Has your company considered becoming an all Mac workplace? I have seen more companies considering it these days. Before making a final choice, there are some issues to consider regarding your operating system:
Stability
Macs have a reputation for being more stable than PCs. However, it is important to compare apples to apples. Many people buy an underpowered $400 laptop and wonder why it is slower and has more problems than a $1200 Mac laptop. For comparably priced hardware running Windows 7, there is a negligible difference in the stability of the operating systems for Macs and PCs.
With that said, most stability issues come from the software and drivers that are running on a computer. This is where the Mac has the advantage. There are less hardware variations which leads to less incompatibility. Plus, Apple designs the hardware and the software, including most drivers, so they are more closely integrated and less likely to have any stability issues.
Viruses and Malware
Even though Apple’s share of the desktop and laptop market is now over 10% and growing, less than 1% of viruses and malware are targeted at Macs. For the hackers who develop viruses and malware (which are incompatible across operating systems), they can still do the most damage with the least number of resources by targeting PCs. However, that does seem to be changing.
With Apple’s growing market share and most PCs running anti-virus software, there is a growing interest among hackers to target Macs, which often do not run any antivirus software. Over the past two years, there has been an increase in malicious code targeted specifically at Macs. So, Macs still have the advantage against malware, but that advantage is beginning to disappear.
Compatibility
PCs remain the leaders in compatibility and availability of software. Despite Mac’s growing market share, there is still a lot of software that is only available for PCs. This is particularly true with many custom or industry-specific software as well as software needed to run highly specialized equipment. So, PCs remain the top choice for companies that need industry-specific software or controlled equipment
While many people prefer the Mac interface and usability, there are still good reasons for some businesses to remain “PC shops”. However, it can also be useful to have a few Mac users within a PC shop, since it provides a little diversity and keeps the Mac people happy.
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