Get a Mac
Apple has created a new ad campaign that replaces its "Switch" campaign. Now they have commercials with Justin Long (Jeepers Creepers, Dodgeball, and Herbie: Fully Loaded) and some guy who looks vaguely like Bill Gates. The campaign site, apple.com/getamac lists 14 reasons to get a mac, plus has another six pages that cover possible concerns, such as compatibility. You can also watch the six TV commercials (in gorgeous QuickTime, of course).
I want a Mac so badly. I think this is a well-done campaign and if I weren't already a convert-to-be (pending $$$), this would make me one. As it is, I've begun spending an inordinate amount of time thinking about Macs. I talk about them all the time; I read about them all the time. Can owning one live up to my expectations? I think so.
Alas, Apple products always carry a premium. Are they worth it? Absolutely. Does that mean I can afford them? Sadly no. I would love to have a new 15.4" MacBook Pro with a 2 GHz Intel Core Duo processor. Do I have $2,500 to spend on something I don't need? Not on my salary.
The good news is school is almost out. That means it's time for back to school stuff to start coming out. This certainly includes an Intel-powered successor to the iBook, presumably called simply the MacBook. If I could get a 14" model with a Core Duo processor at, say, 1.66 GHz for only $1,499, I might actually be able to afford that.
My biggest problem is that I don't actually need a new computer. I've already got a Sony Vaio notebook computer that's barely more than two years old. It has a 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 and a gig of RAM. It's not quite "bleeding edge" but I think it's at least a paper-cut worth of blood. It's hard to justify a new computer purchase when my current one is just fine (at least by PC standards). In short, I'll have to run into some serious bank if I'm going to be getting a Mac this year.
As an added bonus, I should point out that Apple has used the phrase "Get a Mac" before. It's the title of this 1995 commercial, which is pretty funny: live.watchmactv.com/?p=60