Dell has taken a hard shot at Apple's ads proclaiming the MacBook to be green, has criticized Apple for misleading advertising, and says Apple isn't really a green company at all. In fact, Dell says in a blog, "Apple hasn't stated any goals, just made claims, which as far as we can tell, are not accurate."
Bob Pearson, Dell's VP, Communities & Conversations goes after Apple in his blog,
"The Real Meaning of Being Green". Here's how he starts it off:
Several Dell folks were surprised and perplexed to see Apple's new "green" MacBook ad since its release last month and we've been watching the discussions in the blogosphere. After chatting with our environmental teams about the topic, we realized that instead of ignoring it, we should have a conversation about the real meaning of being green from the viewpoint of a Fortune 500 company.
What follows is not a conversation at all, but instead head-on, direct criticism. Pearson's first point is that Apple talks a good game about the environment, but won't take sustained action He says:
We don't recall Apple joining the conversation about the environment, either via key conferences or the blogosphere or via reporter meetings. In fact, we believe Apple employees are not allowed to blog, as far as we can tell. If you want to make "big claims," you should be willing to tell "big stories" in an open environment and let others critique your efforts. Don't skip this step and go right to ads that may not even be truthful.
Next, he claims that Dell's laptops are greener than Apple's, saying:
Apple hasn't stated any goals, just made claims, which as far as we can tell, are not accurate. Our Latitude E-series makes energy efficiency, the use of BFR/PVC-free components and the elimination of mercury a priority. They were designed and built with the environment and easy accessibility in mind, arguably more so than the Macbook.
Finally, he says that Apple should focus on green action, rather than making green-sounding ads, and touts the work Dell has done to green the entire company. He concludes:
We wish Apple would be more bold in making a difference rather than making ads.
