For the first time ever since the dawn of mankind, Microsoft has done something worth recognizing. Let us forget for a moment about Windows and all its other mistakes, and focus on its new back to school promotion that makes Apple’s look a little bit silly.
Apple traditionally offers a free or discounted iPod to students who purchase a new Mac during its back to school promotion, and although this year’s promotion is yet to launch, we’re guessing the giveaway will be a free iPod touch.
But who wants an iPod touch when you could have a free Xbox? If you go for a Windows 7 PC (worth over $699) instead of a Mac, you get a free Xbox 360 4GB Arcade console.
The promo runs from May 22 to September 3 and you don’t even need a rebate for your free console: online shops and other PC retailers will provide the console straight away to students buying a PC using a .edu email address, and Best Buy and Microsoft stores will accept student ID.
Of course, the problem with this promo is the Windows PC. Who really wants one of those? For me, this deal is only good for those with a budget, who can’t really afford a Mac anyway, and can get a PC and console for $700. At least when the PC (continually) crashes you have a console to play one.
Which one would you go for? Is a free $200 gaming console really a better deal than a free $200 iPod that can play games and more? And is a free Xbox enough to persuade you to go for a PC instead of a Mac? Let us know what you’d rather have in the comments.
[via Electronista]
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
235 responses to “Did Microsoft Just Make Apple’s Back to School Promo Look Silly?”
How anti-windows this article is!
I use a Mac, but i’ve not had issues on my windows PC for ages and xbox is a brill console (games on these iOS devices are a bit… boring.)
A good deal I say!
What do you expect from a Mac blog? ;)
I agree with you that the Xbox is a great console.
i love my macbook pro, but if i was getting ready to go to college and needed a computer, i would be hard pressed to not go with windows and get that free xbox. also, you could buy an iPod touch and still theoretically spend less ($900ish) than you would on a new macbook.
How convenient they start it on May 22, the day after the world comes to an end.
By the time college roles around most kids probably already have the gaming console of their choice anyway so while it is a pretty neat give away I don’t see one as better than the other.
However if I were a parent buying my kid a laptop to take to college would I rather them get a free ipod that they can use anywhere to facetime me, listen to music, etc. or an xbox so that they can play call of duty all night and sleep through their morning classes?
Mac is enough of a reason for me to buy a PC.
Hopefully, Apple will allow students to apply the $199 iPod Touch credit toward an iPad 2.
The fact that I’m reading this blog should give you a clue about my answer.
1 Vote for Apple.
I hadn’t thought of that but if you can do it that would be an awesome setup!
I hadn’t thought of that but if you can do it that would be an awesome setup!
Then why are you even visiting cult of mac?
Go to Norton’s website and get the latest anti-virus update for your 2 week old outdated pc.
Sorry, but I’d rather something I can actually make use of. I think iPod Touches and (perhaps?) iPads would get far more use than a 360.
Besides, I’d rather pay $6 for a great mobile game than paying $50 for each game.
And who doesn’t already have a gaming console of some sort?
Also, with the Mac, you get another thing you actually need: a free printer.
Silly??? dude an iPod Touch is just a much of a mean gaming machine, and its ready to use out of the box, with the XBOX you need to throw in a decent HD TV to truly enjoy it and you can’t carry it around in your pocket… So where’s the silliness?
Yeah, a superior operating system, top-end hardware, and elegant design is just too much – I can see why you would run in the opposite direction!
Remember this is an Educational Bundle
I think its silly as an Edu bundle to have another device you have to sit down and use unless of course its going to ship with kinect…nevertheless…with an iPod touch you can do so much more and its portable, combined with Apple TV 2’s at edu facilities, you could say good bye to carting a laptop around at a campus but a better deal would be MacBook and iPad if Apple would like to claim a niche market.
You could virtually wipe out having to have a heavy school bag, carrying books around everywhere. At the college I work at the students only have bags, no lockers, yet. Maybe just have a laptop bag if you really wanted to bring your macbook to school then use the iPad as their learning device with all their books. I dont think I could bring myself to buying another Windows PC again.
LOL WOW SUCH HATE TOWARDS MICROSOFT LOL
but i understand its apple website
i dont currently own a Mac but i would love to have one and planning to purchase one in the future
so my PC will have to do i dont have any problems with it and runs just fine
and the Xbox idea is just sweet especially if ur getting the Xbox slim which look awesome
but anyway iphone and ipad FTW lol
I lol’d at “Is a free $200 gaming console really a better deal than a free $200 iPod that can play games and more?”. I love my iPhone and it’s great that it has some pretty awesome games. But let’s face it, the iPod Touch/iPhone doesn’t come close to a games console.
Here in the UK you can get a free TV or games console when you buy a new mobile phone.
Most people don’t know the difference between a Mac and a PC. To the masses, the XBOX deal will be extremely appealing. Plus, if you are on a tight budget you will be getting a PC anyway.
Why don’t education bundles have products geared towards education? Like I dunno a free copy of iWork, Aperture or office? I’d much rather have them rather than an iPod touch or an xbox that will I’m sure pull focus on what’s important. Just saying.
Microsoft must be really afraid. Giving out XBoxes should be at great cost to Microsoft. When Apple gives out a $200 iPod Touch the cost is less than 20% of the final sale price because most Macs sell for over $1000 USD.
Microsoft only sells the Operating System of a PC, which sells for about the same price as the XBox. Unless the OEMs and retailers are chipping in, it is a suicide deal for Microsoft.
To troll iMacMorons.
Jay are you Mad!!! How dare you assume that companies should gear their bundles towards….education *GASP*!!! You are so on the money its crazy….education, iwork, apeture, something a student can use and learn. You should really put in an application for marketing at one of these companies cause I have no idea what these so called executives are doing besides dumbing us down
I agree with Knowimagination. As the parent of a college newly-minted college sophomore and soon-to-be high school junior, even if I were willing to shell out precious $$ on a PC (which I’m not), the last thing I’d want them taking to school would be a gaming system.
I expect the MPB we bought our daughter last summer as graduation/going-off-to-college gift to last all four years of school… And beyond. We’re working our butts off to foot her tuition bill and we expect her to work her butt off at getting the most out (academically) out of her education. As part of the promotion she received an iPod Touch with which she plays a few games, to be sure, but it’s also served as an organizational tool, alarm clock, and dorm-noise filter. The laptop and iPod are tools; not toys.
When our son heads off to college in two more years, we expect to send him off with similar tools. And we’ll expect him to have the same focus on his academics.
My mac has crashed more than my PC ever did
You can tell how many of these iMorons have used a PC in the last 2 years.
Windows 7 is more stable and secure then iOS ever have been.
Its a great deal. I am sorry, but some people can’t shell out the over 1k for an apple laptop. No matter how much better apple products might be. A couple of years ago, I needed a new laptop and my budget was tight and I went with a hp (sigh).
This deal also shows that both pc and laptop sales are sliding and they need a boost. It also shows that a new xbox is just around the corner.
I my mind an xbox is worth more than an ipod touch. But that is just me.
Too little, too late. Windows 7 might be an improvement over Vista, but for those of us who switched to Macs when Windows continued to offer only rubbish, Windows 7 is an inferior OS.
Your argument that Windows 7 is “more stable and secure than iOS ever have been” makes no sense whatsoever. It’s ludicrous. Where is your evidence for this? The iOS operating system has never been buggy or infected.
Well this is a dumb article to have on a mac website, of course the fan boys are gonna stick by their little cult of a company. I would rather an xbox myself
all you have to do is sell one to get the other so there pretty much equivalent
iPod touch for sure. I got one free with my Mac, and sold it for more than my xbox cost a few months on when I got an iPhone. Plus the iPod touch was useful for my education while I had it for basic note taking and apps like touchOSC. A PC would be useless for me anyway. The fact that I can plug in any video camera, rip off all the video, edit it quickly and then put it straight into Isadora makes my course so much simpler. I remember trying this on a PC before I switched. I had to get an internet connection, download the drivers for the camera, rip off the media, convert it, and then seeing as I had no inclusive video editing software, had to do a lot more fiddling in isadora which was difficult as it’s not as stable on windows and my computer was in no way up to the job. Then again, if you’re a student on a budget who doesn’t necessarily need a mac for your course and don’t already own an xbox (they’re not exactly the most expensive console… Mine new with 3 games, 2 controllers and insurance was only like £120) it could be a fairly sweet deal. But $699 isn’t exactly a budget computer anyway!
Mac Defender?
YOU go to Norton and get some antivirus kit same as Apple Genius run on the Macs they use. You need it.
Why come to this web site? Because we are not biggots. Windows 7 does not give me constant problems, and I can do a lot more with it than with a Mac because I have control over it, not Jobbies. But I also use an iPad and two iPods!
Apple kit is great, Windows also has many great things going for it. Wake up formless!
Your comparing Wndows 7 to a mobile OS…??
When XBox get’s games – *any* games – that aren’t tailored for juvenile males and don’t have war, horror, anger, rape, destruction, and/or dangerous driving as their main themes …
… then I might be interested in an XBox.
But it would have to be in the 50- 100 dollar price range to be worth it even then.
iMorons, you idiot! I use OSX, iOS and Windows 7, and Windows 7 is still the utter crap its always been, just tarted up more and trying EVER so hard to be a Mac! You PC idiots like to believe that us Mac users only use Macs, NOT THE CASE! Macs are our PREFERRED computer because its better
Get the PC, slaps Ubuntu on it and be happy, man. No crash, no bullshit and no fucking virus :) For a student, you find all the software you need.
It sure does make Apple seem like a piker when it comes to a promo. Who the heck wouldn’t want to get a free game console when buying a computer? That is a pretty sweet deal since the XBox can also be used for streaming and such. I’d almost consider buying a Windows computer just to get a free XBox 360 and I don’t really need either of them since I’ve got Windows 7 running on Parallels Desktop on both of my Intel Macs. The thing is that Microsoft really needs to boost Windows sales and Apple doesn’t need to offer a whole lot of incentives to sell more of its computers.
Are students really deciding on a PC or Mac based on such a small freebie?
From what I can tell, most college kids want the best machine possible to last them through their college years. Macs have increasingly been the choice for such students. IMHO the ones who don’t go blindly along the Microsoft path are the students that are already showing the kind of thought I’d hire in my company. If someone told me they picked a PC because it came with a free game I’d say “next….” and wish them well as they get their job in the nearest supermarket.
Get a Mac regardless of the toy gift. If you want to be a part of the future anyway.
are you serious about the xbox just having 4 gigs of storage? like ‘arcade’=only for small games…then even this deal would suck. you’d need to get a hard drive for about 100$ in addition.
The fact that you compare Windows 7 to iOS shows who the moron is.
Ever heard of OS X? Try it… I think with a little self education you won’t be so smug and stuck in grandpa Windows world.
So trolling Mac blogs is your way of showing how superior you are? Hmmm..
Game away… the students selecting Macs will need someone to wash their cars someday…
Unless your required to run a specific program for a class. No reason for anyone to choose course software for the less then 1 percent of student that run a failed operating system.
Linux on the desktop is dead, get over it.
you forgot to mention the 2011 MBP overheating problem. As well as the faulty SATA3 cables not shielded for interference; causing beachballing when the stock HDD is replaced by SATA3 ssd drives like intel 510, C300, Vertex 3;
i hate windows vista, windows 7 is a lot better, and my pc does not continually crash- in fact- it barely crashes.
you can be an iFan but please do not bash MS like you are an idiot.
I own an iPhone and i have to see it is second to NONE. Love it.
I like apple products. But in all fairness i don’t think you (the author) should make stupid comment like that
The XBox is a great console, but 4GB HDD is WAY too small. I didn’t even know MS was still offering a Box with that small a drive. Unless it’s old stock that didn’t sell. You’ll probably also have to buy the Wi Fi adaptor if you want wireless.
I personally would probably go with the Mac since my main machine is getting a little old (not terribly old), and I already own two XBoxes with much larger drives, so an iPod Touch would be more welcome. That and I just prefer Mac OS over Windows.
As for someone who does not have either of these devices already? This imaginary person probably does not have much disposable income and probably would see the Windows/Xbox deal to be better, even though they’ll have to drop at least another 100 bucks on a better HDD for the XBox.
I have 3 Xboxes and 1 iPod Touch so either is fine with me. I’m an RPG player so I understand loot. The best thing to do is get the Mac with a free iPod Touch for $229, take it back in the first 14 days and then pocket the money or use it to buy an Xbox with $30 left over.
Just a few short weeks ago, I was on my 12th BSOD in 3 days on my work computer. Yes, it was running Windows.
I have no desire to experience the RROD, either, thanks. I’ll stick to my Nintendo consoles and Apple products.
Just got this link from twitter. You guys actually take this article seriously? The site has a kid with the apple logo hair cut. That is so 80s …. Like when Apple had market share.
“Did Microsoft Just Make Apple’s Back to School Promo Look Silly?”
Nope. Having to give away a $700 product just to entice students to buy a Windows PC instead of a Mac, just makes Microsoft look desperate. ;-)
Whoa! Stop production! My sympathies to the 3 people who had problems with their aftermarket SSD installations.
Your sarcasm is… appreciated. And yes I suppose I am a bit “mad” to think education bundles should include free educational software. I understand why the said companies do what they do but from a students perspective I would much prefer the free software.
And I understand that I can go ahead and sell the free stuff, whether it be an iDevice or an xbox, and use the money towards the purchase of software but I’d rather not go through the trouble.
xbox.. I’m pretty sure it is very educational..
Do you even know what MacDefender is? Do you know how simple it is to remove? Stop process/send application to trash and empty/delete from login app startup list. Not sure if I need a program to do that for me.
I just love how someone that I assume uses a PC tries to preach like they are experts on Macs. I have been using Macs since my first G4. I currently own and actively use a late 2010 iMac (which, to be fair, also has a copy of Windows 7 on bootcamp for my work), MBair along with my Fiancée’s MBP and never once had security issues thanks to one little check box that doesn’t allow apps to install without permission. Geniuses use it; great! As I hope all companies have some sort of security on their machines. I am just happy to know that I don’t need or have to pay for security programs on my personal computers because of the chance that i may select a google search result that infects my computer!
I have as much control over my Macs as I need. Accessing the bios among other things isn’t a necessity for me. I much more prefer a clean and healthy environment to work in, free of registry errors and mile long file paths….
Try turning your PC on.
Apple’s primary reason for these back to school offerings have been to move inventory of last year’s product. In September, after this offer concludes, Apple always comes out with new iPod models. Again, this is sort of a win-win for Apple as any leftover inventory in the channel would have to be sold at a much reduced price anyway.
To that end, I agree with your assessment. Microsoft can’t eat this loss with the sale of something else. This is simply a loss for them. Of course, the percentage of college students choosing Macs over PCs should be considered an alarming trend for Microsoft.
I’ll take the Mac any day and 3 times on Sunday!
The xbox is a nice incentive but I have to ask the question, what were they thinking? Giving an xbox to a college student has disaster written all over it in terms of academic success.. lol It was disastrous to mine!
haha agreed! Most of us haven’t even heard of this problem.
*WINDOWS MUST SHUT DOWN. DUMPING MEMORY CACHE*
Picture this on a blue screen and welcome to my work PC.
Check your facts. Apple has marketshare. Pretty decent market share considering that OSX runs on only one brand of computer and not dozens like Windows.
Such an out-dated argument. It’s like saying the iPhone is being overrun by Android but forgetting the fact that Android is ran on hundreds of different phones and the iPhone, holding as much market share as it does, is only one branded phone.
oh dumb dumb dumb article.
how many college males don’t already have an XBox anyway if they ever wanted one – you know, the one their parents bought for them when they were in high school? (and this offer is for college students only. if it were for high school students too, that would be different.)
and how many college females want an XBox at all, ever? but a nice new iPod touch? you bet. unless they already have an iPhone.
To all the folks who think their macs are safer than a windows computer: wake up! The fact that Mac Websites (e.g. this one) start to report about how to detect and remove malware from a mac shows how common this problem gets. The more popular macs become, the more malware we’ll have. And it’s telling that pretty much any apple software, be it ios, osx, safari, etc. are among the first to fall at hacking contests. If I remember one hacker cracked safari in less than 30 seconds … you call that secure? If I were to go for the most secure computer I would always choose a Windows computer, simply because Microsoft is much faster on the updates in case something gets detected.
Regarding the posting: I know this is a blog and there’s press freedom (if you consider a blog “press”) but be a bit more humble in regards to your postings ;) . There’s nothing wrong with a windows 7 pc. If you get a thinkpad you’ll have something that is just as well engineered as a macbook pro – and leaves the macbook in the dust for battery life since apple can’t seem to get to grips with flash being installed on an osx device. Come on apple, give the users the choice!
When purchasing a shiny new iMac a few years ago, I put the $199 towards the purchase of a 32GB iPod Touch, (the largest model at the time), a day after I made my online purchase from the Apple Store. However, they insisted it had to be a 1st gen Touch, not the newer 2nd gen which was announced a day after I placed my order. They might be trying to clear out old inventory of the 4th gen Touch, making room for the new generation of iPod Touch, so they may not allow the credit towards an iPad 2.
But it wouldn’t hurt to ask!
im curious as to what the $700 product MS is giving away. As far as what’s written above, an xbox360 is about $200.
Did you realy try to compare an ipod touch to a Xbox 360? Regarding windows PCs, who would like like one of those? Do you have any clue about operating systems market share? Get real. You shouldn’t be allowed to right this kind of BS. You are the kind of people that make other hate apple maniacs.
MMMM delicious flamebait
its a battle of the companies, microsofts obviously losing out, so their reaching deeper into their pocket hoping to pull out some cash
haha, failed operating system. linux has only grown more refined over the years. That’s why I triple boot ubuntu/windows7/OSX, so I get three times the goodness. Then again, the desktop is dead, right? Oh wait, did he mention desktops at all?
I think theses freelanecers get paid by how many comments their article generates. This would explain a so unbelivable article like this one.
So you’re here just picking cyber fights? What is your thought process and satisfaction quota? Do you wake up and say to yourself “let’s go to cult of mac and bash Macs!”
Get a life dude, seriously. Better yet, get a job so maybe one day you can throw away that $200 netbook and experience true computing bliss! FTW
Gee I can do everything I ever wanted and then some with just one operating system. The fact that you need three proves my point. Linux use on the desktop has fallen so low it literally is below the margin of error, a statistical anomaly.
most kids in college do play games for fun on the weekends or whatever. its not school work all the time. obviously you didn’t go to college but this promotion saves money. wish i could have got a free on instead of spending the 300. you are a moron
Windows 7 is the best version of Windows yet, but Mac OS X is still my prefered OS, its still more stable and user friendly, and yes I am VERY familiar with Windows I use it on a daily basis at work in the software industry.
The title of your article is designed to attract attention … negative in my case, and perhaps others … but you did get me to read it. As for which is better it is always choice. Since I don’t play games I would easily take the ipod touch as I can carry it in my pocket. As for wanting a PC I have assembled many … I’m well aware of virus issues and how to prevent or cure … I use a Mac Mini and iPad2 and 5 year old Compaq 14″ laptop. I have a Windows 7 tower that just sits. We use the iPad2 most of the time and update via iTunes thru the Mac Mini. FWIW.
Just wait til Thunderbolt is in all Apple computers for super fast data transfer between them. With the iCloud on the horizon it remains to be seen the details. Then we can comment more.
Yeah — I wish.
I quite like linux. But am required to run a program that only runs on OSX and Windows for my course. The windows version is shit, so Mac for this student FTW.
I think both OS X and Windows are nice OS’s, so just by a mac which can run both!
*is female and an avid gamer who owns a Xbox 360 as well as many other consoles* It’s fairly ignorant to assume that gaming is an entirely male market. And no, I don’t just play girly games either.
You do have a point on the first bit though, I’ve had most of my consoles since well before university, whereas I only owned a Nano before university. So iPod would win on that front.
One instance of fail malware against the untold amounts on PC. Yeah, my hard drive is totally quivering in fear >.>
Also, I have flash installed and can still get 8 hours use out of my battery no probs. If it does cause a problem, I am yet to notice it.
I’ve used it. It’s pants. An improvement on Vista, but still, pants.
XP wasn’t so bad. To be fair, after downgrading to it, my PC was ok. Just not up to the job, so Mac it is for me!
For me, I would rather have the iPod touch. I got one free when they first came out, and love it – it stays in my pocket all the time, and I am usually not far from a free wifi connection for emails, etc., and even with me old eyes and bifocals, I read books on it daily.
At least when the PC (continually) crashes?C’mon! As if Mac OS X never does??? Old news…
If your school forces you to run Windows or OS X, it’s a bad school. You should protest.
Zombie-Indian Givers!
Rather have the Mac, but I like how they don’t make you wait for the rebate. That’s sweet.
Even if Microsoft gave me a free XBox and iPod touch I’d still buy a mac.
My main system is a gaming PC that I custom built but I still prefer using my Macbook Pro. Are you sure you are on the right blog?
Win 7 is fine. I have 7 Ultimate Special Edition signed by Balmer and I have re-installed the damn thing 3 times. My Windows system gets slow, crapped up and has to be wiped several times a year. My Mac gets even more abused and the thing is perfect even over time. It’s hard to quantify all the reasons I like OSX better than Windows but aside from the multi-gestures, stability and simple lack of BS it just feels better. Win 7 is still my family machine but my Mac is my toy that makes me money.
WrIter of this article got no clue. Windows 7 is awesome OS. Who says different, he didnt try it.
I agree with this one 100%
Just because your IT department at work doesn’t know what they’re doing. Don’t blame Windows. Buy a cheap clone and install crappy software, and it won’t work well. Shocking!
Ive got a MacBook Pro and I only use the Windows(7) partition.
It’s never crashed and never had a virus.
Ive used the OSX partition a few times, twice it crashed.
Most people dont realise that the reason why Windows crashes more often than a Mac does is a HARDWARE issue. They’re isnt enough resources to run everything you are trying to do and it crashes. This doesnt happen as often with a Mac because Apple packages the hardware.
My old PC was a gaming rig running Vista, never had a problem with it.
Being biased one way or the other is to blindly follow spin and propaganda. Apple fantards are FAR more extreme than the PC ones.
They both have their uses. I for one think Windows7 is fantastic. Never had a problem with it. I like the ammount of control you have over system files and customability. I especially like the Aero feature. Also the ammount of games and programs available for the Windows platform.
As for OSX, I think its a great simplified OS. I dont personally prefer this simplification, but Im thinking of getting OSX for my nan who isnt so versed with computers and would benefit from this simplification.
(btw, I got the MacBook Pro ONLY because its the industry standard for my area of expertise. But I do own several other Apple products, though they were gifts. I can rarely justify the overpriced products to myself. With the exception of the iPod Classic.)
apples deal is much much better.
The rebate kept us from getting the free iPod, you have to buy it and wait for the rebate. We were already scraping buying the computer, another $200 wasn’t doable. And we ordered straight from Apple using the student channel. I wonder how many others refuse it for the same reason?
In terms of “coolness”, surely an iPod Touch is more desirable?
Certainly in terms of “handheld consoles”, who would even compare a PSP or DS? The iPod Touch is much slimmer, its BEAUTIFUL, metal and glass, the screen is several times more detailed, the HD camera… half a trillion apps, incredible games, most apps free or 99 US cents…
Compared to… “oh yay, Peace Walker….Nintendogs…”
:-)
Now, a home console is something different true, what do we think, which would an American student prefer? iPod Touch or Xbox 360? I’d go iTouch by far, a better, more useful, better looking product.
I 100% agree!!!
If my “heading off to college” teen wanted a PC w/ a free Xbox – the Xbox would stay home, while they went off to college. There is no way in hell I’m sending a kid to school and paying 10s of thousands of dollars on tuition with a time waster under their arm.
Ya, but I can’t take the Xbox with me to class, or out to parties, on the metro. Just a tad to bulky and the lack of built in screen can be an issue. As can supplying it power.
thats why u carry ur smartphone u moron
The thing you forget is that, like the operating system, Microsoft makes money off of every game sold as well as people playing Xbox Live. In two years Microsoft makes the cost of the Xbox back just off of someone paying for Xbox Live, even if they buy 0 games.
Yo dawg, dis be a stoopid article. Can you squeeze dat man Steve’s nuts any tighter? Millions of people want a PC, They got a little tighter grip on the market than dem macs. I love me a mac too, but dis just be a blatantly poor article with no tact. I suggest you take a good hard look in da mirror son and thank bout what you said.
Maybe next time you can keep yo overly agressive personal feelings outta yo articles,
I don’t think Microsoft is considering demographics properly. iPods appeal to a vastly larger audience. Though the Xbox is a fantastic entrainment device, how many women (who slightly outnumber men at most college campuses, but are vastly outnumbered by male gamers), are going to spring for a free video game console? You can play farmville on an ipod.
And does Microsoft also give students a 5-10% discount on the computer?
Why do you say it makes Apple look sily? Quite the reverse.
Wow!that’s great.SO microsoft is offering xbox that really worth and it also have $200 cost that’s quite affordable.I hope if i could get some student discount.
I must set ya straight my friend! My PC at work has graphical issues.. My graphics driver doesn’t want to play nicely with other hardware inside my machine.. You are correct, it is not necessarily Windows that is at fault but what should have been taken from my comment is that you don’t receive problems like this on Macs. Simplicity, elegance and integration FTW!
Often rarely can you find a machine that works as seamlessly as a Mac..
To Killian’s question: I think an iOS device would see much more use than an Xbox, though the Xbox plays certain (very expensive) games iOS doesn’t have. I agree with those who said “apply the $199 toward an iPad,” but that was not an option last time around. But if Apple would do that, that would put Microsoft’s offer to shame.
A “stoopid” article? Clearly the promo would never apply to you. So, why comment?
I wonder if possible for Microsoft to release anything, and Mac user not bitch about how crappy of an idea it is. Companies makes mistake, ask Sony, wow ask Apple ten years ago when Microsoft had to investment 300 million dollars into that company to prevent it from failing. Now that Apple is doing better all I hear from Apple users is inferior products that Microsoft produces. Consider the following if you don’t control the hardware, its very difficult to make a product work on everyone PC, all pcs aren’t equal some manufacturers actually deliver high quality product, and some don’t, but just some manufacturers cut corners, doesn’t means the PCs sucks. To the second point of Promotion the purpose of them to motivate the consumers to purchase more products, and increase revenue. Apple Strategy of iBook, and receive iPod touch is just that. Like the Microsoft attempt is just that. Why hate a company we live in a capitalist market-place so you should encourage this behavior from companies, not scorn them. Try to approach things with a more balance approach and consider the following this is the first Microsoft has ever try something like this good on them, and I would like to see more battling for my dollar between Microsoft and Apple, vs the avoidance game they are both currently playing with each other.
I have actually gotten two windows based systems in the last year. A Desk top and a lap top. A free x-box would have been rather nice. ( sort of angry ) As far as windows lap tops go, pass on them, and get a desk top. I’ve had old windows pcs running for up to a decade. If you are not an idiot you can manage the system. Lap tops will fade though for being so compact, the overheating is not worth it. So mac wins if you are getting a lap top. But for a desk top there is no number of times playing Oregon trail where the extra thousand dollars you paid seems to make much sense. Most people do not even use macs for what they are made for, stay away from macs unless you think you know computer graphics and work for Pixar, otherwise, you can blog and use stickam and even scrobble on last.fm just fine on a pc.
MAC is overated…Computer noobs get persuaded by the MAC Marketing….This deal is a no brainer, unless your a MAC die hard customer.
If you want a “Realistic” opinion, you get the same specs on the PC that you get on the MAC.
If your so in love with the MAC OS, just go for it…because that’s the only difference.
And if your going to argue….about Mac OS vs Windows 7…it’s all your opinion from there, so please just save it.
You do have something of a point. Granted, the iPod’s portability and audio functions make it arguable that with multitasking it makes the schoolwork more pleasant at least, but the Xbox has no such point.
You do make me wish that it was possible to trade in the freebie hardware for a rebate on software though. Especially if Adobe or Autodesk software was on the eligible list, since that stuff is something people would likely buy anyway. Which, I guess, is exactly why they *don’t* do it. =P
Microsoft will never make apple look silly! Apple products retain their value more than microsoft merchandise.
Microsoft will never make apple look silly! Apple products retain their value more than microsoft merchandise.
To borrow unashamedly from Groucho Marx “I’d never buy a Windows PC even if you gave it to me!”
Wow, someone who likes Mac OS on a Mac site!
Get a Wii. And btw, those are the games that sell! Why produce a game you won’t profit from ?!
MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY. Q: What’s the worst thing about Mac? A: It’s fans!
“At least when the PC (continually) crashes you have a console to play one”. What year are you in? When was the last time you saw a Windows Vista or Windows 7 machine crash? Is that why you prefer the Mac. Those engineers at Apple are working hard to implement really cool features in Lion and the reason to buy a Mac is because you think PCs crash?
seriously you people are fanatics about this mac and windows os are both used os but microsoft unlike apple dont specialize in building their desktops or laptop meaning you get a better product from competition of rival companies while with apple its their own monopoly on their products, i mean seriously you can just get any intel or even amd desktop and install mac it would run the same, while with windows products their more customizable more open while macs are just as they are on that date they were build closed