If you head over to the brilliant TheOnion.com you’ll be able to see a new Apple ad highlighting the PC to Mac switcher rate following the launch of Microsoft’s Windows 7. Justin Long and John Hodgman, the Mac and PC characters, stand below a bank of CCTV monitors across the top of the page watching PC users entering a series of Apple Retail Stores. After bemoaning Apple’s success in customer satisfaction surveys and the continued movement of PC users to Mac, Hodgman dashes off to accost the hapless switchers.

While certainly entertaining, the ad continues to promote Apple’s successful retail model with the added bonus that switchers don’t yet appear to be lured by the charms of Windows 7 to remain as PC users. The only drawback we can see, as with previous Get A Mac ads, is that Hodgman is still far too likeable a character while Long’s aloof, bordering on smug persona could begin to grate even the more hardened Mac enthusiast. That said, no amount of advertising is likely to sway a Mac user toward a PC but it may be enough to put off those sitting on the fence.

The ad features on The Onion’s home page and can be seen, while live, here

Several websites are posting screengrabs of Google web ads offering new, reduced price Mac models that have been spotted across sites in Europe. True to mounting speculation that at least the iMac and mini are due for updates, Apple’s Dutch store appears to have prematurely launched its campaign.

Roughly translated, the MacBook is said to be “thinner, lighter and faster” while the iMac is “ultra thin” and from only €1099 (approx. £1000/$1600). The Mac mini is now “faster and more affordable than ever” with a reduced price of €499 (approx. £450 $729).

All of the adverts bar the iMac also mention immediate availability so we could see releases as early as this week. While speed bumps and minor tweaks are normally quietly added to Apple’s online stores, a re-designed iMac may warrant its own Apple event among other releases.

While we apologise for banging on about the Apple & Microsoft ad war, there has been another entertaining twist we felt compelled to gloat tell you about.

It appears that Microsoft COO Kevin Turner laughed a little too soon over the effect the “Laptop Hunter” ads were having and may well have exaggerated details of the call he received from Apple’s legal department.

As we reported previously (link), Mr Turner had this story to tell developers at a Microsoft show:

“And you know why I know they’re working? Because two weeks ago we got a call from the Apple legal department saying, hey — this is a true story — saying, “Hey, you need to stop running those ads, we lowered our prices.” They took like $100 off or something. It was the greatest single phone call in the history that I’ve ever taken in business.”

It now appears that the grammatically challenged Turner has actually had to listen to Apple’s request to change their current advert.

Advertising Age reports that Microsoft has quietly adjusted its latest advert to remove mention of the exact price of an Apple MacBook, since Apple adjusted its laptop pricing. The videos have been tweaked on Microsoft’s site as well as popular services like YouTube.

While the comparison between Macs and PCs  is still made it does, at least make Kevin Turner’s comments a little premature and, frankly, a bit stupid.

Advertising Age also reports the following quote from a Microsoft spokeswoman:
“We slightly adjusted the ads to reflect the updated pricing of the Mac laptop shown in the TV advertisement. This does not change the focus of the campaign, which is to showcase the value and choice of the PC.”

We look forward to the next installment in this highly amusing tit for tat battle.