Apple Vice President Phil Schiller has hinted at a new advertising campaign to counter the upcoming launch of Windows 7. Speaking about the potential upgrade hurdles a PC user might face, Shiller told BusinessWeek: “Any user that reads all those steps is probably going to freak out. If you have to go through all that, why not just buy a Mac?”
Schiller told the magazine the expected Oct. 22 launch of Microsoft’s new operating system “presents a very good opportunity” for the Cupertino, Calif. company. According to BusinessWeek, an ad campaign could poke fun at Microsoft users undergoing the upgrade.
Apple’s comments come amid reports indicating the launch of Windows 7 could have either a minimal impact on PC sales or actually boost demand for Macs. Wednesday, a Gartner researcher said the introduction “should have minimal impact” on new PC sales with large businesses waiting until late 2010 before deciding to purchase the new Microsoft operating system.
Earlier this week, we reported that Windows 7 could boost sales of Macs. “No negative correlation exists on AAPL’s hardware sales when Microsoft launches a new OS,” according to financial analyst Brian Marshall of Broadpoint.AmTech.
Indeed, Marshall said each launch of a new Windows operating system, stretching back to Windows 98, acts as a ‘delayed accelerant’ for Apple sales.
[Via BusinessWeek and AppleInsider]
