Does this annoy anyone else?

[dragos240]

The Mac vs PC commercials? They refer to windows as a PC.... whereas mac is a PC too.... and most computers.... PC: Personal Computer, are they saying that mac isn't personal? And now people are getting convinced that a PC is always a windows computer. For example the other day, I asked someone what they use for a computer, they said they use a PC, I asked what operating system, and they replied "What else? Windows.". This frustrates me to no end!!!!!

[beercz]

Life's too short .........

[Bodsda]

The Mac vs PC commercials? They refer to windows as a PC.... whereas mac is a PC too.... and most computers.... PC: Personal Computer, are they saying that mac isn't personal? And now people are getting convinced that a PC is always a windows computer. For example the other day, I asked someone what they use for a computer, they said they use a PC, I asked what operating system, and they replied "What else? Windows.". This frustrates me to no end!!!!!

It grates on me every time I see the advert, a PC is a personal computer, by definition it must mean that every machine capable of running an OS can be a PC. I just want to see an advert where they actually acknowledge Linux's existence and stop misusing words.

[CharmyBee]

It grates on me every time I see the advert, a PC is a personal computer, by definition it must mean that every machine capable of running an OS can be a PC. I just want to see an advert where they actually acknowledge Linux's existence and stop misusing words.

Yeah well, the thing is... Mac can also be a Linux.

[scrooge_74]

People that know me lower their heads each time their "PC" needs my help. :D


People are like a herd of cows, they will go where ever you push them to go, big companies know that. People feel confy staying with the herd even if they complain about having issues with their "PC" or economy, etc, that wont change anytime soon.

So sit back and enjoy life while they deal with spamware and other stuff.

[carniola]

I think it has to do with the dominance of Windows. So many people use it that it's just become synonymous with computers as a whole. The same way that "xerox" has come to mean "copy" and "photoshop" has come to replace "photo editing." (Much to the displeasure of Adobe (http://www.adobe.com/misc/trade.html#photoshop), for example.) I believe the English even use the word "hoover" to mean vacuum cleaning.

It's just the natural result of one company dominating the industry, that's all.

[WatchingThePain]

Yes people get confused.

I installed Linux Mint for someone and now I am doing the Wifi network.
They were given a Windows cd only and asked me "don't I need a pc?".

I told them.."ya got a pc, what's that..Scotch Mist?".

There are so many terms used that people are easily confused.

Anyway Talk Talk broadband disc had drivers for Windows and OSx only so enter ndiswrapper.

It doesn't annoy me but these days I suppose more could be expected.

The thing is that the person who asked me that had done a couple of College courses in Basic computing.

[aysiu]

Yes, it annoys me. I blogged about it not too long ago:
Sometimes I will get PC about “PC” (http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntucat/sometimes-i-will-get-pc-about-pc-2/)

Mainly I'm annoyed just because it leaves Linux out of the picture completely.

[NightwishFan]

It annoys me, however I am so easily annoyed that is not saying much.

And to think he seemed so polite!

[sim-value]

Exept that this ad is completly "......ed" it doenst anoy me ... :D

[mikewhatever]

Calm yourself down with this ->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eTguZ5OzJ4&feature=related.

[RiceMonster]

Those adds were sorta funny at the beggining, but now they're pretty much just:

"LOL VISTA IS SO BAD"
*end commercial*

So yes, I find them annoying.

[H2SO_four]

All I can say is pleather rocks!!!!

Just kidding. The commercials were funny to start with, but I think they have run their course.

[Dark Aspect]

I love the commercials actually, I think their hilarious. More than likely, most people view PC as just being windows so it helps Mac's market to pretend that the only competition is Windows. When in reality, Mac is nothing more than a rip off of a unix kernel.

[dragos240]

Calm yourself down with this ->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eTguZ5OzJ4&feature=related.

Already watched all of 'em. And it still refers to a windows as a PC.

[RiceMonster]

When in reality, Mac is nothing more than a rip off of a unix kernel.

Actually, Linux is more like a ripoff of a Unix kernel, whereas Mac OSX is certified Unix.

[ZackM]

I still find this one rather funny myself...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-22EpQOm8c

[rookcifer]

The term "PC" is, and has always been, used to differentiate IBM compatible (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_PC_compatible) computers from competitors (when IBM was the big dog on the block back in the 80's and early 90's). IBM actually called its first consumer grade (home use) computer the "IBM PC." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_PC) Its main competitor at the time (besides IBM clones) was Apple's Macintosh. Obviously, the Mac and the PC ran on different hardware. This is where the PC/Mac divide originated. Eventually M$ used the IBM hardware platform for its OS's and thus the "IBM compatible" platform began to rule the market, as we are all aware.

So, yes, it's correct to say "PC" and "Mac" are different if you use "PC" in the sense of a "hardware platform" and not in the sense of "a computer in the home for personal use." (Of course Mac's now run on PC hardware, so the distinction isn't perhaps as it was in the 80's).

[aysiu]

So, yes, it's correct to say "PC" and "Mac" are different if you use "PC" in the sense of a "hardware platform" and not in the sense of "a computer in the home for personal use." (Of course Mac's now run on PC hardware, so the distinction isn't perhaps as it was in the 80's). Well, your little parenthetical remark at the end there is the reason why it is not correct to say "PC" and "Mac." Both Windows and Mac OS X run on the same types of hardware, and Linux does as well. So the term "PC" to mean "Windows PC" is confusing and should be useless now.

[init1]

Yes.

[PurposeOfReason]

No. I have better things to do.

[rookcifer]

Well, your little parenthetical remark at the end there is the reason why it is not correct to say "PC" and "Mac." Both Windows and Mac OS X run on the same types of hardware, and Linux does as well. So the term "PC" to mean "Windows PC" is confusing and should be useless now.

The lines have blurred since 2006, but the term is still used for legacy reasons.

[NightwishFan]

Linux is a clone of Minux, as in it used to share its userspace, until it was generally paired with the GNU project. Mac Os X uses BSD code, check out it's core, Darwin.

[dragos240]

Linux is a clone of Minux, as in it used to share its userspace, until it was generally paired with the GNU project. Mac Os X uses BSD code, check out it's core, Darwin.

Linux WAS a clone of minux, but it was completely re-written, and is now 100% minux free.

[NightwishFan]

I should have rephrased 'originally'. I know it is Minux free.

[Exciterusa]

The Mac vs PC commercials? They refer to windows as a PC.... whereas mac is a PC too.... and most computers.... PC: Personal Computer, are they saying that mac isn't personal? And now people are getting convinced that a PC is always a windows computer. For example the other day, I asked someone what they use for a computer, they said they use a PC, I asked what operating system, and they replied "What else? Windows.". This frustrates me to no end!!!!!

No, those ads are quite entertaining.
It's the Mohave Experiment commercials that are annoying.

[NightwishFan]

I do not like the ones where they act like some child can use Windows Vista. The programs are ok, but getting everything together to get them working is too much for a young child. Some adults think a mouse moves in 3d like a VR glove..

[Dimitriid]

Of course it annoys me. All Apple does is use false rethoric and marketing to charge ridiculous ammount of money for their hardware.

[Giant Speck]

I don't watch television, so I don't see the ads and get as annoyed as you do.

[mynameinc]

Of course it annoys me. All Apple does is use false rethoric and marketing to charge ridiculous ammount of money for their hardware.

Same here. An Apple computer's price might double the price of a, for lack of a better term, PC with similar specs.

[Exciterusa]

Of course it annoys me. All Apple does is use false rethoric and marketing to charge ridiculous ammount of money for their hardware.

Microsoft actually had ONE good comeback commercial for the mac. About being able to get a PC for under $1,000 so someone could actually afford one.

[NightwishFan]

Except for the spoiled kid getting his 'gaming laptop'. I work and I cannot afford one, well soon enough I am getting this one:

http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop-inspiron-1545/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-inspiron-1545&s=dhs&cs=19&~oid=us~en~29~linux_2~~

It comes standard with Ubuntu, so it probably passed the Canonical testing thing.

[Exciterusa]

Except for the spoiled kid getting his 'gaming laptop'. I work and I cannot afford one, well soon enough I am getting this one:

http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop-inspiron-1545/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-inspiron-1545&s=dhs&cs=19&~oid=us~en~29~linux_2~~

It comes standard with Ubuntu, so it probably passed the Canonical testing thing.

Once you upgrade(customize) the thing (you don't want the celeron processor) the price isn't so attractive.
Oh and Nightwish does rock!

[Mr. Picklesworth]

The thing that really gets me is that Apple practically coined the phrase "personal computer" themselves :P

[kk0sse54]

Does this annoy anyone else?

No, there are worse things in life to get annoyed about than a commercial

[sefs]

The second poster in the thread hit the nail bang on the head.

But if we are ascribing to worldly ways...in order to have a successful product you must first differentiate it and make it different from it's competitors. Seeing that it has competition clearly points out that said product is exactly what it is competing against. After all you are not going to put a PC to compete against a car (I hope).

So no its not annoying at all. Apple is doing it's job of differentiation quite well. They are the masters of it.


The Mac vs PC commercials? They refer to windows as a PC.... whereas mac is a PC too.... and most computers.... PC: Personal Computer, are they saying that mac isn't personal? And now people are getting convinced that a PC is always a windows computer. For example the other day, I asked someone what they use for a computer, they said they use a PC, I asked what operating system, and they replied "What else? Windows.". This frustrates me to no end!!!!!

[CharmyBee]

No, there are worse things in life to get annoyed about than a commercial

Unless it's HEAD ON or Crazy Frog...

[gymophett]

Short answer: It's annoying.
Novell needs to put a commercial on TV. :)

[Giant Speck]

Except for the spoiled kid getting his 'gaming laptop'. I work and I cannot afford one, well soon enough I am getting this one:

http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop-inspiron-1545/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-inspiron-1545&s=dhs&cs=19&~oid=us~en~29~linux_2~~ (http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop-inspiron-1545/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-inspiron-1545&s=dhs&cs=19&%7Eoid=us%7Een%7E29%7Elinux_2%7E%7E)

It comes standard with Ubuntu, so it probably passed the Canonical testing thing.

I was so happy about the price until I saw you couldn't get an nVIDIA card for it. :mad:

[swoll1980]

The term PC refers to IBM compatible PCs. You have to take it in context. Yes you could say it means personal computer, but you could also say it means politically correct. In this case it means IBM compatible computer.

[aysiu]

In this case it means IBM compatible computer. No, in this case, it means Windows PC.

Otherwise "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" would mean "I'm a PC, I'm a PC."

[agel1]

macs are one of the most overrated things in the world

[swoll1980]

No, in this case, it means Windows PC.

Otherwise "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" would mean "I'm a PC, I'm a PC."

Macs are not IBM compatible (are they?)

[sisco311]

Macs are not IBM compatible (are they?)


yes and no. :)


The IBM PC compatible today

The term 'IBM PC compatible' is not commonly used for current computers because all the mainstream computers are based on the PC architecture. Most competing platforms have either died off or been relegated to niche, enthusiast markets like the Amiga. One notable exception was Apple Macintosh computers, which used the PowerPC architecture until 2006, when Apple adopted the Intel x86 architecture as used in the PC. The processor speed and memory capacity of modern PCs are many orders of magnitude greater than they were on the original IBM PC and yet backwards compatibility has been largely maintained - a 32-bit operating system published in the 2000s can still run many of the simpler programs written for the OS of the early 1980s without needing an emulator.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_PC_compatible

[geekygirl]

macs are one of the most overrated things in the world

I don't know about that...

I just bought myself a Macbook Pro 13" yesterday and after many many years of thinking the same way can now honestly say that I no longer think that about them at all. Far from it :)

When it comes to build quality I have never had a notebook like this, and I am comparing this to a Sony Vaio TT - so not a lower end machine at all. This has to be one of the quietest machines I have ever had, build quality is like nothing I have ever seen, and the operating system just works....

OSX is all new to me - without getting into the whole this OS is better than that OS, I can now honestly say that OSX has a lot of features that if implemented in either Windows or especially Ubuntu would mean a perfect OS IMO. But anyways....lol

This is nothing more than a personal observation though based on about 24 hours of ownership so I could be still a bit blinded by the light...the pretty backlit keyboard lights :p

[speedwell68]

life's too short .........

^^^qft.