“I’m a PC and I’m a Mac” - circa 1996!
This is a Mac user vs. PC user comparison from the September 1996 issue of MacAddict. (this issue was actually the premiere/first issue of MacAddict) I recently found it when going through some of my old MacAddict magazines. It doesn’t look a lot different from the “I’m a PC and I’m a Mac” Apple ads of today, at least in my opinion!
Some people seem to think this was an Apple ad. This was not actually an Apple ad - it was part of a MacAddict article. During this time Apple was really struggling and this particular issue of MacAddict seemed to have a lot of Mac fanboy-ism in it.
I gave a journalist friend of mine my classic 1995 era Centris 610 ( pre power pc. Mac power pc upgradeable with an Apple update card).
He uses it to write a weekly major auto collumn for a local newspaper.
Refuses to upgrade to a newer Mac model.
Even at the time - Mac OS 7 to 7.5.1 the Mac was light years ahead with simplicity, functionality , simple plug and play hardware upgrades and simplicity and easy to understand error messages.
The journalist tech nube remarks ” It sure is reliable”.
With the PC you got run of the mill and lower initial costs.
With the mac you got value.
The more things change the more they stay the same.
Comment by retro — February 21, 2007 @ 1:51 am
Yawn, this whole mac vs pc stuff is old and boring.
Now mac are basicaly pc’s with a different version of vista, who gives a sh**?
Comment by Del — February 21, 2007 @ 4:16 am
quite interesting!
Comment by andy — February 21, 2007 @ 4:16 am
@Del
Way to go man, This mac vs pc stuff is as lame as it gets!
Comment by Boris — February 21, 2007 @ 4:18 am
[…] via […]
Pingback by Dot-com Blog | Piše Nikola Vavić » Blog Archive » Razlike između Windows i Mac koriisnika 1996. godine # — February 21, 2007 @ 4:18 am
Why did you delete my comment…?
(note from admin: I had to approve all comments, I don’t now)
Comment by Del — February 21, 2007 @ 4:19 am
I think you’re right man!
Comment by ruggero — February 21, 2007 @ 4:26 am
Nice piece of commercial archaeology.
Interesting to note that this ad comes from the time when Apple had long since lost what competitive advantage it had by refusing to license its technology and had resorted to the “Macs are cooler” pitch. As they say: “Everything old is new again!”
Comment by streetleveltech — February 21, 2007 @ 4:39 am
I`m Mac
Comment by miu — February 21, 2007 @ 4:50 am
[…] popular “I’m a PC, and I’m a Mac” ad campaign. This morning, after finding this post at Scootinger.net, from a 1996(!) MacAddict Magazine ad, I start to wonder. Are either, or both, of the new ads a […]
Pingback by Acorn Creative — February 21, 2007 @ 4:54 am
Actually, this ad is pretty lame, even for 1996. This whole Apple vs Microsoft thing, use the energy for something useful.
Comment by James — February 21, 2007 @ 5:08 am
Oh dear… an earring, a wacky watch and “the seinfeld cut.” Subliminal message?
Comment by MJ — February 21, 2007 @ 5:13 am
That so like mac ads now, Macs have always been consider cool.
Comment by MikeZ — February 21, 2007 @ 5:26 am
We don’t get such ads here, because of some sily law. In any case that MacAddict thing did’nt do anything for either brands.
I would say, if a 22 year old college drop out looked at that, he would say Mac is cool. And a 46 year old Finacial Manager of a large company would have said clearly PC is more business orientated. Who do you think would buy more Computers?
Comment by cr1t — February 21, 2007 @ 5:41 am
“Apple, pushing the slacker image since 1996″
Comment by 21st Century — February 21, 2007 @ 5:56 am
NICE FIND!!!
That’s great!
Comment by Matt D — February 21, 2007 @ 6:06 am
Wow. Is this supposed to be a pro-mac advertisement? The Mac Addict is a complete and total dork! Not the good kind, either. He’s quite a bit different in the (modern-day) commercials, and thank god.
Comment by Tim — February 21, 2007 @ 6:09 am
This advert is even more sickening than the current adverts.
I have a mac and I love it, but these arrogant, in your face “I’m better than you” adverts makes me ashamed to admit it.
Because it makes me look like an arrogant tosser like the ones in the adverts too.
Comment by Andy — February 21, 2007 @ 6:24 am
This ad is so dry, the ‘Mac’ and ‘PC’ have no appeal. At least in the current ads/commercials there is an comedic side to the actors.
Comment by Dan — February 21, 2007 @ 6:26 am
[…] Scootinger found this in the first issue of MacAddict from 1996. […]
Pingback by ‘Get a Mac’ circa 1996 by Apple Gazette — February 21, 2007 @ 7:02 am
[…] Angeblich aus der MacAddict-September-Ausgabe 1996. […]
Pingback by burningblog.de » Blog Archiv » Mac und PC anno 1996 — February 21, 2007 @ 7:41 am
Who is this an ad for? Mack or PC? I think the PC actually looks better here. Mac guy just looks like a douche.
Comment by Zane — February 21, 2007 @ 7:46 am
Thanks for posting this Scoot; it’s a hilarious find. I love that Apple has resurrected such an old campaign. It also gives some interesting insights into the era and the company:
This ad somehow manages to paint Mac users as mean-spirited AND completely unfashionable. Excellent wardrobe choices, Mac. Earrings, all-denim, Seinfeld hair and a backpack are really the fashion cues that stand the test of time.
Comment by Kevan — February 21, 2007 @ 7:54 am
IN this case, the PC guy looks better - the mac guy just looks stupid.
Comment by Joost — February 21, 2007 @ 8:01 am
What about Unix/Linux user?
Comment by code_slacker — February 21, 2007 @ 8:02 am
he’s in the background trying to get his video drivers working.
Comment by joe — February 21, 2007 @ 8:21 am
[…] Here’s a blast from the past, courtesy of Sccotinger’s Blog: This is a Mac user vs. PC user comparison from the September 1996 issue of MacAddict. (this issue was actually the premiere/first issue of MacAddict) I recently found it when going through some of my old MacAddict magazines. It doesn’t look a lot different from the “I’m a PC and I’m a Mac” Apple ads of today, at least in my opinion! […]
Pingback by Global Nerdy — February 21, 2007 @ 8:36 am
[…] This showed up on the Scootinger Blog. Apparently he was going through his old copy of Macaddict, and this little gem was tucked away in […]
Pingback by Murdog.com » Blog Archive » Hello, I’m a Mac and Check Out My Hair!! — February 21, 2007 @ 8:56 am
[…] “I’m a PC and I’m a Mac” - circa 1996! via Digg […]
Pingback by Technorama » SETI@Home does more than search for ET — February 21, 2007 @ 11:45 pm
Personally I find the current Mac v PC ads amusing whilst also finding an uncomfortable smugness about them. It’s reminiscent of the girls v boys arguments and therefore depends which side you come from. However, I can’t
help myself from defending against inaccurate comments but usually find there’s plenty of friendly banter within the argument. It also amuses me that whilst most jump for the Mac v PC topic, these days its more of an OSX
v Vista debate.
As for the ads I’m glad to see there’s a history behind this. Many agencies have copied good advertising, sometimes copying their own (Levi’s
launderette ads come to mind), thankfully they’ve updated his appearance though.
Good find, although I seem to remember there was more than 1 of these ???
Comment by Pete — February 22, 2007 @ 12:01 am
As noted in the post (was it updated?), this was not an Apple ad, it was part of an article in MacAddict.
Secondly, how can one get passionate about it when there is a self- ironic tone about the page which you really can’t miss. It really isn’t as if the Mac user would be shown as superior or anything, they both are caricatures. This page was certainly not meant to fuel the system war, but as entertaining piece to all. Quite harmless, actually.
Cool find, Scoot, thanks!
Comment by RollingFlo — February 22, 2007 @ 4:07 am
eek, I think you’ve read my reply a little wrong. I know the original ad isn’t by Apple but I can see the similarities between it and Apple’s current campaign. UK viewers might wish to look at the Monkey TV ads, formerly of ITV digital and now for PG tips to see another example of re-issuing campaigns.
Perhaps you miss my point but the title does use the term v (versus) therefore encouraging debate whilst also showing advertising can repeat itself.
Comment by Pete — February 22, 2007 @ 6:35 am
[…] picture via Scootinger’s Blog apple, geek, mac, […]
Pingback by idoen.info » Blog Archive » I’m a Mac and I’m a PC - now and then — February 22, 2007 @ 5:08 pm
Check out MacLife.com’s interview with the woman responsible for that 1996 PC vs. Mac item: http://www.maclife.com/article/editors_blog_get_a_mac_inspired_by_us
Comment by Rik — February 23, 2007 @ 6:58 pm
If you really want to go back, I believe in the 70. Rolling Stone magazine ran an ad showing perception versus reality if it’s readership.
This ying/yang theme is always engaging. There is good reason why it is repeated over and over.
Comment by ED ROACH — February 26, 2007 @ 3:57 pm
We posted a blog on this from an UK/Ireland perspective, as the campaign is only begining.Does this mean we are 10yrs behind?
Comment by Paul O Mahoney — March 5, 2007 @ 4:54 pm
[…] to Scootinger for the […]
Pingback by perez-fox.com » I’m a Mac, I’m a 486 — March 16, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
This one makes sence “One’s first step in wisdom is to kuesstion everything - and one’s last is to come to terms with everything.”
Comment by Yareli Castor — June 14, 2007 @ 1:03 am
So… basically the company that is trying to convince us all of its originality and style jacked its most well known modern ad campaign from an old magazine article?
For shame!
Whats next, mandatory 2-year contracts to be able to even use Apple products legally?
Oh, wait…
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Comment by ja — September 12, 2007 @ 8:29 pm
I personally love retro anything including retro fashion. Thanks for the post.
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Pingback by Ghillie Suits » Scootinger’s Blog " "I’m a PC and I’m a Mac" - circa 1996! — October 22, 2007 @ 6:19 pm
[…] look a lot different from the “I’m a PC and I’m a Mac” Apple ads of today.read more | digg […]
Pingback by “I’m a PC and I’m a Mac” - circa 1996! | Недвижимость России и Украины — October 26, 2007 @ 8:18 am
Vorbild für “Hello I’m a Mac” Spots…
Die Spots “Hello, I’m a Mac - and I’m a PC” sind bereits Kult. Interessant ist, dass das Magazin MacAddict im Jahre 1996 in einem Artikel die untenstehende Illustration publizierte. Hat da Apples Werbeabteilung etwa im Archiv na…
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Comment by tramadol — November 12, 2007 @ 2:34 pm
[…] look a lot different from the “I’m a PC and I’m a Mac” Apple ads of today.read more | digg […]
Pingback by bumm top searches » Blog Archive » “I’m a PC and I’m a Mac” - circa 1996! — November 13, 2007 @ 9:30 pm
they need to find a new catchy selling way such as makeing a mac and a pc come to life and box that would be totally awesome
Comment by Taylor — March 8, 2008 @ 3:49 pm
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Comment by — June 15, 2008 @ 6:23 pm
@zaphrod - what’s next? someone contriving a “what’s next” pseudo-zinger?
oh, wait…
Comment by jL — July 9, 2008 @ 9:30 am
this looks like a crappy “I’m a PC and I’m a Mac” ad. Ever noticed the Mac Guy is actually Jerry Seinfeld (if he isn’t, he looks a lot like him), who always kept a Mac at his home in the TV series?
real nice clothes, the mac guy ones. PC guy just looks like a sooty office worker!!!
Comment by max power — July 12, 2008 @ 2:18 pm
[…] (Via Bia Granja e Scootinger’s Blog) […]
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I have noticed classic garments always stay in style. Fashion brings out whatever emotion you are feeling inside. Whatever you are feeling, have fun with it and remember not to take yourself so serious. Don’t let someone predict who you are!
Comment by retro fashion — August 27, 2008 @ 9:30 am