Small Business & Home Office

[JLeigh]

I am a small business owner and, after years on a PC, I'm seriously interested in purchasing an Mac Laptop product for my next business computer. From the business front, does anyone know if this is a good/bad idea? What are the pros and cons of this? Should I have one of each?  Thanks.

[Chris]

This is a question many business owners have. Utilizing tools like Parallels and Bootcamp, Windows can be installed and operated on any current mac. If your business doesn't require a specific PC only application to run, then you wouldn't even need to use the previously mentioned tools. Peace of mind and ease of use are my reasons for using a mac, both at home and in business. Let me know if you need any other info! I can elaborate more.

[John-BBY Community Connector]

Howdy JLeigh,

 

Whether to make your next computer a Macintosh is one of the larger questions facing small business owners, so you’re in good company as you ponder this decision.  Until recently, with Apple’s move to Intel processors, the question has been more complicated to answer.  These days, what can be done on a PC can also be done on a Mac, and with little to no inconvenience.

 

Many of the software tools for Windows, like Microsoft Office, are available for the Macintosh.  A little known fact is that Microsoft’s Excel application was originally developed for the Mac platform and was later ported for Windows!  Also, if you’re a graphics professional, Adobe Creative Suite, Quark Xpress and many other applications have been available for Mac since the beginning.  Where historically there have been issues for business owners in migrating to Mac – mostly due to exclusively Windows business programs – Apple’s move to Intel processors has closed that gap.

 

As Chris mentioned, Apple includes Bootcamp in Mac OS X (Apple’s operating system) and that allows the Mac to boot up in either Windows or Mac OS.  If there are Windows exclusive applications that you must use, you can boot up natively into Windows and run those programs.  Bootcamp will only run Windows XP and Vista though, so you’ll have to take that into consideration.  If your business is running an older version of Windows, emulation software (an artificial “environment” is created in which the desired version of Windows can run, regardless of the native OS) is available so that you can run Windows and Mac OS X at the same time.  You can do this with XP or Vista too, but you give up system performance when you run in an emulated environment.  Running Windows and business applications on your new Mac is easy and has all of the benefits of owning and running a PC! 

 

Thanks for writing!

[u_hsen]

keep in mind, for macs:

1) Faster processor than most of the PC

2) Virtually Virus free for now

... that's pretty much it actually haha.

[hootnholla]

Macs=Expensive

PCs=Lest Expensive

End result=You get what you pay for.

Macs=Less Updates=Less Viruses

PCs=More Updates=More Virus Attacks/Different variations of viruses=more updates...and so on.....

MACs=Least upgradable

PCs=More upgradable=parts get old quick=upgrade more often 

MACs=AWESOME media editing

PCs=<shoulder shrug> "eeeeeh...." 

Hope this has been a valuable comparison lol

[Heine]

that's it - Macs have signifantly less viruses than PCs!

I have only a firewall (NetMine) installed on my Mac and have nothing to worry about.

I'm for Mac

[Nokia]

That's just it: there are very few viruses for OSX. However, this is not due to some inherent security, but to the obscurity of the OS. Only about 5% of computers run OSX, so there's no point to write viruses for it. I have AV and AS on my computer, but they've never reported catching anything. A smart Windows user is just as safe as a dumb mac user.

Also, keep in mind with running things such as Parallels or Boot Camp, you're still running Windows! Why would you pay a premium for a mac, which apple would have you believe runs a superior OS, when you're still going to run Windows, their competitor's OS? To me, that highlights one of the mac's greatest weaknesses: compatibility. A majority of programs still only support Windows. That would be like buying a Ford, then dropping a Chevy engine into it and proclaiming that Ford is better than Chevy.

[John-BBY Community Connector]

Hello Nokia,

I’m afraid that you got to my not-so-inner Mac enthusiast and I have to respond.  First of all, there’s no such thing as a “dumb Mac user.”  We are discriminating and intelligent, with a sense of style and an enthusiasm for products that (almost always) work without flaw.

There are viruses that infect Macs too (my machine has been infected more than once) and the same kind of vigilance is required of Mac users and PC users.  No one is 100% safe from malicious software and should be wise about anti-virus and malware protection.

While I will agree with you that there are some programs that are not readily available for a Mac (mostly games), everything that you can do on your PC, I can do on my Mac – often quicker and easier.  For example, Microsoft Office has been available for Macintosh for as long as it has been sold.  There are software suites for productivity, photo and music management, graphics, and security just like for your PC. 

And just to add fuel to the discussion, PC World Magazine has stated that the best choice if you’re buying a new computer may be a Mac, even if you need to run – are you ready? – Windows.

Regards,

[Nokia]

To see a dumb mac user, just look around any college campus. I've had many students who bought it more on it's "style" points than its abilities, and now don't know how to do a thing with it, and don't want to learn, but want you to do it for them. Sort of like if you bought a flashy stick shift, but only knew how to drive auto. Of course there are Windows users like this as well, but I haven't seen as many.

Macs have luckily mostly escaped viruses, and while there are a few, it's nowhere near the number that Windows has. However, as they become more popular, more will be created, and I believe that will put a big dent in the image due to one of the public's current biggest perceived strengths: most people think it's impossible for a mac to get a virus.

I'm a gamer, so I tend to focus on that software. However, another category which is usually overlooked is small downloadable utilities. Very few are mac-compatible, and I have at least 30 currently installed that do all sorts of things that would otherwise need a big, bloated, expensive software suite to do. But you're right, compatibility has definitely increased.

In the end, the ever-growing popularity of macs can only be a good thing, as it serves to keep MS on their toes.

[RealGeorgeW Emerging Expert]

I have never, and most likely will never, understand why someone would buy an Apple, then put Windows on it. I've had to do it for a few customers in store. They didn't even dual boot it. Just wanted Windows. I tried to show them a parts list with side by side comparison as to how much money they were wasting.

That to me would be a "dumb mac user"