Microsoft is likely wishing that it didn’t open this can of worms. Why? Let’s start with an article in BusinessWeek where Arik Hesseldahl jumps into the fray by pointing out a bunch of things that are flawed about Microsoft’s argument:
First, there’s security software. The PC in question comes with a 60-day trial Norton Internet Security 2009 from Symantec (SYMC). After the trial runs out you’ll pay Symantec $50 a year to protect your PC (and up to two others in your home) from all the nasty viruses, worms, and other malware lurking on the Internet. That’s $150 over the three years Lauren is likely to hold on to her PC. No need for antivirus on the Mac.
And this:
Next, let’s say something goes wrong on the computer once the warranty expires and that it requires the intervention of a third party. Geek Squad will charge you $129 just for a diagnosis. A diagnosis from the Genius Bar in Apple’s retail stores? Free.
And the fact that iLife comes with every Mac, but is absent on the PC:
It’s hard to replicate that bundle if you’re a Windows user. The Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) machine in Lauren’s case does ship with discs for Muvee Reveal, a video-editing program that usually costs $80, and CyberLink DVD Suite, which runs $104. But if she wants Adobe’s (ADBE) Photoshop Elements, including a membership in Photoshop.com Plus, she’ll need to shell out about $140. Sonic Solutions’ (SNIC) Roxio Creator 2009, which combines video-editing and DVD-creating tools, will cost another $100. And the closest equivalent to Garageband on Windows is Cubase Sequel and it goes for another $100.
So, what’s the total price tag of the PC when you take all that into account?:
Add it all up and it’s not hard to imagine Lauren’s $699 computer costing something closer to $1,500.
As if to add insult to injury, PC Mag’s John C. Dvorak who hates Macs with a passion states the following:
A report such as this would have cost Microsoft anywhere from $2,500 to $25,000, depending on the deal. For this sort of money you can get anyone to say anything. The hope is that people will take this seriously and buy more Microsoft products. But Microsoft always gets burned by these things, as pundits and critics jump all over the company for the blatant bullcrap in these reports. The company ends up with negative publicity that’s just not beneficial.
No kidding. And that’s from a guy who doesn’t like Macs (albeit for self serving reasons).
Sorry Microsoft. Game over. You lose. Thanks for playing. Please don’t ever do this again. It’s not worth it for your image (or what’s left of it).
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This entry was posted on April 16, 2009 at 2:41 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Apple, Microsoft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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BusinessWeek & John Dvorak Weigh In On The “Apple Tax”…… Microsoft Is Sorry Now
Microsoft is likely wishing that it didn’t open this can of worms. Why? Let’s start with an article in BusinessWeek where Arik Hesseldahl jumps into the fray by pointing out a bunch of things that are flawed about Microsoft’s argument:
First, there’s security software. The PC in question comes with a 60-day trial Norton Internet Security 2009 from Symantec (SYMC). After the trial runs out you’ll pay Symantec $50 a year to protect your PC (and up to two others in your home) from all the nasty viruses, worms, and other malware lurking on the Internet. That’s $150 over the three years Lauren is likely to hold on to her PC. No need for antivirus on the Mac.
And this:
Next, let’s say something goes wrong on the computer once the warranty expires and that it requires the intervention of a third party. Geek Squad will charge you $129 just for a diagnosis. A diagnosis from the Genius Bar in Apple’s retail stores? Free.
And the fact that iLife comes with every Mac, but is absent on the PC:
It’s hard to replicate that bundle if you’re a Windows user. The Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) machine in Lauren’s case does ship with discs for Muvee Reveal, a video-editing program that usually costs $80, and CyberLink DVD Suite, which runs $104. But if she wants Adobe’s (ADBE) Photoshop Elements, including a membership in Photoshop.com Plus, she’ll need to shell out about $140. Sonic Solutions’ (SNIC) Roxio Creator 2009, which combines video-editing and DVD-creating tools, will cost another $100. And the closest equivalent to Garageband on Windows is Cubase Sequel and it goes for another $100.
So, what’s the total price tag of the PC when you take all that into account?:
Add it all up and it’s not hard to imagine Lauren’s $699 computer costing something closer to $1,500.
As if to add insult to injury, PC Mag’s John C. Dvorak who hates Macs with a passion states the following:
A report such as this would have cost Microsoft anywhere from $2,500 to $25,000, depending on the deal. For this sort of money you can get anyone to say anything. The hope is that people will take this seriously and buy more Microsoft products. But Microsoft always gets burned by these things, as pundits and critics jump all over the company for the blatant bullcrap in these reports. The company ends up with negative publicity that’s just not beneficial.
No kidding. And that’s from a guy who doesn’t like Macs (albeit for self serving reasons).
Sorry Microsoft. Game over. You lose. Thanks for playing. Please don’t ever do this again. It’s not worth it for your image (or what’s left of it).
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This entry was posted on April 16, 2009 at 2:41 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Apple, Microsoft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.