I saw a new advert the other day. It started off with this woman talking about making music and lots of cartoony instruments and stuff flying around her. Now I thought this was for something like a mobile phone or website or music channel or something like that. The last thing I ever expected it to be about was Windows.

Now, sure, Windows has it’s fair share of music creation software, but I’d expect an advert like that from Apple. I mean Apple produces stuff like iLife that does all the things that Microsoft is advertising in these adverts.

The thing is, these new are a big threat to Apple. It is poised to gain a large chunk of market share thanks not only to OSX being more secure than Windows, but also applications such as iLife, which allow average users to create professional looking/sounding movies, DVD’s and music without the need for professional expertise. But MS is attacking this directly. For example, imagine trying to convince someone to switch to the Mac and they ask why. Well you say “Well, you have iLife which has applications like GarageBand that let’s you make music really easily”. And while you are there with the smug look on your face they come out with a verbal frying pan to crack into your head… “But haven’t you seen those adverts, Windows can do that too”. Now sure, your instinctive reaction is to go about the ease of use of iLife and how it’s included with every new Mac, but how long until these start getting targeted.

The XP Reloaded campaign is directly attacking Apple. Now it may not be the primary aim of XP Reloaded but it’s a dangerous side effect. MS is trying to make Windows more secure and appear more attractive to keep people using it. Otherwise people might move to Macs which means less customers for Longhorn, and we all know that Longhorn isn’t gonna be quite as big the advancement that it was lauded to be. So what is Apple doing to counter this all out offensive? Why haven’t we seen loads of Mac adverts countering this? Well, both questions are simple to answer…

What Apple is doing is pushing Tiger. Maybe not on TV but it is in newspapers and magazines in the States. There have been adverts telling people about Spotlight and Dashboard. IMO Apple needs to bring this to a wider audience. Put it on TV, put it on billboards. It needs to show everyone that it exists and that it’s better than Windows.

The second question is answered with one word… iPod. Apple is spending most of it’s time advertising the iPod because it is the product of the moment. It also usually only advertises about it’s hardware. Well the only really new hardware design is the Mac Mini, which has been out for the best part of 6 months now, so Apple can introduce “The New Apple ..........”. It is also switching architecture. People don’t want hardware that will be guaranteed to be obsolete in 18 months time. Now we know this isn’t true, because OSX will run on PPC, as will any Universal Binary application. But they don’t know that. It just wouldn’t make any sense to try and advertise now.

So what will they end up doing? Well, MWSF 2007 will be the most interesting ever. Longhorn have been, or will be on the verge of release. And so will Leopard. Now Apple is most likely going to have half it’s line up on Intel’s at MWSF (I’m guessing the Mac Mini, iBook, PowerBook and maybe the Powermac). Microsoft is going to be advertising the hell out of Longhorn to try and get people to upgrade. So what better time for Apple to go on the offensive. Advertise Leopard, compare it to Longhorn, tell them about the hardware and the integration and what Apple has to offer. If Apple plays it’s cards right it could hit MS down low.

Just when people are thinking about upgrading their OS they will no longer have the options of Yes or No to the latest version of Windows. They will then have the option to Cancel and move to the Mac. If you look at MS’s position now it may be hard to believe that they could be in trouble. But the fact is that Longhorn is MS’s wildcard. If it succeeds then they’ll be strong for years to come, if it falters even the slightest then MS is set to fall, and fall hard. And Apple will be in the perfect position to rise up and fill in the cracks that MS has let form.