'Tech ads less offensive than last year'

But Linux fans might disagree

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has found that the number of complaints made about technology companies has fallen.

The ASA's annual report states that 1,322 complaints were received last year in relation to "computers and telecommunications" adverts - down from 1,579 in 2003.

However, the tech sector still figured high on the list: only the leisure industry triggered more complaints.

Among the ads that drew the ire of the public were Microsoft's Get the Facts campaign, which compared Linux and Windows TCO. The ASA ruled that the claim 'Linux is 10 times more expensive than Windows' was misleading.

Apple also felt the watchdog's wrath in June, when the company claimed the PowerMac G5 was the fastest personal computer on Earth.

Other tech companies that got on the wrong side of the public in 2004 include Wanadoo, AOL and Nokia.