I think it's not about the affordability of the OS, it's about the affordability of the whole machine. In choosing a business strategy that allowed any OEM to l

I think it's not about the affordability of the OS, it's about the affordability of the whole machine. In choosing a business strategy that allowed any OEM to load their OS on any HW, MS has ended up being on much cheaper machines (because of the competition in the HW market), and on machines that are less reliable and easy to use, partly due to that very openness (sure, not all Windows' faults are the consequence of this choice). So far all the things that Windows isn't, and all the faults it has, it is still the cheapest way to buy a personal computer, so I think it makes sense to MS to talk about that. The thing I find strange about this ad is that they are trying to associate with people who can't afford a Mac (quote: my budget can't stretch..). Surely those people will buy a Windows machine anyway? If you wanted to make a point about price, wouldn't you try to associate with the people who do have the cash for a Mac, but point out to them that if they get a Windows machine their other $x000 can be spent on something else, e.g. a DSLR, holiday, etc. So maybe the real point of this ad is simply feel good factor, ala 'Windows is your friend'.