Days after Intel released a series of benchmarks to support claims that its chips perform better than Apple’s M1, the company pressed the issue on Thursday by launching an advertising campaign listing features exclusive to Windows PCs.
Posted on Intel’s official Twitter account, the “Go PC” ad currently consists of two publications and a YouTube sponsored video highlighting the class’s unique features offered by Intel hardware. The company specifically mentions the Apple Mac, an interesting turnaround, considering that Apple, long a bad boy in the PC industry, did the same with its famous “I’m a Mac” series in the early 2000s.
In an announcement, Intel points out that Macs are unable to play certain games like the Rocket League, an important point for buyers looking to use their computer as an entertainment console. Other notes The Mac does not support tablet mode with pen input and touchscreen support. No mention of the iPad is made.
A link in both embedded ads leads to a long sponsored video from YouTuber technician Jon Rettinger, which explains why Intel Evo laptops may be more suitable for some users than a comparable Mac M1.
“If you are looking for a good laptop in 2021, there are many things to consider, but the choice of processor may be more important than you think,” says a description in the Rettinger video. “You may be considering Apple’s new M1-based laptops, but before I hit the purchase button, let me show you what Intel’s new Evo laptops can offer you!”
In the overview, Rettinger touts the 13.3 “ASUS ZenBook Flip S, Razer Book, Razer Core X, CalDigit Thunderbolt Dock and Samsung T7 Portable SSD, some of which are compatible with existing Mac hardware.
Intel launched a series of hand-picked benchmark tests last week, designed to illustrate the prowess of its chip designs in relation to Apple’s new M1 silicon for Mac. The chip maker selected a series of data points that apparently showed that the M1 failed to complete tasks in several popular applications, including Adobe Creative Cloud and Handbrake. The lack of support for Mac games has also been noticed, with Intel confusingly listing games without support at zero frames per second on the Apple platform.
With Intel in a dominant position – at least for now – in the chip making industry, the new advertising campaign may do less to promote its products than demonstrate how the company feels threatened by Apple’s internal ARM designs. Early tests in November suggested that the M1 outperformed almost all Intel-equipped Macs currently offered by Apple. The tech giant from Cupertino plans to migrate its entire Mac line to Apple Silicon within two years.
Today’s advertising campaign also comes in the wake of a letter sent by Intel, Qualcomm, Micron and AMD to President Joe Biden requesting “substantial funding for semiconductor manufacturing incentives” as part of the government’s economic recovery plans. Meanwhile, Apple’s chip supplier TSMC is expanding rapidly, thanks in large part to orders from the A series and now from M1 silicon production.