Quote:
Those commercials are for the most part about the technical aspects of the machines. Who are, unbeknownst to Microsoft, portrayed by people. MS, and I suppose some viewers, are under the impression that the people in the commercial are users of those machines, when in fact they're plainly personifications of the machines themselves.


You are not dense enough to truly think that there's no relation between how the devices are portrayed and the not-at-all-subtle message that's sent about the users of those devices. If Macs are portrayed as hip and cool, then Mac users are portrayed as hip and cool.

Just because they say "I'm a (Mac | PC)" doesn't mean they're not also saying something about the users of those machines. Every other person I've ever talked to about this has picked up on that message (including my coworkers, 90% of whom are avid Mac users like myself.) I find it impossible to believe someone with your intellect can't pick up on this.

Quote:
I mean, the Pre commercial can be about anything. A car, a tampon, Tomato soup, a grocery store, you name it. It's generic in its message, except for the fact that using that product makes you a better person.


Alright, here's the ad. Yeah, it's new-agey and reminiscent of the hippie vibe of those old Fruitopia ads. But what about it is pretentious? Here's the narration:

My life
Like all our lives
Is made up of so many other lives
My family's lives
Friends' lives
Work life
Play life.
My life today
and my life next week.
All of them rearranging themselves.. all the time
Isn't it beautiful when life simply... flows together?


When coupled with the visual of flipping through the device, looking at contacts, calendar, etc, the message I'm left with is "this will help you get a bunch of different stuff organized." They're not saying you'll be a better person, they're saying you'll get more organized. Which is what the Palm brand was built on, right?
_________________________
- Tony C
my empeg stuff