Microsoft attempts to sour Apple's laptop launch

In Microsoft's defense, they've tried ignoring Apple's negative campaigning and I think they finally decided that they couldn't just let Apple say and do whatever they wanted and have people accept it as fact. 

This is a classic example of what you see in today's presidential campaigning where politicians know that if you repeat something long enough it's eventually accepted as fact.

Obama is an Arab

PPC chips are faster than Intel

McDonalds hamburgers contain worm meat

Your new camera won't work on Vista

Bill Gates will pay you cash to forward an email

Macs really are cheaper

And the list goes on and on.  The problem is how to do you attack the underdog without looking like a big bully?  That's what Microsoft is grappling with now, and it's a nut few are able to crack.  They're probably on the right track but only time will tell whether this new track will ultimately be successful or not.

Uh, wait, Microsoft isn't winning the PC race. They don't make PCs. 

Apple's now making 31 percent of the profit on computers while only selling 17 percent of the computers sold.

How is that a landslide for PC makers, let alone Microsoft. Microsoft is throwing out false facts, because they're desperate. Steve Ballmer has gotten into the act as of late. He was saying they sell 33 PCs for every Mac. Ignoring the fact they only sell operating systems, it's a reasonable comparison. Except for it's way wrong. He's quoting numbers from years ago when Apple had 3 percent market share. Now they're pushing 18 percent and Ballmer's to out of touch he doesn't even come close.

His conclusion isn't even valid if the numbers were correct. He says more people buy PCs, so that means PCs are better. 

Yeah, and a Toyota is better than a Porsche. Throw that one against the wall and see if it sticks.

Apple has a superior product, I love apple. If they were just a little cheaper.

I have been in the networking business for over 25 years. I have worked on numerous projects to create interoperability solutions to companies wishing to use the Internet for their operations since 1983 when doing so meant working with multiple proprietary protocols from Burroughs, Sperry, Honeywell, IBM etc... I discovered early in my work that Apple Macintosh was a superior product to use and began experimenting with the very first Macs introduced January 1985. In my 23 years I have experienced the evolution of the Macintosh product line first hand and i will testify to the superiority of Apple for both home and business use.

That said, I wish to place my vote squarely on Apple and believe that the conservative PC is basically a mediocre system, difficult to use and with many pitfalls and anomalies. In my 23 years, I found that the user experience is the key breakthrough Apple has harnessed over the years forming the great advantage Macintoshes enjoy over the PC. Users discover that more can be done with a Mac out of the box than can ever be achieved by a PC without the headaches and problems that make PC Windows usage a frustration for ordinary users and power users alike. The Mac v PC commercials are effective because they draw from this well of experience and resonate with users particularly the ones that depict the limitations of Windows systems.

I agree wholeheartedly with MasterNAV. I would only add that in the final analysis Macs become more cost effective because they allow for a deep user experience. Users find Macs to be fun and wonderful. I can provide thousands of examples. The Macintosh now is my preferred desktop and notebook solution for enterprise and business customers. I predict that Apple will expand its momentum and become the market share leader within the next 5 years!!!