[FireWire]

Microsoft just launched a new page, touting the advantages of using a PC versus a Mac : PC vs Mac: The PC has Blu-ray capability, more software choices, and more!

That's hilarious! They really take their users for a bunch or retarded if they believe they will buy that crap... some examples:

Sharing
Whether you're working or playing, PCs know how to help you get along with others.

- Apple doesn't know a thing about sharing and Bonjour..

Compatibility
Most software is developed for PCs, and your PC will work with your music players, phones, cameras, and other devices.

- that was semi-true what.. 15 years ago?

Working Hard
PCs are always ready, willing, and—most importantly—able to get down to business.

- Do you have any kind of argument to substantiate that claim?

Choice
Pick a color you love. Midnight blue, espresso, or pink? PCs offer the most variety and options to match your style or price point.

- I REQUIRE a blue computer...

Game on!
Most of the world's most popular computer games aren't available for Macs. And Macs can't connect to an Xbox 360. PCs are ready to play.

- WTF that is simply not true.. most games are available on the Mac

Direct TV connection.
Most Macs can't hook up to your TV unless you buy a converter dongle. Many PCs running Windows 7 are designed to connect directly to TVs, so you can watch movies and see photos on the big screen.

- "Many".. most don't and you just need a 30$ adaptor to make it work...

Working smoothly.
Things just don't work the same way on Macs if you're used to a PC. For example, the mouse works differently. And many of the shortcuts you're familiar with don't work the same way on a Mac.

- What kind of mice are they using? Are they referring to the old puck mouse? I'm using an 8-button logitech mouse and I've yet to find any difference..

Touch and go.
Unlike Macs, many PCs running Windows 7 support Touch, so you can browse online newspapers, flick through photo albums, and shuffle files and folders—using nothing but your fingers. PCs with a fingerprint reader even let you log in with just a swipe of your finger.

- Apple certainly doesn't know anything about touch technology, and they definitively didn't relase any giant touchpad for that purpose...

Securely share your movies, music, and photos.
With a Mac, it's harder to set up secure sharing for your photos, music & movies, documents, and even printers with other computers on your home network. With HomeGroup, it's easy to connect all the computers in your house running Windows 7.

- One word: Bonjour

It's easy with a PC.
On a Mac, you have to manually set up photo sharing, manually set up music and movie sharing, manually set up file sharing, and manually set up printer sharing. It's easy to automatically and securely network with all the computers in your house when they're running Windows 7.

- Manually? by that you mean checking one checkbox in the preference? Sufficient to even start a very powerful web server?

Hassle-free files at work.
Apple's productivity suite file formats won't open in Microsoft Office on PCs. This can be a real hassle for Mac users sharing work documents with PC users.

- Ha hem.. I seem to recall YOU are making a Mac version of Office which works well with the PC version.. "hey, if you use that other software, it might not work with my system"

Pathetic...

[osiris]

You must remember that Microsoft is years behind Apple - so all their information is just as old and likely based on OS 9, possibly OS 8.

[SpaceMonkey]

I just don't understand why they don't run a campaign about how Macs can also run Windows. I mean, their product is Windows, not "PCs."

[The Final Dakar]

You don't want people to buy a product that comes pre-loaded with the competitors OS in droves. Out of laziness or curiosity a subset will try out that OS and god help MS if they like it better.

[sek929]

Originally Posted by FireWire 

Game on!
Most of the world's most popular computer games aren't available for Macs. And Macs can't connect to an Xbox 360. PCs are ready to play.

Besides Macs absolutely being able to connect to Xbox 360s, I don't see what is wrong about this statement.

Just now, thanks to Steam, we are able to play Half Life 2....a game that debuted in 2004.

I love my Mac, but a big reason for me to get an Intel iMac was to boot into Windows to play PC games. In fact I'm running Windows now as I type this. I have a 60 GB partition for XP and it is almost entirely full of nothing but PC games.

Halo: CE was the last chance the Mac platform had at gaming greatness. Now we get the scraps and afterthoughts.

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar

You don't want people to buy a product that comes pre-loaded with the competitors OS in droves. Out of laziness or curiosity a subset will try out that OS and god help MS if they like it better.

True. I wasn't thinking so much an ad that specifically touts it, but basically using the fact that Macs can run Windows to reinforce why Windows is more "capable" than Mac. Like, "Look! Some Mac users even run Windows to get their work done."

Seems a little less desperate than cautioning that your mouse will be different.

[angelmb]

Deserves it.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by sek929 

Besides Macs absolutely being able to connect to Xbox 360s, I don't see what is wrong about this statement.

Just now, thanks to Steam, we are able to play Half Life 2....a game that debuted in 2004.

Microsoft aggressively pushed DirectX and DirectPlay for that very reason. Their PowerPoint slides and free Microsoft mugs were really convincing.

Fortunately more and more companies are realizing that if they write their games to take advantage of OpenGL and open network standards, they can sell games for three platforms instead of just one. You know, make more money.

[MacinTommy]

"Manage open windows more easily—resize and arrange windows simply by dragging their borders to the edge of your screen."

Srsly?

[imitchellg5]

Meh, the Mac vs. PC debate is so old. I always say it's like debating whether or not milk chocolate or dark chocolate is better: no matter which you prefer, it's still basically the same, and you're still enjoying the experience.

[Spheric Harlot]

Via John Gruber:

Matt Gemmell nails it:

Apple and Microsoft have something in common: their “Mac vs PC” comparisons both target PC users.

[quesera]

I was convinced of one thing. The woman in the yellow blouse on the page was rather cute. (heads over to post on Hot Babes Picturefest thread)

[downinflames68]

Here's one that actually matters: Macs hold resale values. PCs are worth SHIT in about 1.5 years.

[Hawkeye_a]

Welcome to 2006, Microsoft

[TheoCryst]

Hmm...

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

Here's one that actually matters: Macs hold resale values. PCs are worth SHIT in about 1.5 years.

Well, to be fair, the majority of Windows-based users probably only spend $400-600 on a computer to start out with.

But your point is true. I helped my grandfather get a 6 month old Sony Vaio thing on craigslist. MSRP was $1099 originally, he got it for $400. Still under warranty and everything. OTOH, the $1099 MBP at 6 months of age could probably sell for $950 on eBay.

[Laminar]

My 3 year old $700 Mini typically goes for ~$500 on eBay.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Direct TV connection.
Most Macs can't hook up to your TV unless you buy a converter dongle. Many PCs running Windows 7 are designed to connect directly to TVs, so you can watch movies and see photos on the big screen.

- "Many".. most don't and you just need a 30$ adaptor to make it work...

Huh? None of that makes any sense- the M$ drivel or the 'response'.

Any computer with a DVI, VGA or HDMI port (IE: about 95% of all desktops, and probably 80+ % of all laptops) can be connected to most any modern TV without any type of converter or adaptor.

M$'s hype-dept doesn't even know enough about their own product to make a decent point- PCs are easier to use as HTPCs with full DVR features because the hardware is much more readily available with more variety. That would have been a better plus than some crap about connecting to TVs and Xboxes.

But then again, I've noticed just about anyone caught up in ultra-lame Mac vs. PC bullshit are generally among the clowns that know the absolute LEAST about computers and technology.

[brassplayersrock²]

"But then again, I've notice just about anyone/any entity caught up in ultra-lame Mac vs. PC bullshit are generally among the clowns that know the absolute LEAST about computers and technology.”

So that would make you… what?

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

...someone not caught up in lame Mac vs. PC shit that was old ten years ago.

[brassplayersrock²]

…and yet you keep talking about it here

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Sheesh dude. Way to knock that chip off your own shoulder.

[Oisín]

Securely share your movies, music, and photos.
With a Mac, it's harder to set up secure sharing for your photos, music & movies, documents, and even printers with other computers on your home network. With HomeGroup, it's easy to connect all the computers in your house running Windows 7.

Note the key word here: running Windows 7. Try to enter anything running anything else into the constellation and ‘easy’ very quickly becomes ‘completely undoable’. Want your friend’s XP machine to join your network? That’ll be two hours of excruciating exercises in futility, thank you.

I guess they make a point of touting network capabilities in Windows 7 because they actually work now, for the first time in … well, ever.

[sek929]

I've used the 'easy connectivity' features in Windows 7 to connect a laptop to a projector. It worked well about 50% of the time.

Just for shits I connected my buddies old G4 iBook to the projector, worked a hell of a lot better.

[FireWire]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE 

Huh? None of that makes any sense- the M$ drivel or the 'response'.

Any computer with a DVI, VGA or HDMI port (IE: about 95% of all desktops, and probably 80+ % of all laptops) can be connected to most any modern TV without any type of converter or adaptor.

most apple computers use a mini-displayport connector so you need some kind of adapter to connect to a regular display or TV

[Spheric Harlot]

Except then it works.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Originally Posted by FireWire 

most apple computers use a mini-displayport connector so you need some kind of adapter to connect to a regular display or TV

Mini displayport/HDMI cable 15ft $12.74.

So both PCs and Macs require an extra cable (of the correct type) to connect to a TV. (PCs don't generally ship with HDMI cables the last I checked, nor is one a 'design feature'. Windows 7 running on the PC has squat to do with it. So basically nothing in the original 'point' from M$ is actually factual.

[Spheric Harlot]

To be fair, a standard HDMI cable is utterly generic and can be had from any corner hardware store.

A MDP--> HDMI cable is not.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

I guess I assume if someone bought a Mac in the first place, they can probably figure out where to buy the accessories for it as well.

BestBuy, Frys, etc. sell mini-displayport adapters for around $20. My local hardware store will gladly rip PC or Mac users off over $30 for an HDMI cable of any decent length. ( I generally wonder what would keep most people here in the US from buying any of this stuff vastly cheaper and in most cases better from monoprice.)

I'd wager that most people seriously interested in a Mac-based HTPC would probably consider the Mac Mini, which of all current Macs is probably best suited, and currently does have an HDMI port.

It was just such a dumb claimed 'advantage' for the PC- it's mostly the same freakin' cables (like virtually all of the other hardware) and very close if not exactly the same costs involved for either platform for viewing on a TV.

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE 

Mini displayport/HDMI cable 15ft $12.74.

So both PCs and Macs require an extra cable (of the correct type) to connect to a TV. (PCs don't generally ship with HDMI cables the last I checked, nor is one a 'design feature'. Windows 7 running on the PC has squat to do with it. So basically nothing in the original 'point' from M$ is actually factual.

A few of the higher-end ultra-portables come with an HDMI cable, but only like the $1999 Sonys and nonsuch. However, Dell and HP will gladly bundle an HDMI cable with your computer for a price.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

So will Apple