Intel PC vs. Mac ad is an unapologetic social experiment

The war between PCs and Macs has been running for almost ages, and all throughout the battles, Intel has remained mostly silent because it served both camps. With Apple's new Silicon, however, Intel has been forced to finally pick sides and take up the cause on behalf of Windows PCs. Its latest effort to draw the line involves what it clearly labels as a social experiment implying that Apple fans don't really know what they're missing until reality hits them in the face.

That is, of course, an unfair generalization that labels Apple fans as "iSheep", sticking to the company's products simply out of loyalty. Intel's "Breaking the Spell" video clip suggests that many of these loyal Apple customers are also unsatisfied with the state of affairs with Macs, MacBooks, and even iPads. They are, however, presented here as completely unaware that those issues have already been resolved by Windows devices.

The video ad starts with a test group airing their desire for more hardware customization options, the ability to play games, or having something as fancy as a touch screen or a convertible tablet/laptop hybrid. They are then presented with something that looks like a MacBook but can fold back to transform into a tablet. The "punchline" comes when the host reveals that this kind of "MacBook" does exist but only in Intel PCs.

Intel Chief Performance Strategist Ryan Shrout explains that these are real reactions or real people, not scripted ads. Some might still doubt that, but it's not hard to imagine people on both sides of the fence being completely unaware of what's available on the other side. That Intel just happened to come across such Apple fans by chance is, of course, the more doubtful scenario.

While the ad does factually demonstrate the things PCs have over Macs and MacBooks, it unsurprisingly doesn't even come close to addressing why many Apple fans still flock to Cupertino's products despite the existence of Intel-powered Windows PCs. Those reasons include the software ecosystem, reliability, and performance, some of which either Intel doesn't have direct control of or has even failed at.