Intel’s latest ads comparing PCs to Macbooks have received an overwhelmingly negative reception from the community. The series of ads take a jab at Apple’s Macbooks while praising its PC counterparts.
Intel hired Justin Long, Apple’s former “I’m a Mac” actor to mock Macbooks in the new ads. All of the ads showcase the upsides of Intel-based laptops.
What Were the Ads About
Each of the commercials has the typical white background found in Apple’s Mac vs. PC ads from the 2000s. In all the ads, Long is seen poking fun at the lack of multiple monitor support of the M1 Mac, Apple’s Touch Bar, and the “gray and grayer” colours of the MacBook Lineup.
Long also takes a jab at how Apple doesn’t have flexible 2-in-1 support and mocks how customers have to buy a tablet, keyboard, stylus and a dongle to get the same experience as an Intel-based laptop. One of the ads pokes fun at the lack of touchscreens in Apple’s laptops. Lastly, an ad also jokes about how “no one really games on a Mac.” pointing to the fact of Apple’s lack of focus on gaming.
Intel is obviously trying to challenge Apple’s status by using clever marketing techniques. However, this comes off as a desperate attempt to stay relevant and mask the fact that Intel is under severe turmoil.
However, Intel’s new CEO, Pat Gelsinger, has made it clear that Intel is not just looking forward to matching the competition but become the industry giant that it once was.
Why is Intel At a Critical Juncture
Source: Mindfactory
Intel has been in a rough spot for several months. It has been facing ever-increasing competition from its rival, AMD. Meanwhile Apple has decreased its reliance on Intel and is transitioning to using in-house silicon for their desktops and Macbooks.
Additionally, Intel has seen drastic changes in leadership and has delayed the launch of its new generations of chips. The situation gets worse when you realise that Intel has been overtaken in production techniques by its competitors like TSMC and Samsung.
Therefore, Intel’s new CEO, Pat Gelsinger, has been brought on board to course correct. Pat hasn’t been wasting time to make monumental and long term changes.
Intel has announced plans to invest $20 billion in two new fabs in Arizona. It also has plans to increase outsourcing of Intel’s chip production to third party foundries. Intel will also have a new branch of the company called Intel Foundry Services that will produce chips for other clients.
