Now you're just sounding beleaguered - The MS "Apple Tax" white paper

[Blankity Blank]

Microsoft has commissioned a ten page report detailing the infamous 'Apple Tax'. The title alone will give a hint as to the drift, "What Price Cool?". The upshot is the report claims that over the course of five years, a family of four will spend over $3,000 more if they buy Macs instead of PCs. Uh. Huh.

Macworld does a quick dissection of the jok... um, "report" here.

Microsoft really is taking the 'throw it all against the wall and see what sticks' approach to their advertising these days. Too hip for the room. Cute kids. Baked testimonials. Bought and paid for "studies." Maybe next they'll try a Billy Mays/Sham Wow Vince double team.

You'll be saying, "WOW!, every time you use this OS. Made in Redmond. You know the Redmonders always make good stuff."

[Lew Zealand]

At least the ads are see by people who don't have Tivos. But a "white paper?" Anyone who's gonna read that is informed enough to have made up their mind one way or the other.

On the plus side for them, it probably didn't cost them much and the media likes a story, no matter how half-baked.

[Article Accelerator]

Here's another criticism of the report:

http://appleinsider.com/articles/09/04/0...study.html
"Kay has already had an opportunity to present his point of view on the report since its publication and told CNET on Thursday that Microsoft had padded costs even further in the information it initially hand-fed to him to produce the report"

Now, what about the Microsoft Tax?:

http://www.macnn.com/articles/09/03/31/a...vs.ms.tax/
http://blogs.computerworld.com/do_window...rosoft_tax
http://www.linfo.org/microsoft_tax.html

[AAA]

I don't fault Apple for pricing their products and services in a way that they feel will keep them in business and funding their R&D.

[JoeH]

Lew Zealand wrote:
At least the ads are see by people who don't have Tivos. But a "white paper?" Anyone who's gonna read that is informed enough to have made up their mind one way or the other.

On the plus side for them, it probably didn't cost them much and the media likes a story, no matter how half-baked.

No, "white papers" are used by PHB's and MGM's to help justify the position they have decided on already. So the organization management that wants to go PC can show how much money they are saving. In the end, white papers are used to beat down the ones informed enough to disagree more often than bring any real facts to the table.

[gabester]

[quote=Blankity Blank]
they'll try a Billy Mays/Sham Wow Vince double team.{/quote]

For some reason I thought of Billy Blanks.
g=

[DaviDC.]

"It's not that I pay an "Apple Tax." I think Windows buyers get a "Microsoft Discount." The deal: We'll charge you less for this computer, but you've got to put up with Windows."
~Dan Miller, Macworld.com

[MikeF]

Click on the "Have at it!" link for a spoof:

[Spock]

All typical Mac users have a MacPro workstation under their desk, don't they.

Spin the numbers, spin, spin, spin.

[guitarist]

Does MS make computers now?

...notice they've stopped promoting the product they do make?