So petGRO is changing all its machines to either Mac or PC, and the decision
they make is supposed to be what’s best for the company. For personal use, I’d
recommend PCs and go home; you can get more variety, they’re cheaper, and
there’s no clunky incompatible software. But this is business, and more
importantly for marks, so I guess I have to do a proper analysis.
One of the first factors to be considered is price. On this end, PCs are an obvious
win; you can get PCs as cheap as $300 each, whereas Macs can run closer to $600
or when $1000. When redoing an entire company, that’s a huge price difference.
Now, this isn’t such a big deal for a very large company, where this can easily
be afforded; but for a mid-range company, it’s a larger investment to make.
Software equivalents can be found for both systems, but Apple software tends to
work exclusively with Apple products. In addition, PCs tend to have more
data-oriented software, with Macs being more artistic and creative in nature;
given the company’s switch to E-Commerce, this is an important distinction.
This is especially infuriating because the software itself is also very
expensive compared to the PC variety; by the time both sets of costs are taken
into account, the PCs are a clear winner.
It's also important to know that both old and new petGRO IS landscapes
include Microsoft Office (which works best with Windows) and internet browsers
with Flash (something Apple does not support). It makes very little sense to
switch to Macs in that case, as several pieces of software would have to be
replaced at unnecessary cost. To further hamper conditions, the office
encouragement of workers bringing their own machines is best aided by the use
of PC, to prevent Mac-centric software not being workable on employee machines.
This is compounded for telecommuters, who may not own Macs and therefore would
need to access extra tech. On the reverse side, Skype chat on a Mac can be done
with other Apple devices, which is a connectivity bonus.
The main advantages offered by Macs are aesthetics. If petGRO is interested
in having a flashy, artistic machine set for its business, they’d be perfect
for it. This is unlikely to be important for the company, however, or at least
not as high up as functionality. On a more meaningful level, customer service
is consistently high with Apple (as opposed to depending on a provider), good
if the company ever encounters issues in need of IT support. This is a big
point in Mac’s favour; but it’s worth remembering that the company has an IT
branch of its own who would be well-versed in these issues; external support is
more important for home buyers.
Based on price, software, support and worksharing, I have to give the edge
to PCs on this one. petGRO’s own IS landscape, coupled with these factors,
leave little room for interpretation.
Brandon,
John. Inc.com. "Is Your Business a Mac or a PC?" Last modified 2011.
Accessed October 24, 2012.
http://www.inc.com/john-brandon/pc-vs-mac-debate-small-business.html.
McLaughlin,
Jessica. Sprout Insights, "Mac vs. PC: Which Is Best for
Your Business?." Last modified 2011. Accessed October 24, 2012.
http://sproutsocial.com/insights/2011/11/mac-vs-pc-business/.
Craik,
Kristen. north america business review, "Mac vs. PC in Business." Last
modified 2011. Accessed October 24, 2012.
http://www.businessreviewcanada.ca/technology/software/mac-vs-pc-in-business.
No comments:
Post a Comment