Do Apple’s TV Ads Insult Newspaper Writers?

By Jeffrey Mincey • Tuesday, October 17, 2006 • Home » Forum Topics »

Briggs - Jeffrey For a company with a measly less-than-five-percent market share, Apple sure attracts loads of attention from mainstream media “dinosaurs.”

What’s the latest? According to Tony Briggs, Apple’s TV commercials just don’t work.

You may remember poor Tony. He tangled with Mac360’s Tera the Terrible a couple of years ago, here and there.

As seems to be the case with pseudo techno writers these days, Briggs responded to Tera’s retort and got torted upon.

First he’s a journalist, then he’s a tech journalist, now he’s a TV commercial critic who shows his disdain for anything Apple.

Writing for the Daytona Beach Journalonline, Tony starts off with the familiar list of facts:

“We are smart and sophisticated and everyone else, especially those who use computers running Windows, are complete dopes.”

OK, I can see how some would think that to be fact, and it probably is, but that’s beside the point.

Tony says Apple’s commercials don’t work. So, I ask, “Tony, why does Apple continue to run the commercials if they don’t work?”

Sorry, Tony didn’t answer, but his column is full of holier-than-thou-know-it-all. Such as:

“Here’s a tip for Steve Jobs and company: Insulting the people you are trying to sell to probably isn’t the best strategy.”

One needs to find the actual insult he’s talking about, but I’m certain Tony sees himself in each Apple TV commercial. He’s the guy with the glasses.

Daytona Beach’s arbiter of cool, sultan of slimy, and chic geek without the meek, the effervescent Mr. Briggs shows his lack of understanding business marketing strategy.

“The irony of all this is that one of the big selling points for Apple PCs now is that they can run the dreaded Windows operating system. I still don’t get the point of that. Doesn’t that make them just like the nerdy guy in the commercial? How uncool!”

See? If Macs only ran Windows and nothing else, what would be the point? Point? Macs and Mac OS X run everything. Windows. XP and Vista, Linux, and Mac OS X.

Windows doesn’t. Even PCs don’t.

How does Tony’s argument about the TV commercials weigh on your? It won’t. He never discusses the pros or cons of the TV ads.

In his mind, Vista and OS X will be identical next year. Except for all those viruses that exist for Windows Vista that don’t exist for Mac OS X.

Oh, and except for all those differences that will be in Tiger that won’t be in Vista, but never mind, because neither are shipping now anyway.

“Some will argue Apples are still superior based on more esoteric points. But it really comes down to personal preference. Use what you like….and please lose the attitude.”

There. That’s it. Finally, something we can agree upon. Tony, lose the attitude. You’re showing your card carrying membership in a “I Hate Apple” club.

You’ve been down that road before and lost. Don’t go there again. It’s bad for your complexion.

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Classy Mac360 Photo By Jeffrey Mincey | I work as a PC System Administrator (Windows, Macs, Linux) for the state government in Atlanta, Georgia and have used Macs for more than 20 years. Most of it late at night.

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