Mac vs PC: Why so many businesses are switching to Macs

Rodney Monroe
September 23, 2007

Traditionally people don't associate Apple Computers better known as Macs and businesses together. Yet, an increasing number of operations, both small and large are taking a very serious look at Macs. There are many reasons businesses are turning away form PC's and to Macs to cure their computer blues. In this article I'll share what I feel are two of the main reasons businesses are switching to Apple computers to run their businesses, and show you where you can find a list of the best Mac applications for business in one place.



Two reasons businesses are switching to Macs





  • Apple has actually begun to target small businesses with thier line Mac OS X Leopard Servers. Apple designed the server preferences in it's Leopard Server primarilly for small businesses which often need the features of a server but lack the budget to hire full-time IT staff. Only Mac OS X Server combines the latest open source technologies with Apple's industry-leading manageability and ease of use. And because it's all based on open standards, Mac OS X Server can easily integrate with your existing network infrastructure and provide services for mixed-client environments.


  • Business people are beginning to realize that Apple computers and it's Mac OS X (operating system 10) are the most ideal platform for managing their businesses. Surprisingly it's not just small businesses that are making the big switch to Macs. Among the business elite that have switched, at least some of their departments, from PC's to Apple computers are Home Depot, Goggle, Oracle, and the U.S. White House.




    • What's behind the switch from PC's to Macs you might ask? The fact is that we all want the same things when it comes to computers. We want our computers to: work every time; be 100% compatible with our enterprise and applications; and have a high degree of immunity to the prevailing threats out of the box. Apple computers represent the best option to accomplishing these things. Consider this small list of Mac facts.





    • Macs are built on the Unix operating system, which is touted to be the worlds most reliable.


    • Apple's custom operating system OS X isn't just Unix but, with the exception of its user-interface and management tools code, it's open-source Unix. Apple integrates and specifically tunes its hardware for an additional 80 open-source projects, such as Apache, MySQL and JBoss for the Mac.


    • The Mac is more secure because OS X was developed after the widespread adoption of the Internet, so Apple "designed it to be secure by default.


    • Most Mac technical support personnel argue that the machines are far simpler to manage than Windows boxes. According to an article in Macworld when Genentech Inc., a multibillion-dollar biotechnology firm in South San Francisco went through a upgrade on both its Mac and Windows systems, one technician could completely upgrade six OS X machines per day, while on the Windows side, one person could complete only two or sometimes three PCs each day. And for the entire company, seven technicians handle nearly 2,500 Macs.


    • Macs have a lower TCO (total cost of ownership). Most experts will tell you that the difference between TCO for an equally outfitted PC and Mac are not much different. But when you take into consideration the soft cost of being down and dealing with tech support that's so widely associated with PC use the Mac blows PC's away. Not that I would recommend that anyone do this but I have not run virus software on my Macs...ever. Consider this If you own a small business with 10 employees on PC's what does it cost if you get a virus and only half your employees are down?


    • Winn Schwartau, the network security expert whose well-known Mad as Hell series of articles carefully disassembled the truth behind the crumbling Windows infrastructure, conducted a test to determine which TCO (total cost of ownership) is lower that of a PC or a Mac. His reason for conducting the test was to determine if the higher price that Apple charges for it's Mac computers is justified. He was astonished by the results, "For my small enterprise, owning a WinTel box for three years costs twice as much as owning a MacTel. When I talked with several of our clients, I found that the burdened cost of ownership per PC - just for support - ranged from $1,300 to $4,000 per year." He now recommends that all small enterprises and home offices migrate completely. You can read Schwartau complete article by clicking here.




    All Apple computers can run multiple OS systems. Yes, incase you've had your head stuck in the sand for the past 6 months or so all Apple computers can run Windows operating systems simultaneously with Apple's OS X operating system. Apple has effectively eliminated any reason that a person needs to purchase a PC.



    I could go on but the fact of the matter is that personal computer choices are just that...personal. However the choice for businesses is far more logical and calculated. Businesses seriously consider things like TCO, security, and down time. If you evlauate Mac vs. PC and are honest with your answers you will likely find that you can get many of your enterprise endpoints more secure than ever for a lot less than you thought and decrease your down time to boot (no pun intended).



    I use Apple computers exclusively in my business. I've created a guide for the Mac business user to help them with locating applications and information for use in everyday business called 'How to use Mac Computers In Everyday Business - The Ultimate Guide'.



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