LONDON - Microsoft has ramped up its attack on Apple's pricing with a TV ad that claims it would cost $30,000 (£19,600) to fill a 120-GB iPod with songs from iTunes.
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
The 30-second spot for Microsoft's media player Zune features financial planner Wes Moss, best known for being a contestant on the US version of 'The Apprentice' with Donald Trump.
Moss states in the ad: "People worry about the capacity of their iPod, what about the capacity of their bank account? At a buck a song they'll run out of money before they run out of space."
The ad pushes Microsoft's Zune Pass subscription service, which offers unlimited song rental for $15 a month, as a much cheaper option.
The campaign is an extension of Microsoft's efforts to position itself as the sensible brand during a recession while slamming Apple as a vanity choice.
Earlier this year Microsoft launched an ad featuring a thrifty consumer called Lauren who emerged empty-handed from an Apple store after failing to buy a laptop for less than $1,000.
Some have attacked Microsoft's figures for being misleading because the Zune ad assumes owners would have no music on CD to add to their iPod and it also banks on them buying a track at a time rather than buying albums.
Poor Microsoft had to look long and hard to find someone who doesn't like the iPod and came up with the 6th placed runner-up on The Apprentice US five years ago. Wow. He's right - I'll bin mine now...
I guess for the sake of that calculation, we're going to ignore the plethora of underground file-sharing networks, the CDs folks will borrow from their friends, the CDs we already own - not to mention the pocasts, audiobooks and movies that will also take up space... And even at a buck a song, I'm not planning on sinking $30 000 all at once into filling my iPod. Only a schmuck would ever think of doing it that way...
Slightly confusing ad for consumer; it is saying that using itunes to fill your ipod costs $30k. But we all no one does this, so is this an advertisement for a problem which does not exist?...............On the flip side, can i use Zune net to fill my ipod for $15/ month?
If it was a 120GB Creative, I could fill it up legitimately for £12.50 a month, using Napster to Go. And then there's movies. How silly. Unless the Ad was designed to create a furore ...in which case they've hit target.
They have a point, iPods are awesome BUT they are a real walled garden and a freaking PAIN, anyone who's ever tried to transfer iTunes music from 1 PC to a newer one will tell you
The standards based alternatives that use mp3 or wma wmv formats should have been more aggressive in pointing out the darker side of iPod
.gif)
Comments
Dave Humphrey - 13/05/2009
A party round at Wes Moss's must be 'kicking'. Apparently he doesn't own a single CD.
Dave Humphrey - 13/05/2009
Poor Microsoft had to look long and hard to find someone who doesn't like the iPod and came up with the 6th placed runner-up on The Apprentice US five years ago. Wow. He's right - I'll bin mine now...
Amod Munga - 13/05/2009
I guess for the sake of that calculation, we're going to ignore the plethora of underground file-sharing networks, the CDs folks will borrow from their friends, the CDs we already own - not to mention the pocasts, audiobooks and movies that will also take up space... And even at a buck a song, I'm not planning on sinking $30 000 all at once into filling my iPod. Only a schmuck would ever think of doing it that way...
joe woollen - 13/05/2009
Slightly confusing ad for consumer; it is saying that using itunes to fill your ipod costs $30k. But we all no one does this, so is this an advertisement for a problem which does not exist?...............On the flip side, can i use Zune net to fill my ipod for $15/ month?
Philip Nixon - 13/05/2009
If it was a 120GB Creative, I could fill it up legitimately for £12.50 a month, using Napster to Go. And then there's movies. How silly. Unless the Ad was designed to create a furore ...in which case they've hit target.
Richard Hayter - 13/05/2009
$30,000 to fill a 120GB iPod? So buy a smaller one...
SEAN RUTTLEDGE - 13/05/2009
They have a point, iPods are awesome BUT they are a real walled garden and a freaking PAIN, anyone who's ever tried to transfer iTunes music from 1 PC to a newer one will tell you The standards based alternatives that use mp3 or wma wmv formats should have been more aggressive in pointing out the darker side of iPod