If you know what your doing, you shouldnt need to spend a dime on anti-virus software or any "geek squad" sinkhole..

Yeah, everyone will think you're cool for spending way too much money on a computer.

Wow!

All of my photo and video editing needs are met with free programs that come with Vista home premium. I have been using AVG free edition virus protection for the past 7 years without incident. In fact all 71 PC's that I take care of at work use AVG free edition as well. I don't put anything on the Macs at work.

Microsoft's reply should be laughter.

Macs and pre-built computers suck equally.

Free:
Avira antivir is a great Free product.
Picasa will work as ILife does.
Zonealarm is a great firewall.

Cmon ppl continue adding softwares to this list.

there are free antivirus software, avg, when you buy a pc from dell you normally get 1+ year of norton. most isp give customer free pc internet security suite. sure apple has ilife, iwork, act, but there are simular products for pc. even free ones like open office, sure it sucks, but hey what do you want for free. it's understandable that microsoft needs to do a better job. spend some of its money and create better software and sure iwork and ilife are inexpensive when compared to office, but hey you already paid through the nose for an apple, so they give you a break on some of their software, but the aperture, final cut, logic studio, ect start to become expensive...

yeap, i like to build my own pc, i pick all the parts i want, sure it takes a little bit of work, but i end up with a daemon of a machine for a lot less money.

Hasn't apple ever heard of open source software?

Oh wait, they love to stomp on that stuff...
Everything I need to do on a PC can be accomplished with free, effective software which is updated constantly by a dedicated community of users.

So the MAXIMUM you can spend on a PC might come close to what you have to pay for a Mac, but how many PC users really end up having to pay anywhere near that much? Most people I know don't go to Geek Squad once a month, buy overpriced software, etc. With a PC, it's your choice if you want to spend that much. With a Mac, you have no choice.

They're barking up the wrong tree here. I build my own PC's, but when I buy a laptop I format it anyway. I don't want the free shit that comes with them, yet alone with a Mac. The reason I choose PC is because I feel I have more freedom to choose between competing products. If I want a certain computer part, Windows accepts it, if I want a certain peice of software, it's made for Windows. If I want to play video games, watch Blu-ray, use a specific motherboard, videocard, memory, AMD products, Wireless adapter, router, memory card reader, etc. etc. etc. WINDOWS. WINDOWS. WINDOWS.

I hate to be a fanboy..

Sometimes i simply hate Apple, I could never own one. (unless it were better then PC)

fail Apple. I use AVG free and it cost me $35 to have my pc fixed when a transformer blew and fried my hard drive. you act as if everyone edits photos and videos. you can find those basic software for free on cnet.

Nice, Microsoft got Apple to respond directly to their ads. Now Apple looks like they're the aggressive/obnoxious one.

Another win for Microsoft. Apple is turning into desperation mode, the direct reply to a Microsoft commercial shows it.

Nobody gets the geek squad diagnosis. And PC's come with Windows Movie Maker and Windows Live Photo Editor. And with a PC you can FULLY customize what you want in it... not like in a Mac where you just HAVE to take what they give you and shut up.

I think you just said too much about your AVG free usage.......

Well these people are about as idiotic as their customers or is that they are smarter and are just taking advantage of their customers while at the same time giving them a false sense that they actually know what they are doing? Here are some problems, at least imho, with their argument:

"PC users will spend extra on software like decent virus protection and iLife, which endeavors to take care of all your photo and video-editing needs."

1. Decent virus protection can be had for free.
2. If I bought a PC why would I even consider using iLife anyway?

"Then you’ve got the fact that a GeekSqaud diagnosis is $129 versus the free Genius Bar diagnosis at Apple stores."

1. Yes owning a PC does require a person to actually learn to use a computer and how it works thereby allowing the person to become a better user and more knowledgeable of the technology surrounding it.
2. Apples Genius Bar from what I have seen just shows a person how to perform a specific set of tasks and that's it. Hardly qualifies a person as a genius.

***Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a life time.****

"The one thing that both Apple and Microsoft can agree on is that everyone thinks the Mac is cool."

1. Yes. They are nice to look at. That is till you see the sticker price. Cool? That is debatable. But that phase shows Apples arrogant, self important, and pompous attitude that for some reason seems to instill itself like a cancer in those that buy into them.

Seems like every Apple user I run into knows little or nothing of their cool, aesthetic pleasing computer. If something goes wrong they just hot foot it down to the Apple store where they shell even more money to get it fixed. Lets not forget parts and labor. With a PC, granted I build my own, I rarely have any problems and if I do I and most other PC users know exactly what we need to do and/or need to buy to get things right again and because of this we, at the very least, bypass the labor costs.

"PC users will spend extra on software like decent virus protection and iLife, which endeavors to take care of all your photo and video-editing needs."

I always hear Apple reiterating time and again that they're a _hardware_ company, not a software house. Why then would they even bother mentioning software "superiority" when MS' ads target hardware sales.

This phase of the PC vs Mac war is funny. The "hardware" company is marketing their software and the software company is marketing (not even their own) hardware.

LOL this is bad there was more truth in the MS ad then apples response to it. if you buy a brand name PC does it not already come with programs like internet security and other programs that are basically the same that is on a mac. most programs pre-installed have a year trial or somthing but still your getting better value with a PC

QQ more. I really cannot imagine this Apple spokesperson actually representing the mindset of employees and customers. For the record...not everybody thinks Mac is cool. Heck, even my Design and Manufacturing professor who was a VP for Apple(when they were doing well) left to teach because he could not stand Macintosh (ipods however, are another story).

Um...Macs don't play games last I checked which is what I want.

Apple just ... sucks. period. "Apple Tax", yea, not worth it.

Dude, Free Home Edition of AVG is exactly what the Licence agreement you have clicked on 71 times to install it at work, It is for free personal use on a home computer, They do sell professional versions which are for commercial use, I know as I used to work for a company that are retailers for AVG in the UK!

They have a free version so that the user base is matching the demands of virus definition updates, this allows them to effectivly create a sellable commercial product. AVG are not a huge company, so I do think that the licence should be followed and they get paid for commercial use if it is being used in this way!!

And as for Apple, OOOhhhhhh so cool a way to waste money NOT!!!!!! would rather pee it up a wall!!!!!

wonder when Linux will be airing their ads...
admittedly, some of the runner ups weren't very professional looking and the one that looked professional makes me want to punch babies.

Epic fail Apple, that's why I hate you. Cool people don't buy macs they build they're own PC's.

iMac & HP crapware killer
For $699 (newegg)

AMD Phenom II 940BE 3Ghz $189 (beats the hell out of your core2duos)
Gigabyte MA78GM UD2H $80
Corsair XMS2 DHX DDR2 800 2x1GB $40
Seagate 7200.12 500GB $60
OCZ SteathXtream 500w $60
Logitech MX 518 $40
Logitech Internet 350 Black $16
LG GH22NS30 $25
CoolerMaster CM-690 $75
Hanns·G JW-197DPB Black 19" $110
$700

That's a powerfull PC, learn that Apple!

me too....I think you just said too much about your AVG free usage....... beware knocks on the door~

The Apples Genius Bar are not the place you will want to go if you know how to fix "computer" problems. From what I have seen, it is a long line pack with people with sick computers and waiting for the person to help them. Some even told you it is better to schedule an appointment before came in. The Apples Genius Bar sound so familiar like my local hospital...next!...Dr Genius will now see you and follow me please.

Looks like a mac zealot is going through all the posts and downrating them. Watch out for them, they will harm your children!

PC = Virus
It not a question with a PC if you will get a virus but when your antivirus software is capable of detecting the beastie already roaming on your machine.
PC's should never ever be connected to the internet they are just not safe.

Macs are for people smart enought to know that PC's just suck.
Yes linux is safer than windows but anything in Linux becomes a research project. becuase version x.xx is diferent from linux x.x and no two commands use the same syntax. need help type man no that commands needs info but it was not written yet so you need user but that got broken in the latest release so you need to use program y but just so you know distro k uses a diferent command structure than your distro.
YOU FAIL!!!!!!

Yes you need a hyper fast PC becuase 95% of the machines recources are used for windows.
Most windows users are ignorant of what a real OS is like and don't know better. Try something like AOS4.1 and you will cry the next time you start windows.

All this deceit reminds me of the "FinallyFast.com!!!" commercials (with over a million sales!). Their program is listed on wiki rogue software http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_software and is known for barely working (its supposed to be a registry cleaner) and even at times making things worse. Totally not what the commercial implies... obviously. Yes people are really that stupid 'unknowing'. Anyways back to my point, I hate companies' ability to lie to the public and make money 'millions' off of it.

Ummm, It's obvious he's poking fun at the Microsoft commercials. They just spent 3 ads saying "Mac's are cool but too expensive!". Hell even this website said the same thing!

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/v [...] ,7524.html

This website used to have better things to do that slam Apple all day. Think we can get back to those things??

KRAcH... thanks for the good laugh... lol. One of biggest lies about Macs are that they are impervious to viruses. In fact, most Mac owners I know don't even have anti-virus software installed. I recently scanned my friends mac-pro and found 7 viruses and 200+ spyware and tracking cookies. Come-on... I've had 1 virus with vista and it was easily taken care of with AVG FRee.

AVG Free antivirus + Windows Live + Picasa fulfill all my needs. Plus, I can use a computer well enough to troubleshoot it myself - none of this Geeksquad stuff for me. So now what, Apple?