Microsoft’s latest sales tactic: The Apple Tax

In the same week that Apple pegged Vista’s problems as a factor in Mac sales, a senior Microsoft executive has launched a harsh attack on his rival. Brad Brooks (pictured right), the man in charge of Microsoft’s consumer marketing, claims Mac buyers face a series of extra costs that he dubs “Apple tax”.

Speaking to CNet news, Brooks said Macs worked out to be more expensive, and not just on the list price. He claimed there were extra costs for:

• choice (mentioning the limited range of colors and configurations of Macs compared to the PC market)
• applications (in terms of limited choice as well as retail prices)
• technology (the cost of doing without HDMI, Blu-ray and other features) and
• upgrades (or rather, the lack of official upgrades available).

He also dubbed the idea of buying a Mac to run Windows virtualization software as “crazy”, while describing this week’s MacBook price cuts as “taking shavings off the iceberg to create a snowcone”.

Asked about the perceived security risks of PCs vs Macs, Brooks wouldn’t make direct comparisons, but highlighted the security improvements in Vista and Internet Explorer 7.

The interview comes as Apple launched its own attack, with chief operating officer Tim Cook (pictured left) telling guests at the launch of the new MacBook range:

I think it’s fair to say that Vista hasn’t lived up to everything that Microsoft hoped it would. And consequently, it’s opened doors for a lot of people to consider switching to the Mac. And this has given us an opportunity and Apple has been the beneficiary of this.

While the latest Microsoft adverts indirectly acknowledged the “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” comparisons, it’s still unusual for Microsoft executives to be so direct in addressing the Mac. It may be due to fears of losing market share, but either way, it’s clear that Apple must be ready to defend itself against Microsoft accusations that the Macs are too generic and overpriced.

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