Novell’s Linux Parody of Apple’s “Mac vs. PC” Ads

You have to hand it to Novell: the Linux vendor knows how to piggyback on a popular ad campaign. The company’s pro-Linux parody of Apple’s “Mac vs. PC” ads not only co-opts a well known ad series (guaranteeing instant recognition), it scores major satiric points for the open source OS.

But humor aside, the ads make some interesting points about how the three OSes compete with each other in the marketplace. Most significantly, they point out that the OS race is very much a three-way event, regardless of whether Apple or Microsoft acknowledges that.

• What’s your opinion?
Comment on the Novell ads in the Datamation Forum.

Here are the TV ads:

Ad No. 1:

Extra points scored: The “super cool” T-shirt the supposedly hip Mac guy wears is right from Nerdsville.

Ad No. 2:

Extra points scored: The Windows guy, talking about his outdated jacket (the long-awaited Vista release) says proudly, “I’ll probably wear this for another six or seven years.”

Ad No. 3:

Extra points scored: The Windows guy comforting the Apple guy when it’s revealed that everyone’s running Linux: “It feels good to admit it.”

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