They say that breaking-up is hard to do and nowhere in tech is that more evident than Intel’s scorned lover-like anti-Mac ads posted to social media this month.
After being dumped by Apple, the chipmaker has fled to the loving embrace of Microsoft and gone all-in on the PC with a “you’re not on a Mac” campaign.
“If you can power a rocket launch and launch Rocket League, you’re not on a Mac. Go PC.” the company writes on one of the ads highlighting things it says are not possible on Apple’s new M1-powered MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac mini machines.
The campaign, spied by 9to5Mac among others, also takes aim at Apple’s refusal to add a touchscreen to Mac models, unlike the Surface Pro range made by Microsoft.
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“If you can flip through Photoshop thumbnails with your actual thumb, you’re not on a Mac. Go PC,” Intel writes in a graphic linking to a YouTube video encouraging viewers to “Go PC in 2021.”
Only a PC offers tablet mode, touch screen and stylus capabilities in a single device. #GoPC
— Intel (@intel) February 2, 2021
The sponsored video shows TechBuffalo founder Jon Rettinger unsuccessfully Googling for Cyberpunk 2077 on a Mac (it’s unavailable), struggling to plug a USB-A device into the laptop (of course, Macs have USB-C ports these days), and ploughing through all of the other paid-for reasons people should buy an Intel Evo laptop instead of a Mac.
Apple began the transition to its own Apple Silicon platform in late 2020 with three new Macs. They were the first to arrive without Intel processors since 2006. Apple said it plans to complete the transition across the Mac range by the end of 2022. Several new M1-based (or an as-yet-unannounced successor) Macs are thought to be in the works throughout 2021.
Intel, on the other hand, may by hanging its hat on the PC in the immediate future, but rumours Microsoft is planning to take a similar course to Apple and create its own ARM-based chips may raise alarm bells.
Only a PC can power scientists and gamers alike. #GoPC
— Intel (@intel) February 10, 2021
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
