Intel targets M1 weaknesses in 'You're not on a Mac' ad campaign

Days after Intel released a series of benchmarks to back up claims that its chips are better performers than Apple's M1, the company on Thursday pressed the issue by launching an ad campaign listing features that are exclusive to Windows PCs.

Published to Intel's official Twitter account, the "Go PC" ad push currently consists of two posts and a sponsored YouTube video highlighting class exclusive capabilities offered by Intel hardware. The company specifically calls out Apple's Mac, an interesting turn of events considering Apple, long a PC industry underdog, did the same with its famous "I'm a Mac" series in the early 2000s.

In one ad, Intel points out Macs are unable to play certain games like Rocket League, an important point for buyers looking to use their computer as an entertainment console. Another notes Mac does not support a tablet mode with stylus input and touchscreen support. No mention of iPad is made.

A link in both embedded ads leads to a lengthy sponsored video from tech YouTuber Jon Rettinger, who breaks down why Intel Evo laptops might be a better fit for some users than a comparable M1 Mac.

"If you're looking for a good laptop in 2021, there are many things to consider, but processor choice might be more important than you think," a description on Rettinger's video reads. "You might be considering Apple's new M1-based laptops, but before you hit the buy button, let me show you what Intel's new Evo laptops can offer you!"

In the overview, Rettinger touts the 13.3" ASUS ZenBook Flip S, Razer Book, Razer Core X, CalDigit Thunderbolt Dock and Samsung T7 Portable SSD, some of which are compatible with existing Mac hardware.

Intel last week released a series of cherry-picked benchmark tests designed to illustrate the prowess of its chip designs over Apple's new M1 silicon for Mac. The chipmaker selected a number of data points that seemingly showed the M1 fall short when completing tasks in a number of popular apps including Adobe Creative Cloud and Handbrake. Mac's lack of gaming support was also noted, with Intel confusingly listing unsupported games at zero frames per second on Apple's platform.

With Intel in a dominant position — at least for now — in the chipmaking industry, the new ad campaign perhaps does less to promote its products than demonstrate how threatened the company feels by Apple's in-house ARM designs. Early tests in November suggested M1 outclassed nearly all Intel-powered Macs currently offered by Apple. The Cupertino tech giant plans to migrate its entire Mac line to Apple Silicon within two years.

Today's ad push also comes on the heels of a letter Intel, Qualcomm, Micron, and AMD sent to President Joe Biden requesting "substantial funding for incentives for semiconductor manufacturing" be included as part of the administration's economic recovery plans. Apple chip supplier TSMC, meanwhile, is rapidly expanding thanks in large part to orders for A-series and, now, M1 silicon production.