Intel Ad for 'World's Best Processor' Features a MacBook Pro

Intel has been on a relentless marketing drive against Mac computers in recent weeks, positioning them as inferior to Windows laptops powered by Intel processors. In a slight slip-up, however, Intel has accidentally used a MacBook instead of a Windows laptop in one of its newest ads to promote one of its new 11th-generation chips as "the world's best processor."

Intel MBP Is Thin and Lighjt
The ad appeared on Reddit and was shared on Twitter by @juneforceone, and it features a man using what clearly seems to be a MacBook Pro. The ad's tagline says, "The world's best processor on a thin and light laptop," and is meant to promote the Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor.

The image Intel uses in the ad is actually a stock image offered by Getty Images, which clearly shows the laptop is indeed a ‌MacBook Pro‌ with an accompanying Magic Mouse.

Apple continues to sell Mac computers with Intel chips, despite its ongoing transition to its own Apple silicon. But while Apple still sells Intel-based Macs, the chip referenced in the ad is not used in any Mac, and in fact, it was launched around the same time Apple released its M1 Apple silicon chip late last year.

One of Intel's most notable marketing campaigns was launched last month and features former "I'm a Mac" actor Justin Long in a series of videos comparing a ‌MacBook Pro‌ powered with ‌M1‌ to a variety of Windows laptops. Even as the two companies go head to head, newly appointed Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger says he hopes that his company will make Apple silicon chips in the future and have Apple as a normal client.

Popular Stories

apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air Flop Sparks Industry Retreat From Ultra-Thin Phones

Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia. Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has...
streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
General Apps Messages Redux

Singapore Orders Changes to iMessage by December

Tuesday November 25, 2025 6:39 am PST by
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...

Top Rated Comments

DocMultimedia Avatar
61 months ago
Lol. Gotta love advertising folks (who are most likely using Macs).
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
61 months ago
... I don't even know where to begin with this. Even the dude in the pic looks like he knows what's up.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BeefCake 15 Avatar
61 months ago
This is worst than Samsung Tweeting their marketing from an iPhone.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
61 months ago
I don't like the snide remarks people are making about Intel since the switch to Apple silicon began. Remember, Macintosh was using Intel for 15 years and it actually breathe new life into the platform. Considering how much PowerPC was a dead end, especially from Motorola on the mobile side, it was very a much crisis if Apple didn't have Intel. I'm sure ARM processors from 2005 to 2015 weren't powerful enough run macOS (OS X).

Keep in mind also, Apple continues to sell a vast majority of their Macintosh portfolio on Intel. We need to respect Intel while saying goodbye at the same time. Some of the comments I've read kinda give the impression of this is how you would treat people in real life too. If a friend helped you out for 15 years and helped you get your work done then of course is starting to decline because another friend can do so same things a little bit better, doesn't mean you need to be nasty.

Even Jobs has talked about this kinda nasty 'us vs them' behavior in past in keynotes (Macworld '97). You wanted Microsoft Office, yet you are booing the CEO of the company who makes it.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KenaiAndrews Avatar
61 months ago
Another day, another embarrassing ad from Intel.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Anson_431 Avatar
61 months ago
Honestly, the person managing the ad campaign has to be penalized or fired.

Like seriously? You held a month long hostile campaign against Apple, and you managed to let this slip by using the VERY BRAND that you're advertising against?

No wonder Intel is failing to catch up with time?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)