Microsoft Made a REALLY Lame Surface Ad Comparing It With the MacBook

It’s no secret Microsoft loves comparing some of its products with Apple. The company has long been comparing Surface devices with MacBooks, and some of those comparisons were actually pretty good. Microsoft even had a number of ads comparing Surface devices with MacBook devices, with some of those advertisements being pretty bearable.

But the latest Surface ad comparing the Surface Laptop 2 with a MacBook Air is probably the lamest thing I have seen in a long time. And that’s probably the reason why Microsoft hasn’t officially published the ad, which was leaked by WalkingCat on Twitter.

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Here’s how it goes: Microsoft got a guy called Mac Book and asked him which laptop is faster, which one lasts longer, and which one has a better touch screen. The joke with the last one is, of course, the MacBook not having a touch screen at all.

https://twitter.com/h0x0d/status/1156573268960317440

The ad ends with Mac Book saying “You should get a Surface. Trust me. I’m Mac Book”. Yeah, ugh.

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Conversation 41 comments

  • yoshi

    Premium Member
    31 July, 2019 - 1:00 pm

    <p>I'd imagine there are hundreds of these types of ads that never see the light of day. If Microsoft green-lit this to go live, it would be very questionable. Talking about cringe.</p>

    • Daninbusiness

      Premium Member
      31 July, 2019 - 1:28 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#446371">In reply to yoshi:</a></em></blockquote><p>Good point, I suppose maybe something like how professional photographers take many, many shots; the majority of which are deleted.</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      01 August, 2019 - 5:44 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#446371">In reply to yoshi:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yeah, the premise is amusing, but the actual implementation is dreadful.</p><p>As a gag, done by somebody else, it could be funny. But as an actual advert from Microsoft it comes across as needy.</p>

  • dsharp75

    31 July, 2019 - 1:25 pm

    <p>They TRIED to be clever…</p>

  • jf-nyc

    Premium Member
    31 July, 2019 - 1:41 pm

    <p>And we have the first question for Chris Cap when he returns in December….</p>

  • Saxwulf

    Premium Member
    31 July, 2019 - 1:47 pm

    <p>In other breaking news, earlier today, Tim Cook got chewing gum stuck to the sole of his shoe.</p>

  • Winner

    31 July, 2019 - 2:03 pm

    <p>Microsoft has exceled (see what I did there?) at lame ads for a very, very long time.</p>

    • crp0908

      02 August, 2019 - 7:22 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#446403">In reply to Winner:</a></em></blockquote><p>Word! :)</p>

  • hrlngrv

    Premium Member
    31 July, 2019 - 2:09 pm

    <p>In fairness, does MSFT create its ads in-house, or do they use an ad agency? Ad agencies aren't necessarily staffed entirely with creative geniuses, and some creative types do a lot better with, say, cars and clothes than technology.</p><p>That said, MSFT just doesn't want to believe there are some people who simply don't want touch-screen laptops.</p>

  • dontbeevil

    31 July, 2019 - 2:20 pm

    <p>enjoy 40 minutes of REALLY lame mac ads comparing it with a pc</p><p><br></p><p>youtube.com/watch?v=qfv6Ah_MVJU</p><p><br></p><p>youtube.com/watch?v=BwzLrqehjKs</p><p><br></p>

    • TEAMSWITCHER

      31 July, 2019 - 6:30 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#446432">In reply to dontbeevil:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>"Choose a Vista" was perhaps the most funny .. because it was all true.</p>

    • Jeffsters

      31 July, 2019 - 9:47 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#446432">In reply to dontbeevil:</a></em></blockquote><p>So “who is more the fool? The fool or the fool who follows him?”</p>

      • dontbeevil

        01 August, 2019 - 3:40 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#446665">In reply to Jeffsters:</a></em></blockquote><p>you mean like the author, that's more like an apple fanboy blogger instead of an objective journalist, manage to change the title in really lame or good way, if it's about his beloved apple or not?</p>

  • derekaw

    31 July, 2019 - 2:26 pm

    <p>I find it impossible to believe that anyone contemplating a Mac would change their mind based on an advert like this. </p>

    • MikeGalos

      31 July, 2019 - 3:44 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#446438">In reply to derekaw:</a></em></blockquote><p>At this point Mac usage is so low that it's impossible to believe that anyone still contemplating a Mac would change their mind based on anything.</p>

      • Jeffsters

        31 July, 2019 - 9:46 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#446511">In reply to MikeGalos:</a></em></blockquote><p>Mike you are funny I got to give you that! Have you ever considered trolling Apple related news articles beyond here? It’s a big world out there for the taking Mikey!</p>

      • PeteB

        01 August, 2019 - 1:39 am

        <blockquote><a href="#446511"><em>In reply to MikeGalos:</em></a><em> At this point..</em></blockquote><p>As this point your mindless shitposts are boring people</p>

      • Stooks

        01 August, 2019 - 8:07 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#446511">In reply to MikeGalos:</a></em></blockquote><p>Looking at the company I work for I actually agree with you. </p><p><br></p><p>Macbooks were the “choice” for lots of people at work, especially at the executive level. With the combination of horrible keyboards and the removal of MagSafe we have had users switch when it came time to refresh. We Have had users break more than a few USB-C charging cables after the removal of MagSafe. </p><p><br></p><p>At the same time we moved to Office 365 and allowed Surface devices to be a choice and believe it or not we are seeing people actually request them. They state that Office 365 is better on Windows and they like the touch screen. I thought the desktop support manager was full of it until I started seeing Surface devices in meetings. </p>

  • pnewey

    Premium Member
    31 July, 2019 - 2:31 pm

    <p>I think it's hilarious.</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      01 August, 2019 - 5:46 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#446439">In reply to pnewey:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes, the idea is funny, but it being an actual advert, as opposed to a comedy skit also makes it a bit cringe worthy.</p>

  • harmjr

    Premium Member
    31 July, 2019 - 3:00 pm

    <p>Waiting on Apple's clap back.</p>

  • Emmanuel Rannaud

    31 July, 2019 - 3:43 pm

    <p>Where's Seinfeld when you need him…. </p>

  • Daekar

    31 July, 2019 - 4:07 pm

    <p>Was I the only one that enjoyed that?</p>

    • zbecka

      31 July, 2019 - 4:52 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#446524">In reply to Daekar:</a></em></blockquote><p>No, you are not. I laughed! </p>

    • jrswarr

      Premium Member
      01 August, 2019 - 7:40 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#446524">In reply to Daekar:</a></em></blockquote><blockquote><em>Nope – I thought it was pretty funny. </em></blockquote><p><br></p>

    • Stooks

      01 August, 2019 - 7:56 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#446524">In reply to Daekar:</a></em></blockquote><p>I thought it was great. </p><p><br></p><p>I recently got a Thinkpad T580 with a touch screen. I never thought I would like it or use it. I was wrong and now I wish all my computers had it. </p>

  • Sykeward

    31 July, 2019 - 5:56 pm

    <p>It’s not SuperBowl-caliber but I don’t think it’s too bad, and I say that as someone who prefers to use a MacBook. However, the idea of someone using a touchscreen while eating buttered popcorn really upsets me</p>

  • truerock2

    31 July, 2019 - 6:20 pm

    <p>So, they great thing about Microsoft is they are trying to bridge the touchscreen and notebook computer. A thought experiment that I enjoy contemplating. But, this TV commercial indicates that Microsoft is not understanding the issues.</p><p><br></p><p>I bought my daughter a new HP Windows 10 notebook a few months ago. I was going to get her the same HP touchscreen Windows 10 notebooks her mother and brothers have – but, HP didn't offer the touchscreen as part of this "sale". Her mother and brothers do not use the touchscreen on their HP Windows 10 notebooks – they do like the face-recognition feature that unlocks their notebooks when they sit down in front of them… but, that was not offered on my daughter's notebook, either.</p><p><br></p><p>Apple has decided to fork iOS and iPadOS. To me… this further shows that Apple sees a difference in PC and smart-touchscreen device form factors. Apple is not trying to have a rigorous uniform GUI across different screen sizes and form factors.</p><p><br></p><p>I really, really think Microsoft needs to better understand the difference between a GUI for a desktop-keyboard-mouse-PC and other form factors.</p><p><br></p><p>Especially because I use a Windows 10 PC with a 32" screen almost everyday for several hours.</p>

  • TEAMSWITCHER

    31 July, 2019 - 6:27 pm

    <p>Surface Laptop needs an I/O update … like last year. They are still rocking the Mini-Display port that Apple effectively abandoned years ago. The lowly MacBook Air has TWO hyper-versatile hyper-performance Thunderbolt 3 ports. Microsoft needs to fix this now.. I won't even consider Surface Laptop until they modernize.</p>

    • Stooks

      01 August, 2019 - 7:53 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#446579">In reply to TEAMSWITCHER:</a></em></blockquote><p>Exactly what do you use in those T3 ports?</p><p><br></p><p>i have a 2017 15 inch MacBook Pro with 4 of those ports and I have $200 worth of dongles so I can actually use the MacBook. I have nothing that natively uses a T3 port. </p>

  • skipper

    31 July, 2019 - 6:28 pm

    <p>I think it's clever, they found a bloke called <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mackenzie Book, aka Mac Book, for the add</span></p>

  • silversee

    01 August, 2019 - 12:16 am

    <p>"Lame" is definitely in the eye if the beholder. I think this ad is funny and charming.</p><p><br></p><p>Perhaps you could have reported this without injecting your personal opinion?</p>

    • PeteB

      01 August, 2019 - 1:37 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#446723">In reply to Silversee:</a></em></blockquote><p>Found the MS employee</p>

      • dontbeevil

        01 August, 2019 - 9:40 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#446732">In reply to PeteB:</a></em></blockquote><p>found the apple fanboy</p>

    • dontbeevil

      01 August, 2019 - 9:40 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#446723">In reply to Silversee:</a></em></blockquote><p>it's the classi hassan apple fanboy/ms hater article, just compare ALL is article when it's up to apple or someone else … his article are good for an apple fanboys blog, not for a website that supposed to be objective</p>

  • BlackForestHam

    01 August, 2019 - 2:50 am

    <p>Commodore did this better in ‘82. Search for “commodore 64 ask the computers” on YouTube. </p>

  • daf42

    01 August, 2019 - 2:56 am

    <p>So Microsoft ask advertising company to make new advert. Advertising company make advert, advert is lame so Microsoft don't use it. Thus Microsoft is lame? This is a non story. </p><p><br></p><p>Hassan gets accused, rightly or wrongly, of being anti Microsoft and an Apple fan boy, and it is because of articles like this. </p>

  • jrswarr

    Premium Member
    01 August, 2019 - 7:37 am

    <p>Apple is likely on the hunt for Wynn Doze….</p>

  • saint4eva

    04 August, 2019 - 3:20 pm

    <p>Stupid and lame writeup</p><p><br></p>

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