Justin Long No Longer A Mac

david.emery writes "Wired is reporting that Apple will be replacing Justin Long as its 'Mac' in their 'I'm a Mac/I'm a PC' ad campaign. John Hodgman, the personification of the PC, is reportedly shooting new commercials." From the article: "Even people who hate the campaign find their core idea compelling enough to endlessly satirize the series on YouTube. The one enduring criticism of the ads is that John Hodgman's PC is funnier and more likable than Justin Long's sleazy hipster doofus Mac. (just what was he saying to that hot new camera from Japan?) Hodgman is a riot (just read "The Areas of My Expertise" if you don't believe me), but I'm not sure how the new series of ads goes on from here. Is there a new Mac? Does Hodgman become the Mac?"

Is it because

[zr-rifle]

people like me found the PC dude much more amusing and likeable than the scruffy, elitist asshole Mac guy?

I'm glad he's gone

[Pink Tinkletini]

Justin Long has only been using Macs for a few years, from what I hear, just since they became trendy. But John Hodgman is the real deal—a Mac user since '84, and a talented writer in Brooklyn, too. I've seen him around the neighborhood, and all the girls go wild for him in real life. No kidding.

Re:I'm glad he's gone

[Pink Tinkletini]

Here, I found this interview with John Hodgman [thephoenix.com], in which he drops this telling quote: "I myself am a Mac user. I bought the very first Mac, or convinced my father to buy it, in 1984. I used it through high school and college; it was the first computer I used outside of college, then I went though a brief period of exile during my corporate years as a professional literary agent, where I was forced to use a PC . . . . Mac has always gotten the design and the interface down pat. They just know it. PC's efforts to emulate this, and its constant failing, and its self-satisfied arrogance about it being the most used platform in the world, all of that made it very easy to craft a character who, while he is a boob, and often concerned about how he comes off, at his core really feels bad for the Mac. Is really so delusional to believe he's much cooler than the Mac. The whole reason they're standing in that white room is because he's trying to help the Mac out."

No, it's not..

[AWhiteFlame]

...It's more likely because his agent figured he was "hot stuff" which Apple couldn't live without and so he demanded too much money. Then Apple proceeded to say, 'Alright then. Goodbye', where then Long's agent had a massive 'oh crap' moment and heart attack.

Re:Japanese version

[Anonymous Coward]

> Here it is on YouTube in case you don't feel like downloading QuickTime to watch it:

It's pretty sad that I have to watch this as a Flash video on YouTube, because I have a PowerBook G4 running 10.3.9, and choose not to submit to Apple's "forced upgrade" to QuickTime 7.

I paid for a QT6 Pro key, and I'd rather not have to pay AGAIN to keep my editing capability, thank you very much!

Re:Seriously?

[_Sprocket_]

Maybe you should stop hanging out with your Mom's friends if you're starting to consider hippies == average.

I'm genuinely curious - what makes the Mac guy a "hippie"? You've already dismissed folks who asked about his clothes as being "shallow" basing things on appearances. So what is it? Can't be his physical build, haircut, grooming... that's shallow appearances. Maybe its him doing creative things with his computer of choice? Or is it just because.. ya know... he's the Mac guy?