewy like cake… — Posted on Tue Sep 09 at 11:08 am by Michael Teuber
iggy pence says:
The “getting it” part is more problematic than who pays for it. Why would shareholders pay for Microsoft’s advertising? Microsoft pays for Microsoft’s advertising. The fact that you can’t “get it” says something about how Microsoft spends their money. FWIW Department: Check out MSFT’s stock price over the course of the past five years. Then compare that with Apple. — Posted on Tue Sep 09 at 1:06 am by iggy pence
L. says:
Maybe It is just me, I really don’t get it. Do MS share holder pay for this? — Posted on Tue Sep 09 at 1:02 am by L.
∧ Back To Top |
What's in the FORUMS?
Newest Daily Topics
Also in Mac360
Recent Articles
|
|
Home •
About •
Copyright •
Service Terms •
Privacy Policy •
FAQs •
Forums •
Advertising •
Mac360 Store
|
| Copyright © 2004 - 2009 Ron McElfresh, Honolulu, Hawaii USA. All Rights Reserved.
Mac360 is published and edited by Ron McElfresh, Honolulu, HI. Mac360 is served on an Apple Xserve using Mac OS X Server. Powered by ExpressionEngine at ServerLogistics. This page was rendered in 1.0810 seconds. |