Apple Asked Microsoft to Stop Laptop Hunters

Calling it the "single greatest phone call he's ever taken in business" Turner said that once Apple had lowered the price of its expensive notebooks, its legal team called Microsoft and asked that the commercials not be aired any longer because they had reduced prices.

The whole thing began because Turner was bragging that the Laptop Hunters adverts were actually working. As proof he said the following (full transcript available here):

And you know why I know they're working? Because two weeks ago we got a call from the Apple legal department saying, hey — this is a true story — saying, "Hey, you need to stop running those ads, we lowered our prices." They took like $100 off or something. It was the greatest single phone call in the history that I've ever taken in business. (Applause.)I did cartwheels down the hallway. At first I said, "Is this a joke? Who are you?" Not understanding what an opportunity. And so we're just going to keep running them and running them and running them.

Unfortunately, right before he let everyone in on the fact that Apple begged them to take commercials off the air, Turner said that the commercials were completely unscripted and that they just asked people their price range, gave them the cash and sent them in to buy a laptop.

Just giving people saying, hey, what are you looking to spend? "Oh, I'm looking to spend less than $1,000." Well we'll give you $1,000. Go in and look and see what you can buy. And they come out and they just show them. Those are completely unscripted commercials.

Hard to believe when you consider Lauren, the subject of the first commercial, was actually an actress.

  • xyzionz
    LOL
    Reply
  • brendano257
    I don't buy it, personally I think that Microsoft is taking cheap shots at Apple with these adds. In one of them a kid is looking for one for "gaming" and he spends under 800$, not possible if this kid is playing anything REMOTELY recent. They have a side up on Apple because Apple relies on loyal customers, Windows relies on stupid customers that they can lure into getting a laptop, regardless of weather or not it will perform well. They use tricks like big HD's and just putting FAST! next to any processor, even though they never top 2Ghz for the most part, and for the most part, they pick on uneducated buyers and get them to believe what they're getting is good.

    Not to mention, these people haven't even taken their laptops home and REALLY used them yet, how you they know? :)
    Reply
  • Yeah... decent story, but is it really newsworthy?
    Reply
  • Regulas
    First, let me say I don't believe this story is true no matter how much MS wants it to be.
    I just saw a new one yesterday and they allowed $1,500, enough to buy a new 2.53 Ghz 13″ Macbook Pro with 4Gb DDR3 Ram, 250Gb HD and Nvidia Gforce 9400M graphics and the little part I love, a automatic backlit keyboard.
    When the actor stopped at the Mac the comment was something like like Macs are all about looks and don’t have good guts inside. He had a point but not as extreme as one would believe. I would rather have a little less horsepower and get better battery life than the opposite and battery dies under two hours. Then there is the one of the key issues, OS X vs Vista, no comparison, OS X rocks. The actor then choose a HP with Millennium II in it, LOL.
    I would grab the Mac for sure but I am sure I more informed than the average Joe that MS is targeting with these adverts.
    Reply
  • Hanin33
    brendano257I don't buy it, personally I think that Microsoft is taking cheap shots at Apple with these adds. In one of them a kid is looking for one for "gaming" and he spends under 800$, not possible if this kid is playing anything REMOTELY recent. They have a side up on Apple because Apple relies on loyal customers, Windows relies on stupid customers that they can lure into getting a laptop, regardless of weather or not it will perform well. They use tricks like big HD's and just putting FAST! next to any processor, even though they never top 2Ghz for the most part, and for the most part, they pick on uneducated buyers and get them to believe what they're getting is good.Not to mention, these people haven't even taken their laptops home and REALLY used them yet, how you they know?
    and this is different from what apple does how?
    Reply
  • aracheb
    brendano257I don't buy it, personally I think that Microsoft is taking cheap shots at Apple with these adds. In one of them a kid is looking for one for "gaming" and he spends under 800$, not possible if this kid is playing anything REMOTELY recent. They have a side up on Apple because Apple relies on loyal customers, Windows relies on stupid customers that they can lure into getting a laptop, regardless of weather or not it will perform well. They use tricks like big HD's and just putting FAST! next to any processor, even though they never top 2Ghz for the most part, and for the most part, they pick on uneducated buyers and get them to believe what they're getting is good.Not to mention, these people haven't even taken their laptops home and REALLY used them yet, how you they know?
    man you just screw yourself there, if you see 90% of apple user are 100% technology uneducated, that is the reason they buy macs in the first place. They don't even realize what they are getting, because when you buy a mac, the spec are in a little, very small sticker on one of the remotely seen side of the box. Because almost non of the mac user knows what are those gibberish.
    Reply
  • Parrdacc
    I want to believe it. It does make sense in this economy. Who would pay for Apples, all be it nice looking, overpriced systems when they can get a PC for less? No matter what when money gets tight people are going to go for what they can afford regardless of anything. Besides at least the M$ commercial tend to deal with the price of a PC and not the OS which is what Apple does. OH windows can't do this or that. Well if I have a PC who says I have to run windows. I can run any number of OS's. At least I have the choice on the PC. OH and if I build my PC it will cost me even less then if I bought one and more than likely have better hardware to.
    Reply
  • DjEaZy
    ... the ad's must be... one month testworking with Apple and OS X, and one month testworking with PC with Vista ... and then i would gladly see the results... don't misunderstand me... i'm a PC user my self... because Apple don't haz an AMD option... but... but wen YOU work with any apple device, YOU can feal the care and that it just works...
    Reply
  • thearm
    Apple..... Have you no shame with 12% of the market.
    Reply
  • thearm
    DjEaZy... the ad's must be... one month testworking with Apple and OS X, and one month testworking with PC with Vista ... and then i would gladly see the results... don't misunderstand me... i'm a PC user my self... because Apple don't haz an AMD option... but... but wen YOU work with any apple device, YOU can feal the care and that it just works...
    As you can w/ a PC. I have four PC's including my work computer and they all work all day every day.
    Reply