Why I hate Intel’s attack ads on Apple’s MacBooks M1

Intel recently launched a series of ads starring Justin Long, which became famous in Apple’s “I’m a Mac and a PC” ads at that time. Long was a Mac at that time, but now he’s just a … Justin, according to the ads.

The ads were met with resistance across the web, and I am among their detractors. The marketing objective is to draw attention to your products, so maybe writing a post explaining why I hate Intel’s new ads is counterproductive, but here we are.

Turncoats are smart

Before diving into what I hate about ads, I want to clarify what doesn’t bother me about them. I have no problem with Intel’s hiring Long to appear in ads that attack Apple, something he had previously announced. In fact, I love it when companies do that. Sprint hired Paul Marcarelli, known as “Can you hear me now?” Verizon guy at one point. Taco Bell also hired several people named Ronald McDonald to say how much they love the Taco Bell breakfast, which is brilliant.

My first problem is that Long hasn’t completely changed sides. He went from being a Mac to being a PC. He is now Justin by Intel, which is not a clear third side in the war between Windows and Mac.

Intel x Mac or Mac x PC?

Intel’s new ads feature comparisons between Intel-powered PCs and Apple’s MacBooks running the M1 chip. They, however, do not really pit Intel against the M1. Instead, they are mainly comparing Windows to macOS.

An ad highlights how a particular Intel-powered PC can switch between a tablet and a laptop. Of course, there are many devices with Intel technology that do this, but it is not exclusive to Intel. Windows 10 on ARM PCs with Qualcomm chips are also usually convertible.

Many of the best AMD Ryzen laptops also have touch screens. Again, there is no Intel in this. You’ll even see devices, like the Galaxy Book S, that have options with Qualcomm chips or internal Intel chips, showing once again that many of these features are not specific to Intel devices.

You will also notice that Intel does not compare PCs with Intel technology to Macs with Intel technology.

You can still get Macs with Intel technology

While Apple is switching to its own silicon, you can still buy Macs with Intel chips. Even when Apple stops selling Intel-based MacBooks, they will still be around. One of the best things about MacBooks is that they can last for years. It will be a long time before all Macs run on anything other than Intel.

Why doesn’t the ad show someone trying to touch the screen of an Intel-powered MacBook? Why not talk about how there are no Intel-powered MacBooks that can switch to different modes? The answer is obvious, but it still seems Weird criticize Macs when making Mac chips.

I understand why Intel is pushing PCs with Intel technology. The bridge between Intel and Apple is on fire. They are pouring gasoline on the fire and moving on, instead of waiting for it to burn. In the long run, Intel also benefits a lot from people using Windows PCs instead of Macs.

Although you can get Windows PCs running Qualcomm or AMD chips, hundreds of millions of PCs are equipped with Intel. If Intel can convince you to buy a PC because it has a touch screen, it is still very likely that you will get a device with Intel technology, which is the goal of the ads.

Half truths and strange attacks

Before the series of video ads starring Long, Intel shared a series of ads on Twitter. These ads follow the structure: “If you can in blank then you are not on a Mac. Go to the PC. “They echo the old argument that people who work have PCs.

Although the ads contain some truth, some of them are only partially accurate. Take this one on rockets, for example.

While it is true that you can no longer play Rocket League on a Mac, part of the work done to coordinate the landing of Mars Perseverance was done using MacBooks. If you watch the landing flow, you’ll see a mix of Macbooks and other devices in use. It seems strange to mention power rockets specifically when NASA uses some MacBooks.

An attack on the Mac that is not up to par

Liking ads is subjective, so I’m not claiming to be the authority on how to make an attack ad. I just feel like Intel missed the mark when it comes to these ads. There are some Intel devices that allow great things, which I think could be highlighted, but the ads that mix messages on Macs are confusing. Even if you prefer attack ads, there are better ways to attack Macs than this one.

Dual screen games!

Xbox Game Pass is getting support for dual screen on Surface Duo

Microsoft has released an update to the Xbox Game Pass Beta app that adds support for dual screen devices, such as the Surface Duo. Games with dedicated touch screen controls are supported and bring to life the dream of having a portable Xbox console on your pocket.