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View Full Version : Microsoft Uncorks New "Laptop Hunters" Ad


Vincent Ferrari
05-01-2009, 05:00 PM
<p><em>"Sheila browses through a few more notebooks before settling on an HP HDX 16t. The specific details of the system were not disclosed, but HP offers configurations starting at $1200. The recommended system costs $1700, directly from the manufacturer, and features a 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, a 320GB hard drive and 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT GPU."</em></p><p><em><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="600" height="360" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/APQv8JTKM9A" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="600" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/APQv8JTKM9A"></embed></object></em></p><p>At least she got a good machine that might actually be suitable for the task and her requirements (unlike Giampaolo whose choice still baffles me every time I see his commercial).&nbsp; The only puzzling part of the ad is her requirement that the new machine be able to "cut video."&nbsp; Okay, I can understand that.&nbsp; My question comes from her strange platform hunting.&nbsp; After all, how many hardcore video editors aren't already married to one particular piece of software?</p><p>For example, most of my editing is done on iMovie '09 and for bigger projects that require more oomph, I use Final Cut Express, neither of which would allow me to buy a Windows PC.&nbsp; Ever.&nbsp; Wouldn't someone as hardcore as Sheila have a similar preference?&nbsp; And if so, why even bother looking at other platforms?</p><p>Just struck me as odd, but like I said, at least she got a good machine.</p>

emuelle1
05-01-2009, 05:57 PM
I figure Microsoft's case would be stronger if these laptop hunters were all focused under $1000. If I were looking for a laptop and had $1200 to spend, I'd just get a MacBook.

You could always face the fact that you're not part of the demographics that these ads are aimed at.

michaelalanjones
05-04-2009, 06:32 PM
I think what they meant was a thinly veiled smack talk at the Mac, since people use Final Cut Pro on a Mac to cut video.

Jason Dunn
05-04-2009, 06:44 PM
My question comes from her strange platform hunting. After all, how many hardcore video editors aren't already married to one particular piece of software?
Personally, I didn't perceive her as being "hardcore" - she seemed like someone who was just starting out, because you're right, someone with a lot of video editing experience would have a preferred application and that would guide their decision. Heck, if she really knew what she was doing, she should have gotten a desktop PC with an Intel Core i7 CPU - there's nothing faster for video rendering.

doogald
05-04-2009, 10:36 PM
I have to say - if I walked into a store with a budget of $2000 to buy a notebook, and then somebody handed me $2000, my budget would no longer be $2000 - it would now be probably around $3000. In other words, if I was all set to spend two grand already, why wouldn't I just take the extra two grand and buy a better machine?

(And, if the latest Consumer Reports is to be believed, Mac notebooks are best at each size that they looked - 13", 15" and 17" - the top 3 at 13", too. Not that we didn't know that already . . .)

Jason Dunn
05-18-2009, 08:16 PM
I had another thought as I was watching this commercial again: Apple's artificial use of RAM as a differentiating factor might turn some people off. RAM is cheap - there's no reason for even Apple's lowest-end Macbook to not come with 3GB or 4GB of RAM. Windows laptops do - even the $799 laptops. Apple instead tries to use RAM as a dividing line between their laptops - which is just silly.