There is no such thing as a business that is so small that it does not have special needs regarding its technology. If you are a business, you have some needs that consumers do not, such as:
-Accounting software, such as QuickBooks. -A greater need to back up data. -More interaction with an email program and more email management needs. This probably means you have to delete useless email more often than consumers do. -Probably more Microsoft Office programs, such as Outlook, Publisher, or Access. -A greater need to have newer computers and equipment, and to have your technology maintained more often. A PC for a home user can remain useful for six years, whereas a PC used for business will typically remain useful for three to four years. -Paid anti-virus (We suggest Eset). -If you're using a networked program (such as QuickBooks or Access), everyone using the networked program must be familiar with how to open the correct network file, rather than the wrong network file or a local file. Most networked programs will happily allow a user to open the wrong network file or a local file and start working away. This is not a good situation because they could add or modify data for a week before figuring out that they haven't been working within the correct file. -More elaborate printing. We suggest any laser printer over any ink-jet printer for business. If you need to print in color, then the ink-jet printer is fine for that, but your black and white (monochrome) documents should be printed with a laser printer. The TCO (total cost of ownership) of a laser printer can be five times cheaper than that of an ink-jet printer. -If possible, a 'defacto' person in the office who can deal with minor tech problems and/or can be the one who deals with technical support. Hopefully, this employee is rewarded for this duty through higher pay or job security; that's up to you. -A file server. Although client operating systems can be file servers, they have limitations regarding sharing and are often used as productive computers as well as being a file server. A cheap, relatively old PC can be used as a file server, and may not require a monitor in this assigned task. There are also network attached storage devices, which are somewhat more money, but perform the task of file server best. If you are a business owner, go over this list and decide which special needs apply to you and which things are not addressed above.
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Apple has complete control over both the hardware and the software that Macs rely on to be the appliances that they are. Microsoft, on the other hand, has a more flimsy hold on the quality of the hardware and software that runs on PCs. The average Mac is more stable than the average PC. This is an undisputable fact. You can almost always find a PC that is more powerful than a Mac (for less money) and it may remain about as stable as the Mac, or it may not, usually depending on malware.
The question of whether you should switch to a Mac from a PC comes down to two main questions: (a) Is the higher price of the Mac worth it? and (b) Are you fed up with all the inevitable problems that come with using a PC? Macs are not without their specific problems and annoyances. Some of the most expensive Macs have severe hardware problems and all Macs are intentionally built to be difficult to upgrade or repair. |
Brad Copeland
Gentle, no-nonsense advice and perspectives on technology. |