Form Vs. Dysfunction

That's the first ad in Microsoft's new "I'm A PC" campaign. Okay, I may be biased, because I'm a Mac. But is watching everyday, ordinary people saying "Hey, I'm a PC, and listen to this weird hobby/occupation I have!" really going to shape your computer loyalties? I guess they're trying to point out that PC users can be cool and unique, too, but it doesn't strike me as particularly effective. If you're really only choosing a computer because of the "cool" factor, then let's face it, you've probably already settled on a Mac. Is one commercial saying "Hey, don't forget about us, we're cool, too!" going to change your mind? I also wonder if an ad campaign that intentionally evokes a competitor's ad at the very beginning is the way to go-- won't some people just think, "Oh, it's John Hodgman and those damn Apple commercials again," and tune out?

The after-the-fact internet discovery that the "I'm A PC" ads were crafted using a Mac provides a good little chuckle, too, even though it doesn't mean much, since Apple is still the gold standard in most creative departments.

On the other hand, I do like Windows' new ad slogan: "Windows. Not Walls." It's got nice imagery and a simplicity to it. I don't, however, like to use Windows. I've been PC-free for almost an entire year now and I freeze up when faced with the one-two punch of Internet Explorer and Windows OS. At Lauren's recently, I was trying to do something as simple as copy a URL from an Excel file into a browser window and I had to make her do it for me. There's an argument to be made against the intuitiveness of my Mac OS/Firefox combo. Windows and IE really know how to make you work for it; they keep you on your toes. I'm no longer used to troubleshooting. Those neural pathways in my brain are fading fast. I may need to spend some quality time with my parents' desktop PC once a week or so, cursing and right-clicking, just so I don't lose those skills entirely.