"I'm a Mac," says the unshaven character played by Justin Long, featured in the TV series "Ed," in the movies "Accepted" and "Jeepers Creepers" and in other roles.

"And I'm a PC," says John Hodgman, the buttoned-up, dry comic actor/writer and former literary agent who has patiently provided expert commentary for fake stories on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."

In a now-classic series of commercials, nine in all through June of 2006, these two guys anthropomorphize the two most famous personal computer platforms on the planet.

Most everyone agrees these ads are funny. But not everyone agrees that they are accurate.

Viruses, Clock and Out-of-the-Box

In one commercial, appropriately called "Viruses," the PC Guy sneezes and says he caught a virus, one of "114,000 viruses for the PC" in the last year alone.

"PCs, not Macs," says Mac Guy.

In another, Mac Guy says that iLife - a suite of programs for the Web, photos, music and video - comes bundled with every Mac, working as seamlessly as iTunes. PC Guy replies that he has "apps" bundled with him as well, dropping air quotes around the word. He mentions Calculator and, when pressed for others, comes up with Clock. "Sounds like...hours of fun," Mac Guy says.

"WSJ" features PC Guy quoting a Wall Street Journal review of the Mac as "the finest desktop PC on the market, at any price." In the one called "Better," Mac Guy says he does "life stuff" better, like photos and video.

After showing the two computer guys holding hands - that is, networking - in another commercial, Mac Guy extends the chain by holding hands with a Japanese woman who is a new digital camera from Japan. He then turns to her and starts talking in Japanese - he speaks her language. PC Guy tries "buon giorno" on her, but to no avail.

"Out of the Box" shows the two computer-guys half out of boxes. Mac Guy is ready to get started on Web pages, photos and more, "right out of the box." PC Guy says he first needs to "download new drivers, erase trial software" and has "lots of manuals to read." But he can't get out yet, he says as Mac Guy heads off-screen, because the rest of him is still in other boxes. (continued...)

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