Windows 11’s BSOD isn’t common. I rarely see it on my main or test PCs. Even so, Apple’s new ad turns a hall of crashed Windows machines into a sales pitch for the Mac. In a new ad film titled “The Underdogs: BSOD (Blue Screen of Death),” Apple mocks those who use Windows 11 at work, and pitches macOS as “Macs don’t panic.”
It’s not a short ad, but a 9-minute ad film that shows a small startup attending a trade show called Container Con. Apple says the startup, which happens to own Macs, wants to meet a big buyer named Trev Smith and sell two million eco-friendly bags.
Throughout the ad film, we’ve Apple bits here and there. You’ll hear an Apple Watch ringtone from someone’s mom, and find people using “Find My” to ping a lost iPhone. But then the ad film slowly changes the narrative and launches the “anti-PC” campaign. Apple shows dozens of Windows PCs crashing with the Blue Screen of Death.
Everything seems to suggest it’s a jibe at PCs crashing with the Blue Screen of Death due to the CrowdStrike outage in 2024. CrowdStrike outage was not Microsoft’s fault, but of course, Apple doesn’t want you to know facts. Instead, Apple wants you to believe that Windows PCs often crash with the Blue Screen of Death.
The ad film suddenly becomes dramatic when all Windows PCs at the event are crashing with the Blue Screen of Death. People are worried, panicking, and notifications are sounding across the trade show. Apple’s joke is that “the world went blue” because Windows 11 crashed everywhere.
But only a specific booth at the trade show with macOS continued to work.
One of the characters in the ad films dials a security expert, who begins to explain how macOS is a better option than Windows 11. For example, on macOS, security tools use Apple’s Endpoint Security API, and Apps do not get kernel-level access.
This is a jibe at Microsoft because Windows previously allowed third-party security apps access to the kernel.
Apple says the “deepest parts” of macOS are protected from changes by third-party software or malware, which is again another jibe at Windows and CrowdStrike.
No, Apple. Windows no longer allows kernel access to anti-virus software
After the CrowdStrike outage, Microsoft confirmed that it’s moving antivirus software out of the Windows kernel. Microsoft is partnering with companies like CrowdStrike, Bitdefender, ESET, and Trend Micro. As part of the partnership, Windows antivirus software will move to a new endpoint security platform.
It’s starting with AV and EDR, and other kernel drivers will take longer, including game anti-cheat, which needs special handling. Once it’s fully rolled out, Windows will probably never crash again due to one of the security updates by a third-party vendor.
Unlike Apple ecosystem, Windows is open and businesses have their own security solutions, which has advantages, but also disadvantages, such as the CrowdStrike BSOD incident.
Do you prefer Mac over Windows?
We all have different use cases. I’ve a Windows PC for personal, office, and gaming. Then, I’ve Linux for running my servers and Python scripts. macOS doesn’t fit in my use case, but what about you? Have you considered switching to Mac from Windows? Let me know in the comments below.
