For the last year or so, the only Apple advertisements I've seen on TV are for iPods. When was the last time you saw an advertisement for their computers? All of this iPod advertising seems to have paid off, maybe even more so than Apple had planned, since iPods seem to be selling faster than Apple can get them into the stores. I think that if they put as much effort into their advertising for Macs, they would probably sell 10 times (or more) as many as they do currently.

Hard to say really, I remember reading on Forbes earlier this week that Apple are looking to raise their market share significantly in the next year simply based on the fact that so many of the people that are getting ipods, then go on to buy macs.

It would be nice to see something beside a I-Pod AD for once

Advertising would certainly make a difference.

Yea, I've only ever see Mac ads.

No, not really. Advertising may help Apple sell a small amount more Macs, but most people know Apple comps exist. The average consumer wants a Windows based computer for many different reasons.

People know iPods exist too, but that hasn't stopped Apple from running daily advertisements for them. I have no doubt that their ad campaign has had a large impact on how many have been sold in the last few months (especially during the holidays). The average consumer wants a computer to get online with, listen to music on, and balance the checkbook on. They also want a computer that is going to be reliable and not plagued by weekly (or even daily) viruses, but many of them don't KNOW that there are other options besides Windows computers. Most of the general public is not even as knowledgeable about technology as the average poster here on Neowin, so they don't realize that many of the problems they associate with computers are ONLY (or at least primarily) Windows problems.

An iPod is a computer.

Do you happen to have a link for that article? Most of the stuff I've seen from Forbes is generally pro-Windows and anti-everything else. Now Mossberg from the Wall Street Journal is a very active proponent of the Mac.

No it isnt??

http://www.google.com/search?q=define%3Acomputer

Maybe in the most general sense of the word, but then again, if you are going to be that general, then a VCR is a computer too.

nah.. Apple doesnt have Windows

You say that like it's a bad thing.

An iPod fits that definition.

An iPod fits that definition.

An iPod fits that definition.

An iPod fits that definition.

An iPod fits that definition.

I see a pattern here...

Would love to see more ads of that sweet looking G5 beast.

Apple seems to use alot of product placement for their advertising. I can't even count how many TV shows and movies I've seen Mac's in. 24 has G5's everywhere and I've seen Powerbooks in tons of shows. I do think that they need to have good TV ads for their iMac G5's.

And as I mentioned, a VCR meets most of those definitions as well. I still don't think most people would consider a VCR (or an iPod) a computer. Anyway, I think most people here are reasonable enough to understand which computers I was talking about in my first post.

Macs are all over the place in my favorite shows as well (all of the CSI shows). CSI:NY is the only one that seems to have an equal number of Windows PC's (mostly Dells, I think), although there are a couple in the other two CSI shows. I see PowerBooks everywhere I look too (even in a couple of print ads for Windows software!!!). Too bad so many shows mask over the Apple logo (although I've seen a few that they missed occasionally). A G4 iMac is kind of hard to miss though (pretty much all of the lab computers on CSI are iMacs).

advertising for their desktops/laptops doesn't have as much of a return on investment as advertising for ipods

i'd be surprised if apple even sold desktops/laptops in 10 years....

Net Sales and Unit Sales by Product[1]
Macintosh net sales: $4.923 billion.
Macintosh unit sales: 3.29 million
iPod net sales: $1.306 billion.
iPod unit sales: 4.4 million.
Net Sales Per Unit
Macintosh: $1,429
iPod: $296
Expenses
Advertising: $209 million.
Research and Development: $489 million.
General administration and sales: $1.421 billion.

Apple generates five times more sales (measured in dollars) with the Macintosh product line than the iPod product line. Apple doesn't break down the profit or expenses per unit, but with only about $300 revenue per iPod I suspect the bulk of Apple's operations funded by the Macintosh product lines which pull in nearly 5 times as much revenue per sale.


You must live in a fantasy world where companies routinely walk away from a profitable and proven five billion dollar per-year business to focus on selling fancy music boxes.

[1] Apple Computer Inc: 2004 SEC Form 10-K

The last mac related commercial I saw other than iPod was the superbowl iTMS one.

Yes, but how many continue to have misconceptions toward Macintosh computers? Look at all the computer geeks on neowin who still have those misconceptions.

I have seen one when the G4 iMac came out....(still a nice computer) than I saw another one with the G5....and oh yeah...a bunch of iPod ones too...

yeah the last one I saw was when the G5 came out.

Pepsi made that ad, but yeah besides the Pepsi/iTunes promotion ads, the last one I saw was definitely the G5 ad.

I figured an ad for the new iMac G5, but I guess I was wrong. Usually they run ads for new products (PowerBook G4, iMac G4, PowerMac G5, those all got ads ran).

I've never really liked Macs (gone through plenty of the older ones, but I've settled with PCs), but I really do have to hand it to 'em, they could make dismembered fingers sell and make it THE thing to buy.

That's how could their marketing is.

It certainly wouldn't do any damage to advertise powerbooks etc, it's just that right now they want people to buy ipods (which are a somewhat new idea and they want to seize control of that market as quickly as possible).

This is probably the best place to post this.

I live in the UK, and the other day I was getting a bus from central Manchester back home. On the bus stop is a big ad for AMD Athlon 64 laptops. This in itself is a little weird, since its rare that you see adverts by processors manufacturers.

What made it even weirder, is that there was something bugging me about the photograph used. On closer inspection, the notebook is clearly a Titanium-era G4 Powerbook, with the Apple logo on the lid photoshopped out.

It clearly has a single mouse button, and you can even see the Apple/CMD key next to the spacebar. And that case with the plastic trim stands out so much.



Somebody with a digital camera go out and find this, please.

Like the Cube, eMate, Newton, Flower Power/Blue Dalmatian, Lisa, and Apple III?

Are you regurgitating a witty comment you found on the web or do you have some data to back up that base statement?

Have you heard of humour or are you just using his post as an excuse to show everybody how much you hate Apple?

Heh, I'm just really impressed with how well these guys have marketed the Ipod here in the UK

Relax man

Advertising helps sell every product, it would be no different for apple. If they broadcasted that Black Eyed Peas advert they did for the iMac G5 no doubt more Macs would be purchased, The question is, could Apple supply the demand? they already cant handle xmas and only a very small percentage of computer owners even buy Macs..

If the whole TV watching population see Macs and at a small margin 2% of them people do go ahead and purchase Macs I don't think Apple could supply straight away and we would see perhaps 2 3 month waiting lists.

I agree with what one person said. A lot of people hate macs only because their not PC's it seems. They have many misconceptions like choice in software, proc speed, osx's abilities, etc. However Ive convinced around 4 people I know personally to buy a Mac after I bought one in August '04. Many people just dont know how great they are
Just yesterday I convinced my uncle to buy a new iMac after his dell died on him. I told him Macs dont get viruses/adware and that if he used firefox and gmail, he would get barely, if any, spam or pop-ups. He seemed to fancy the idea enough to buy a Mac. I think a little advertising would help mac out a little.

I got three converts to my name since getting my powerbook last year. One of them has had his powerbook for two weeks and already loves it so much that he's buying a G5 to replace his pc.

I think Apple's last video was the G5 Commercial. That was a good one too

Here is a linky for those who haven't seen it

http://www.esm.psu.edu/Faculty/Gray/graphi...cG5-ad_m480.mov

It was banned I believe for being "mis-leading" when saying "the worlds fastest personal computer.

I actually fell in love with it then

Well jesus man, what are you doing posting here on neowin? you should be working for apple's advertising department.

I saw that when the G5 first came out. It helped with my crusade to get a Mac. I only saw the commercial 3 times and wonderd why I didnt see it more.

I've noticed things like this too. Usually in advertisements in PC magazines. I've seen plenty of pictures of what is quite obviously a PowerBook G3 with Windows screenshots photoshopped in.

Eh... I am the opposite. That commercial made me hate the G5 and Apple itself for such blatantly false advertising. The only thing that attracted me was the beautiful case and huge monitor. Although, after actually using OSX I decided that I like it and the G5 quite a bit.

On television shows everyone uses Macs, that is a kind of advertising.

Blade Trinity was basically a 2 hour-long Apple commercial.

damn sonice, you beat me to it, i saw the movie tonite and wow, is it ever, jeesica beil all over her powerbook, using itunes to upload music to her ipod, while ryan reynolds is just like, yeah she is all abou her mp3's. Meanhile you see g5 towers and apple displays all over the place

Of course.
Really strange if not at least one person buys a Mac because he sees an Apple advertise.

Exactly. When you say you haven't seen any Mac computer ads, you have. They pay people to use their products in tv shows and movies.

what i don't understand if apple is a hardware company, as they claim. Why do they promote the OS in their "I Switched" commercials comparing OS X to Windows? It makes sense, but wouldn't you think they would be promoting their hardware if they are a hardware company?

I noticed that too. He beat me to it too. (j/k)

I'm not sure if such blatant product placement will work or backfire but sex appeal does sell and Jessica Biel is damn sexy in that movie/advertisement.

dude, they are not only a hardware company, who told you they was only hardware?

They just get most of there profit from selling hardware, (Hello every mac sold comes with the latest mac os)

In the UK the television series "Spooks" is also a good Apple commercial, cinema displays all over the place and some PowerMac G4s too I believe.

i know that, thank you captain obvious, i know they make their own OS, i am currently using it. What i am saying is that in those commercials they focused on that aspect, and nothing really on the hardware. And those "I Swiched" ads ran for a like time before the iPod ads toke over