Apple makes a play for Windows 7 upgraders

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David Flynn23 October 2009, 7:54 PM

Boot Camp update to deliver full Windows 7 compatibility, while new TV ads target Windows XP users as potential switchers.


Apple’s carefully-calibrated response to the Windows 7 marketing onslaught sees the company putting a dollar each way.

On the one hand, an update to Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard to officially support Window 7 under Boot Camp has been announced to arrive “before the end of the year”.

This will be restricted to Intel-based Macs from 2007 and later, however, with Apple listing nine iMac, MacBook Pro and Mac Pro models which “will not be supported for use with Windows 7 using Boot Camp”.

Alternatives to using Boot Camp’s dual-boot scenario are Parallels Desktop 4.0 and VMware Fusion 3, both of which also support Windows 7.

At the same time, Apple’s latest TV advertisements attempt to snare potential upgraders to Windows 7 before they upgrade, encouraging them to switch to the Mac platform instead.


Two new commercials highlight the complexity of Windows XP users having to move all their “stuff” across to Windows 7 because the new OS doesn’t support smooth in-place upgrades from XP.

If you’ve got to go to the trouble of transferring all your documents, data and applications, Apple suggests, why not make the move to a Mac?

A third TV spot, titled ‘Broken Priomises’, takes a swipe at Microsoft’s claims over Windows 7. Rather than critising the OS itself, however, Apple cleverly suggests that we’ve heard the same promises made for each previous version of Windows, from Vista to XP and well before, so why trust Microsoft this time around?

You can see the advertisements at Apple’s Get a Mac ad gallery.


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The Big Baboo (User):

Yea right :):) I've watched most of those ads and I've decided I'm going to flog WinXp till it dies on me and then I'm moving completely over to Linux.Apart from changing a few file formats,up till now I haven't had any trouble with it :)

24 October 2009, 3:14 PM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tony23 (User):

The marketing of MS and Apple products is really entertaining; it's like a political election that doesn't stop.

24 October 2009, 8:11 PM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Halcon (Advanced member):

Well said, in one hand, all versions of Windows came and went to the forgotten land with all the fanfare and broken promises, as if this were a political election to get most votes to have a mandate.
In the other hand, Apple does the same thing, Computer and software are very expensive compared to IBM PC and Compatibles machines that can be bought for a good price and upgrade later when the conditions of some individuals permit so to get a more balanced system to perform much better the complex everyday tasks.
If Apple does not allow to make its machines to a better level of upgradeability, then there is no way to buy such machines.
The stoush with both clowns of companies will remain to be seen for very long time, until one of them drops, don't expect it to be very soon.

24 October 2009, 11:06 PM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

BN (User):


It's sad that rather than promote features of their own OS Apple have to sink to the level of attacking the competition.

I can't change to Apple they haven't shown me in any of these ads why I should choose Crapple OS.

25 October 2009, 11:58 PM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

gankul (Cornerstone member):

so switch to mac because youll have to transfer everything if you use xp.

Is this any different to having to buy a new mac if you dont have an intel mac and you want snow leopard?

I agree apple should focus on actually explaining why OSX is better and explaining how you can switch over from Windows.

26 October 2009, 11:04 AM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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