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Encourage IT Head to Consider Macs -- Tips?

D

dotnina

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 19, 2004
856
0
Shock of all shocks, today I discover that my workplace once was 100% Mac! Today, we are 100% PC.

Apparently, we went PC --> Mac --> PC. Our IT person has been here to witness it all. Today she told me how much she hated / hates the Mac. She cited lots of the untruths about Macs: they're slow, hard to learn, difficult to control when lots of windows are open, etc. She is a die hard Windows fan.

I told her I felt the same way until I actually sat down and used OS X on my first Mac, a Powerbook I bought just a few months ago. I told her I'd bring it in to show her some of the ways in which Macs have changed.

I'm not expecting some kind of miracle where our whole office goes Mac again. Rather, I'd like to see one or two new iMacs here. :) Convincing the IT person would be the first step towards convincing the head boss to get Macs (he is likely to agree with whatever she says).

So, I'd like to give a quick 5-minute OS X demonstration to our IT person. What should I include? What's relevant to a workplace?

I'm having trouble coming up with things about the Mac that would be relevant to a workplace. So far I have the following -- help me add to the list! :)

1. Expose
2. Word 2004 Notebook View (useful when attending meetings, I'd think)
3. iCal (everyone here uses Outlook's calendar)
 
To convince an IT (blinkered Windows) person you may have to:

• Emphasise ease of networking, security & printer sharing
• Give a good tour round the OS itself...
• Demonstrate Office 2004 especially Entourage (downloadable demos available)

Don't merely show, let THEM play with it and get a feel of how it all runs...
 
Have a rehersal!
Make sure you can it do to all tasks flawlessly before you demonstrate.
IE connect to network shares which will involve configuring Directory Access SMB setting.

If you use exchange make sure that you can connect to it via mail.
Make sure that your printers work.
Know all the necessary IP address for WINS, DNS, Gateway etc. so that you don't have to ask.

Then when you do a demo you will be able to take a 'fresh' system and have a printer mapped and network shares working within 2 minutes.

Maybe make a list of all the applications that your company uses and check which are available on Mac.
 
if you have a mac laptop, just bring it in, open it up and have all the apps that are needed for working in the office. Word, Powerpoint, anything else like iCal, Mail, Address book. Make sure that applications that are needed for day to day operations are on the Mac too, otherwise its a pointless move.

If she hasn't seen the new Mac, then you can only tell her that times have changed. They threw out the crap and started anew with OSX, with a BSD base. If she doesn't know what BSD is, then she isn't techy enough. Tell her they network in very well with Windows. That Macs look very good in appearence, so secretary that is out front with just the new iMac G5 would turn some heads as clients go in and out.
 
dotnina said:
She cited lots of the untruths about Macs: they're slow, hard to learn, difficult to control when lots of windows are open, etc. She is a die hard Windows fan.
Click to expand...

Funny, I feel the same way about Windows. I guess it's all about the first GUIfied teat one suckled at...
 
A few other suggestions

I would also stress the availability of software available for the macintosh. One of the biggest stumbling points you're going to have is that you're also looking at changing more than the hardware that they're going to be using. New licenses of programs such as Microsoft Office, etc are going to have to be purchased.

Things can get especially sticky for companies that have a wide base of programs that were designed in-house. I know that is the case for my company -- the only macs in our company are in the graphics department, and the external relations department (they do the web development, etc for our organization).

Mention that VirtualPC 7 out and can run windows applications for those programs which aren't readily available for OSX.

One strategy you might also do is also approach "traditionally mac people" and get their input and try to build momentum within the company, and possibly try to get the IT staff start with them and have a tranistion that way.

Best of luck.
 
First off, I use a Mac at work (Powerbook), but it is my own computer not the company's. I have overall IT responsibility for our companies operations in Europe. I would never recommend that we switch to Macs mainly because we have a large engineering function in the UK, most of the programs that we use do not have Mac versions, so for me that is the biggest killer for Macs in the corporate environment. For many companies the normal application issues are Microsoft Access, Viso, ERP system ( we use SAP which does have Mac OS X clients ), Payroll, specialist Planning and Forecasting, CAD systems and many others. Even if you are in a service industry where you may be able to avoid these conflicts, IT managers like to play it safe and don't wont to be locked into a system, that in the future may limit their options for new application software.

You say that your company used to use Mac's, if that is recent then I suspect that you are a service company, in which case you may be OK.

The next issue that you have is that PC hardware is dirt cheap these days, and most business software does not need a G5 to run well. However lack of Mac viruses and reliability would be the counter arguments here.

The next obstacle is being able to demonstrate that replacing PC's with Macs will show some payback. Not only have you got to consider the hardware, but also replacing the software and providing training. Is the company really going to get a payback?

The final hurdle is the current IT manager who has used Macs before and it a Mac sceptic. If you can overcome all the hurdles above then you have a chance, but if she has never used OS X before, then bottom line she may not be comfortable supporting it.

In summary I don't think you have much of chance, but good luck anyway.
 
James Craner said:
The next obstacle is being able to demonstrate that replacing PC's with Macs will show some payback. Not only have you got to consider the hardware, but also replacing the software and providing training. Is the company really going to get a payback?
Click to expand...

This alone is a show stopper for most IT shops. The fact of that matter is that there would be training involved. They would have to buy all new licences of Office. (What about MS Access? ) No version of Lotus Notes for the Mac so that kills the idea for more then a few shops. Then then is basic training for the IT helpdesk staff where in most shops they are geared towards windows (Its that whole 90% thing.) so there is training involved there as well and we won't even get into the fact that like it or not PC's ARE cheaper then Macs. TCO aside they are cheaper esp when you consider a company can tweak a system to their specs. Question: Can you get a Mac without a CD burner? On a standard desktop that's a waste of money or how about using a CRT instead of an LCD? Can you roll out a lowend powermac with a 17" CRT monitor? And what about hardware support? What is the fastest turn around time Apple has for repairs and how much does that warantee cost? Where I work we keep parts on site so in the event of a keyboard or motherboard on a laptop frying I can replace the part in a matter of hours.

Good luck but I don't think you have a snowballs chance in the core of the sun. Apple is great for the home user and small business but when you start talking med sized locations. Nope. No company in their right mind would excl. use apple. Windows may be a PITA but its a manageable PITA as long as you impliment it correctly and use the right tools.
If Apple ever wants to make the enterprise take them seriously they need to do something with their hardware. As it stands very few companies will buy into the all in one design of the iMac and $2000 for a base line PowerMac. I know for a fact that our company gets a 2.8Ghz, 512MB RAM, 40GB HD, intel graphics (Do you really need anything more for the type work environment?!?!), 40x DVD drive, 10/100/1000 NIC all for under $1,000. I don't know if Apple does corp deals or not on bulk but considering how Apple makes its money on its hardware I doubt it.
 
SiliconAddict said:
Good luck but I don't think you have a snowballs chance in the core of the sun.
Click to expand...

Yes, you're probably right. :) As I said, I'm not pushing for more than one or two Macs ... one of which will be mine! Muahaha.

I should have added that the head person where I work (apparently) loved the Mac, back in the day. He now has a Windows XP computer that causes him many problems, simply because he's not good with the Windows interface. For example, he installed a program and left the installer on the desktop. Then he came to us wanting to know why the program tries to install itself when he opens it, and why for that matter there were two copies of the program on his desktop.

Anyway, I'm going to give the demo to update her Mac knowledge, if nothing else. Thanks for the tips everyone. :)
 
Stability

I would think that most IT departments are working overtime to keep their WIN machines running and would welcome even a few computers that don't crash regularly and are [virtually] virus-free. :cool:
 
OldManJimbo said:
I would think that most IT departments are working overtime to keep their WIN machines running and would welcome even a few computers that don't crash regularly and are [virtually] virus-free. :cool:
Click to expand...


Quite the contrary. I'm bored out of my skull at work. After moving to Windows 2000 life got a lot less hectic. :rolleyes: Well for the most part widespread outbreaks of adware which have become a serious issues. If the people in corp would move to FireFox that would become a moot point.
I don't expect the company to keep 2 IT staff onsite for long due to a slow helpdesk. If anything its the applications on windows where 90% of the helpdesk calls come from.

Windows System Update services = 1 button click to rollout a patch to the office.

Norton Antivirus Parent Server = 1 button click to roll out new virus definitions.

Now you will excuse me. Gotta finish setting up a new desktop for a user. She's going to be happy when she gets back from vacation. New hardware, new versions of Adobe CS Premium (The previous suite of apps is like 3 versions old.) New versions of Flash. And Office 2003 Pro.
 
powerbookje said:
" No version of Lotus Notes for the Mac so that kills the idea for more then a few shops."


check

here
Click to expand...


WTF? :eek: :eek: I spent 30 minutes checking into this about 6 months back and couldn't find anything related to Notes for Mac.

Dude you have single handledly made my day. :p

Sweet when I get a PowerBook (See signature) I'll be able to access my e-mails.

Heheh Sorry. :eek:
 
I'm an IT Director for a large professional services firm. If your IT person wants to contact me and talk, PM me and I'll provide contact info. I just completed a year-long migration to OS X workstations, with a legacy mix of Linux/Solaris/OS X/Citrix servers, and can counter any argument s/he has.
 
Emphasize that any employee is more likely to be more productive on the platform of their choice. Studies have backed this.
 
The person I used to work for, said that she'd switch the office to Macs if I wouldn't quit when I went to college. It was only 3ish computers, but still. The only thing I did was bring my PB in to do my work... I was A LOT more productive on my PB than her brand new $2.5k tablet PC. It always had so many problems, heck, it was easier to access the Windows shared files, on her desktop machine, from my PB than it was from that tablet. The out of state IT guy told her via phone, that Macs were incompatible with the citrix server system that they used... if only I wasn't connecting daily to it, and working as it would on a Windows machine.

I think the only real way to switch people, isn't to nag at them for their Windows machines, or even rave about Mac. Just let them use it and see it. I've had a few people who get on my computers when they come to my house. A few of them are also looking at getting Apple computers. A few others have bought iPods (the "gateway drug") because they've seen mine and the ease of use and quality that makes it an Apple product.

Switching an entire office is tough, but maybe you'll convince the IT person to use an Apple as a personal computer. Perhaps, later, when an upgrade is due, Apple will be a possibility.
 
I have spent most of this year trying to get my G3 replaced with a G5, I have asked for the Final cut / DVDstudio / Motion package. As I work for a TV station you would think that this is not a big problem, but the Head of Technical Operations will not allow us to get a mac. His argument is we do not have the IT staff to support it & Macs are a security risk :eek: We have incuded a 24h telephone support pacakege in our quote & said we dont need to have it on the Network. But no, we are getting a PC, and thats the end of that. :mad:


The funny thing it I was working with an Avid (pc) the other day and it was having problems & IT support told us it was a virus.
 
yellow said:
Wow. Tell him that the trojan on his WinTelThon is spamming me and it's really ticking me off.
Click to expand...

lol. A little bit off topic but I actually keep a folder in my Mail called "Dumb Viruses" and I keep all of the viruses and such in there. Call it a "collection" if you will.
 
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