Yahoo News Shots fired: Microsoft calls the new MacBook Pro a 'disappointment'
Microsoft ditched standard newsroom convention to throw down the gauntlet and take a very public swing at chief rival Apple and the new MacBook Pro in a recent Surface-themed blog post.
SEE ALSO: Admit it: Microsoft is now a braver, more innovative company than Apple
The post's author, Brian Hall, the CVP of Microsoft Devices Marketing, touts the "many wonderful things happening across the board for Surface," with super-confident declarations of it being "the best" and "industry-leading." There's not much substance to back up these claims — but there are vague references to sales numbers without revealing the actual number of units shipped or sold.
Then, the post takes a much more competitive turn.
"More people are switching from Macs to Surface than ever before," writes Hall, citing Microsoft's trade-in credit program for Apple devices.
That's not just touting the many positives that come along with the Surface line — that's straight up demeaning the competition. And citing "daily" reviews that advocate for the Surface over MacBooks while providing only one example? A bold move.
This level of trash talk screams for some concrete sales numbers to put toe-to-toe — but there are none, at least as of now.
When asked to provide more context about Surface sales and the MacBook trade-in program, a Microsoft rep had no further comment. "The blog post ... has all the data/figures we’re sharing now on this particular momentum announcement," they said.
This comes after quite a bit of noise regarding the quality of the newly designed MacBook Pro, with its love it or hate it Touch Bar.
Even with the criticism, Apple Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing Phillip Schiller told The Independent that a week after launch, Apple's online store "had more orders for the new MacBook Pro than any other Pro notebook before." This claim was, in theory, supported by unofficial sales estimates that showed the new MacBook dominating all comers.
But Apple reps were similarly quiet, providing no comment on Microsoft's burn nor further sales data when reached.
While Microsoft's blog post certainly stirred the pot, there's not much power behind its punch. We need a true heavyweight matchup from these notebook competitors — complete with accurate weigh-ins with sales numbers — to determine who is really No. 1.
