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We all know and love the current generation of Apple’s Mac ads, but let’s go back in history to see the evolution that got us where we are today. Whether you’re a Mac or a PC, you’ll get a laugh. Ok, here’s the countdown, in no particular order. Enjoy!
Let’s start out with this one. Selling Apples with alligators, who would have thought?
Aaah, this will take you back to the days of dial-up and leave you grateful for having that “Step 3.”
Who takes their friggin’ computer on a vacation to the Grand Canyon…even if it is a Powerbook.
I’d-like-to-buy-the-world-a-Coke… er, make that a Mac.
I can’t believe Barack Obama got to be president by ripping off Apple. Where would we be if Steve Jobs himself had appeared in this ad?
It doesn’t matter WHAT type of computer you put in front of my Dad, that’s about the best he can do too. Actually he’s been sitting in front of his new Mac scratching his head for three YEARS now.
What point was this one trying to make, “Macs are for potheads who hit “delete” instead of “save”? I can’t believe this actually went out before they rethought it and switched to our good old “I’m a Mac” guy.
Oh, Picasso, you dirty old man you. How is this supposed to make somebody want to buy a computer?
I don’t know if Gandhi and Einstein would appreciate Apple calling them “crazy round pegs in square holes” but it seemed to work. Maybe it made you well up with pride if you consider yourself a fellow maverick. Somehow Mcain ruined the meaning of that word…
And finally…the #1 all time Apple commercial. Pretty prophetic in hindsight, but it must have made for a good laugh at the time. Oh wait, if you were alive in 1984 you probably remember that the Hooters look was actually hot and so were Bridget Nielsen look-alikes.
See more Mac videos – maybe not as funny but ones you can actually learn something from – with Mac video tutorials at www.MacUsersGuide.com. We offer the latest news, reviews, how-tos and expert opinions on everything Mac users need to know about Apple’s line of Mac computers and software.
May 28th, 2009 at 1:36 am
Lol funny
May 28th, 2009 at 1:36 am
Mac Vs Windows series is the best
May 28th, 2009 at 1:41 am
i love my mac
May 28th, 2009 at 1:44 am
I like the drunk Jeff Goldblum collection.
May 28th, 2009 at 1:44 am
Where would we be if Steve Job’s hadn’t insisted on controlling the hardware production. Has he ever gone on record wishing he had stayed with selling his operating system? Thanks for the list.
May 28th, 2009 at 1:55 am
Glad they finally got rid of that one button mouse.
May 28th, 2009 at 2:02 am
Ellen Feis’ one was the best, I had a good laugh
May 28th, 2009 at 2:02 am
Surely number ten didnt go down well with animal rights organisations?!
May 28th, 2009 at 2:18 am
hilarious..hehe
May 28th, 2009 at 2:35 am
Haha
Now i understand that Futurama joke with the new advert of the number 1 advert
May 28th, 2009 at 2:36 am
I think John Lennon appreciates being called a round peg.
May 28th, 2009 at 2:37 am
lol im now thinking of doing a list on The top ten dirty old men hahha Gandhi and picaso are now in! lol
but great list man! Woooo MACS FOR LIFE!
May 28th, 2009 at 2:38 am
woops i meant picasso not picaso
May 28th, 2009 at 3:18 am
HEADLINE:
“Steve Jobs Purchases New Zealand, Names Jaime Frater Dictator For Life”
in related news…
“Scientists believe they have found explanation for curious “Apple Clusters” permeating the Listverse”
May 28th, 2009 at 3:21 am
waty: I wish
May 28th, 2009 at 3:33 am
lo: Years ago I asked a Windows user if anyone ever said “I love Windows 95″. He looked at me very strangely.
May 28th, 2009 at 3:57 am
Worst list ever!!!
May 28th, 2009 at 4:30 am
No, we don’t all know and love them. What the hell. Fail.
May 28th, 2009 at 4:33 am
18. Bubette Duponte : I believe that “What the hell” should have been followed by a question mark. Fail.
May 28th, 2009 at 4:53 am
some commercial is nice, other are bad.
(I hate Mac but this is another story)
May 28th, 2009 at 5:03 am
#1 is a classic ad but it didn’t sell any computers. My step-mom bought a Mac for my niece. It is just as annoying to use as my PC. And my PC is a lot better since I started using Firefox as my web browser.
May 28th, 2009 at 5:16 am
my computer froze typing this
May 28th, 2009 at 5:19 am
WOW! What did apple pay for this list. The final paragraph alone is worth a fortune.
May 28th, 2009 at 5:35 am
Who would take their computer to the Grand Canyon? Unfortunately, I know WAY too many people who would do just that – and more.
May 28th, 2009 at 5:54 am
Apple ads are so preppy! thet think its all about them. i like apple, but its true.
PS. I love Ipod ads, they’re really awesome, full of movement & music.
May 28th, 2009 at 5:59 am
Hello, sorry, just checking what happens to my comment.
May 28th, 2009 at 6:00 am
I LOVE my Mac. It takes getting used to ,but it’s wonderful.
May 28th, 2009 at 6:06 am
Cute and funny list. Not that I would run out and get a MAC now, but at least I enjoy the ipod!
May 28th, 2009 at 6:40 am
The 1984 ad (Which first ran during the Superbowl, I believe)was just awesome. Directed by Ridley Scott, it just blew my socks clean off my feet and into the laundry, where they were washed, dried, lightly ironed and put back on my feet.
No lie.
May 28th, 2009 at 6:53 am
Wow, this is gon’ start some trouble
May 28th, 2009 at 7:08 am
MAC/PC – partisan gig
May 28th, 2009 at 7:39 am
I love my MacBook Pro. It’s a fine traveling companion for an aging opera singer. I love my iMac G4. It stays home with my girls. I loved my little indigo iBook clamshell. I’ll probably have it cremated along the banks of the Ganges, and then I’ll rub myself in it’s ashes. I adored my ruby red iMac. Feh. My ex got it in the settlement. Oh well, I got the Steinway and the girls. I ain’t gonna lie; I pretty much hated my Performa. And I loved my very first MacSE. Ooh… grad school, 80’s, Boston. I still have it, out in the barn behind this spring’s maple syrup.
I’ve never seen these TV ads, but that’s because I don’t own a television machine. The 1984 one is wicked awesome! And, by the way, I am a Bridget Nielsen lookalike. Prolly Maria Callas could have been on your elegant women list. The one with the alligator is very un-PC. Ha Ha – no pun intended!
Nice list.Nice website. I enjoy it a lot. In fact, it’s kind of addicting.
May 28th, 2009 at 7:45 am
Apple has created incredible brand equity by making everything so simple, clean and intelligent. From their simple “Mac vs. PC” ads to the layout of the retail stores to the design of their product, Apple stands out as genius marketers. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that their product excels above PCs in every way, IMHO. (there, I said it.) The 1984 commercial ran once and is hailed as one of the best TV spot ever made. The “Think Different” campaign is beautifully written and speaks directly to the Apple target. And despite a few minor missteps in their advertising, Apple has clearly done a better job at marketing than PC. What’s the last Windows spot you remember? How about “I’m a PC..”? Yeah, smart. Borrowed interest from APPLE!! HA!!
May 28th, 2009 at 8:07 am
I read each new list as it comes out. This was possibly the dullest list out of all of them. I hope we go back to “normal” tomorrow. (Yesterday’s was a real kicker! Loved it!)
May 28th, 2009 at 8:19 am
That was a fun list. I do not watch much tv, so all of these were new to me. Just to show my age, when I read the list title, I thought it was about apples, you know, like grannies, Washington, pippins. LOL
May 28th, 2009 at 8:33 am
When I was a kid I had an Apple II that I loved. Then I went through many years of PCs that were just ok or straight up terrible. 10 months ago I bought a macbook (vista finally broke me) and I am never going back!
May 28th, 2009 at 8:33 am
Number 2 pisses me off the most. Those freaking elitists actually think that by making a computer “easier to use” (if you can’t use a windows machine, you should be shot), that puts them in the rankings of the great men and women of these past few generations? YEAH RIGHT!
Steve Jobs is on the same level of greatness as Bono. Pretentious prick.
May 28th, 2009 at 8:52 am
I can´t imagine the worst 10…
May 28th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Meh……who cares? Did Apple buy ad space on listverse or something? In the author’s defense, yesterday’s excellent list was hard to follow.
May 28th, 2009 at 9:20 am
Right…so…before this comment thread really kicks off into the debate hell we all know it will, i would like to state a few things.
1. Macs are easier to use beacause they allow for VERY little upgrading or customizing.
2. While the layouts of the Apple stores, ads, and computers themselves are extraordinarily effective marketing tools, they are so successful because they pander to American stupidity and the very essence of the American consumer: LAZINESS. So…a computer is worth buying just because the nice man in the commercial says it is?
3.It is indeed true that Windows have consistent problems with various programming issues and operating systems, but let me ask you this, when was the last time you were able to play some truly kickass computer games on your Mac?
I love certain Apple products, like the iPod Nano that I own (which I only bought because it was on sale and the had finally introduced iTunes for PC). I know I’m biased when it comes to the Mac vs. PC debate, but the computers Steve Jobs distributes are overrated, expensive TOYS. It is usually the simplest solutions to the most difficult problems that lead to mass conformity and passive acception.
And as for the brilliance of the Think Different ad campaign…
http://www.motivatedphotos.com/?id=13295
May 28th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Wonderful commercials! Some I even worked on! How cool is that? Apple/Mac has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to advertising.
Great job, cberkeley.
I got my first Apple (yes, it was still an Apple) in 1982. I’ve stayed with the brand ever since. They are absolutely intuitive to use, as far as I’m concerned, but my husband finds them a mystery and uses only PC’s. I find his PC’s as difficult as can be. I’d swear they write in software that exists only to obfuscate the facts.
So our home is a two platform home. (we’re also wi-fi, but that’s a different story)
My children are equally adept at both, but like Macs for visual and auditory apps, while PCs are favored for spreadsheets and financial apps.
Since I only do art, leaving all finances up to my husband, I don’t have to worry about it one way or the other.
All I am sure of is that I will be a Macie to the day I die.
May 28th, 2009 at 10:09 am
“I’m a PC, and I would never consider putting advocates for anti-consumerism, such as lennon, or brilliant filmmakers famed for their contempt for advertising, like hitchcock, in a commercial just to fit my needs.”
“I’m a Mac, and, well, i’ll do just about anything to seem hip and different!”
May 28th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Hey there. Another quite different list today – and puts me in mind of a list I must send in sometime. Yes, I’ve seen a couple of these, and the 1984 one too – which I didn’t understand at the time; being eight years old. I love media art, so I like a few of the ideas in these adds. It would be natural for an underdog to try to be so inventive when it comes to marketing. I like #2 – just for the idea – and of course this ‘idea’ could be applied to anything (think differently: use unix, use a helicopter, use a reliant robin!
). When it comes to productivity (creating throughput on a computer) I have found the PC and the MAC to be roughly the same. I have also known both to crash.
The main reason I prefer a PC these days is because a PC’s a bit like a Lego set. If you want to upgrade the machine, you pull something out and pop something else in. When I used a Mac I noticed those machines were very hard to upgrade.
The second reason is because my MAC was OS X (10.4) – which made it incompatable with the latest software – making it an artifact rather than a tool. The OS could not be upgraded ‘cus the processor was ‘incompatable’, so I had to throw the whole (heavy lump) out. I have never found this issue with Windows – I’ve seen XP running on a neolithic 486 – with 128mb memory!
Finally on this, my third and final reason to prefer a PC is basically the one button mouse thing. I understand from a post above that this has been sorted (after 20 years!) but I still remember how much of a dream it was to come back to a PC and simply ‘right-click’ for options. If Apple really wanted to make things easier, surely they could have offered a 3 or 4 button mouse as standard. Today, I’m using a 5 buttom mouse (there are two buttons on the side under the thumb; which I use as ‘forward’ and ‘back’ buttons while browsing), and of course a mouse wheel I find is invaluable for skim reading and fast navigation.
Does that mean a PC is ‘better’ than a MAC for office work? No. A letter is a letter, a page is a page, a web site is a web site – and they will print to paper looking exactly the same – even on a stone age Amiga 500.
May 28th, 2009 at 10:22 am
@Von Melee
I have never used any computer other than Mac (that’s about 17 years) up until a year ago when I took a job at a place that is only PC. I cannot fathom how anyone could consider PCs to be better than Macs. In all my years of working, I’ve never used a machine that is more wonky, less intuitive and more cryptic than this PC. You say Macs are easier to use because they allow less upgrading? What? The more you upgrade and customize a PC, the more problems you have with it!! Vista, anyone? What’s more, what is so wrong with making things easy for the average consumer? The beauty of Apple is in it’s design intelligence. Smart, sophisticated, yet simple. Sorry if they’re out of your price range. Quality and intelligence may cost more than your average PC that can be built by someone in their basement. Just as a BMW will always cost more than a Kia. Both will get you there, but one will provide a much more enjoyable experience.
Oh, and by the way, your comment about playing games on Mac vs. PC…you rendered totally moot when you called Macs “TOYS.” If there are better games for PC, which is the toy? And who is pandering to American “stupidity”?
May 28th, 2009 at 10:23 am
#41 segue – You’re too cool for school, girl! I bet you enjoy seeing things you’ve worked on coming back around years after? Thats showbiz!
May 28th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Who took the bite out of the apple logo? Maybe that question should be the basis for another top 10 mysteries list…
May 28th, 2009 at 10:35 am
I like the Will Ferrell ad best of all!! It should be #1. Check it out.
May 28th, 2009 at 10:44 am
John Lennon link….
This may already have been mentioned on the quite recent Beatles list, but back in the day, the Beatles management company ‘Apple’ sued ‘Apple Computers’ for using the name. After a long battle; which lasted until recently; I believe ‘Apple’ now gets a share of the sales (or something) from ‘Apple Computers’.
May 28th, 2009 at 11:14 am
steeveedee – Regardless of any of your other points, the bitchy ‘price range’ comment just shows what it’s all about for Macheads – “I am hipper and holier than thou.” Yeah, we’re all so impressed.
By the by, I can use both. It’s not a case of one or the other. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence should be able to master it – if you can’t, I’m afraid the problem lies with you, not the machine.
May 28th, 2009 at 11:19 am
macs may be easier to use, more stylish and more reliable. but it’s impossible to use one without looking like a smug, preening idiot. sorry.
May 28th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Where are they now segment? Hi I’m Ellen Feis and I was pothead back then buying a Mac. Now? Well now I’m a senior advisor on President Obama’s staff. But I’m still a pothead.
For #2 – is the narrator for that commercial Richard Dreyfuss? Sounds like him.
Also, after the last list in which we found out about Ghandi’s “dirty old man” habits it could be in bad taste to use his name and the phrase “round peg in square holes” in the same sentence.
May 28th, 2009 at 11:47 am
I’m on my second Mac laptop and I can’t foresee going back anytime soon. The fact that one company controls ALL the hardware and a lot of the software is largely what contributes to the extra cost, but at the same time it also allows them to ensure that everything works together better. Case in point – any time I add a peripheral (I just bought an external tablet recently) I plug it into my Mac and it works. I plug it into my work PC, and even after installing the drivers, software, and configuring the item, it still doesn’t work properly. And I have to say to the guy who complains about the one-button mouse – just get a two button and plug it in. It will work, no problem.
But in my opinion the number one reason for choosing a Mac can be summed up in two words – customer service. I can attest to the efficiency, professionalism, and sheer knowledge base of the folks on the other end of the line at Apple. No other company that I’ve had to speak to was even close to being as useful and helpful as the Apple customer service. It’s actually PLEASANT to call them with troubleshooting questions because you know your problem will get fixed.
May 28th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Do we have ads for Linux? Thanks.
May 28th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
@NickNamed and Doug…Hip? Holier than thou? Smug, preening idiots? Holy crap, gents, it’s just a computer. I never implied that I, or any Mac user, was better than anyone else for using a computer that we find easier, more versatile, more intuitive and less problematic than PCs. I’m a frugal bastard, and Apple may be overpriced and out of some people’s price range, but I will spend extra on something I believe in.
@Bert…well put. You speak the truth.
May 28th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
in response to 48 – there have been numerous lawsuits dating as far back as 1978 and most have all been in favor of Apple Corps. In 2007 Apple now owns rights to the trademark. There is no share of the sales taking place.
May 28th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
haha nice list. We need a list about sports soon!
May 28th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
#55 dan231 – Hey thanks for clearing that up – lawsuits can be such a messy business. Since post #48, I did a bit of further research myself at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps_v._Apple_Computer
52: Bert – Thanks for the tip reg. a two button mouse – I didn’t know that.
May 28th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
The new Apple mice are touch sensitive for the left and right click, but yes, just get an USB 2-button mouse.
May 28th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Would have liked to see years these ads ran.
May 28th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
#59 – this might help http://redlightrunner.com/appleads.html
May 29th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
That was a LOT longer than 2-3 hours. More like 12-13!
May 29th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
cymraegbachgen87: You are right sorry about that – sometimes these things happen when dealing with technology
May 29th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
I LOOOOVEEEEEEE #4!!!
I must have already watched it a squillion times; it just doesn’t get old.
“And I was like…. ‘Hnnn..?’…” I love that face.
May 29th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
I do hope that you got paid a little extra for this list because it does read like one big advertisement. It is poking fun at Mac, but any advertising is good for the company. You should have reemed them a little more on the #1 entry. Although some of the videos were funny. I am clearly a PC.
May 29th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
It’s always cool to see anything I worked on on television! It brings back the entire experience for me, all the days of work, the problems, the fun, the locations, the people…and what a wonderful life it was.
May 29th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
OK I am so sick of people putting down PC. First don’t blame Vista if your the one that’s computer illiterate. I have had nothing but great experiences with Vista. Macs are nothing but overprices glam machines that people get because they think there being different. Now don’t get me wrong there are some things that i prefer to use a Mac on like taking a dump.
May 30th, 2009 at 4:57 am
Lol..love the comments..better than the list. But it is a list
May 30th, 2009 at 10:41 am
66 notherguitar: My goodness, nother. Talk about illiteracy! Your post is rife with spelling and grammar errors. If you were attempting to make the point that PCs were used by the more intelligent users, and Macs were used by idiots, you sadly failed.
May 30th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Here here
May 31st, 2009 at 12:16 am
I built my first computer in 81 if I remember right and soldered in a new and faster crystal on the motherboard, also had a 20 MB seagate which cost around $500.00. That was in the days of DOS and Basic,so while I have cursed Windows I have always had good luck with HP products and like the ease of entry to the guts so I can clean the fans and heat sinks.
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:37 am
I prefer Mac. I don’t think I’m any more ‘hip’ or ‘different’ by using it, in fact there are a shitload of Mac users where I live. But Macs could be seen as hipper because they generally just look better than PCs. God they are beautiful.
And as for Mac being easier to use, I think its just what you’re used to. Someone who has used PC all their life might find it strange going to Mac, but you get used to it.
Its true that if gaming is a priority for you, PC is better. But Macs are so superior in every other way, I actually can’t understand why you WOULDN’T use them.
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Don’t own an Apple… never used one.. prolly never will… but I don’t begrudge their fans for one second.
I love, love, love the #1 ad. It may not have sold many, if any, computers, but it was well made, started a controversy, and was pulled rather quickly from the tube. For shame. I could and probably will watch it many, many more times. It’s a classic.
Hey, maybe we need a list of “commercial noir”. #1 would definitely be in that list.
June 4th, 2009 at 7:24 am
love picasso
June 6th, 2009 at 4:44 am
What would happen if Steve Jobs ran Apple
(one of the shining lights of American innovation)
the same way Bush and now Obama run the
Iraq War?
Here’s what it would look like:
(Humor)
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/638.html
June 24th, 2009 at 11:53 am
windows is much better although ipod-touch is really good
July 8th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
The 1984 one is great. Someone commented asking what’s the last windows ad you remember seeing… right now it’s all about how cheap you can get a PC and how you can’t get a Mac for that cheap. The part they forget to mention is that the PC user will be coming back for a new PC, or repairs to their current one, while the Mac user is still sitting pretty.
I used PC’s for 10 years, and in the few months that I’ve owened an iMac, I must say it is sooooo much better. PC’s are fine for people who do simple tasks (office work), but for anything more, I suggest a Mac. It takes some getting used to, but overall it’s much more user friendly. Although it may appear to be less for the money, you have to remember that it operates and runs better than a typical PC.
July 18th, 2009 at 7:54 am
i think ellen feis’s one was the best altho everyone said she was high
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:05 pm
nah, I think that the best Mac ad ever was when Bill Gates was trying to show off his new OS at some kind of release party and it displayed the blue screen of death. It was infront of a large group of interested persons as well as on television! What makes it even better for the Mac is that you can still see it on YouTube! Give it a google if you want to see what I mean!