My $0.02:
Didn't Microsoft begin a new licensing program when they released XP that effectively tripled the cost of licenses to corporations? Comparing the cost of OSX licenses to Windows Licenses alone would cut costs. Furthermore, when you consider the fact that OSX can run not only Mac software, but Darwin-compatible software as well, you effectively increase the options on that front as well. Finally, since OSX is so compatible with non-Mac networks, you alleviate many of the concerns associated with changing platforms. XML, SQL, etc. are all cross-platform standards that can be used for databases, records, etc.
Granted, you will have a large initial crunch resulting from people having to adjust to OSX, many of whom have probably never used a Mac in any form before. But once that initial learning curve has been traveled, I honestly think that you have a more cost-effective, stable IT infrastructure to work from. As far as tech support goes, you will probably see more issues that are easily resolved (i.e. swap out memory/HD, reinstall the OS image, etc.) than the typical Windows issues (such as virus/spyware removal, registry configuration errors, faulty updates crashing the OS, etc.).
I can't speak to the differences between Windows and MacOS in a corporate environment, but I know that at the university I attended, the techs spent less than 5% of their time actually troubleshooting or maintaining the Macs. Considering that in the labs the Mac/windows ratio was 1:1, that's a pretty telling statistic. And the Macs were often in heavier demand than the Windows machines, simply because you knew that you could sit down, launch Word, and type your paper. And this was before OSX was released.
One of the biggest myths about the Mac is that "there's no software for the Mac". But when you look at the major retailers (i.e. catalog & web-based companies), you see that there is far more software than you might see on the shelves of CompUSA, Fry's, BBY, etc. Database software? Check. Photo editing software? Check. Email/contact/personal organization software? Check. Photoshop, FileMaker, etc. all were first sold for the Mac.
I use both Windows and OSX daily - I have to use Windows (NT, of all things) at work, and I have both a WinXP and an OSX machine I use at home. All in all, I honestly spend much more time enjoying my Mac than enjoying Windows. How many people have spent hours downloading patches and updates for their Windows machine, then had to turn around and figure out why the PC is suddenly noticeably slower? OTOH, I turn on the Mac, fire up whatever program I need to work in at that particular moment, and have fun doing it.
The less time spent on updating machines and making sure the registry is not corrupted, the more time users can spend on actually being productive. That's why i have more fun on my Mac, because I'm far more productive on it than on my Windows PC.
Didn't Microsoft begin a new licensing program when they released XP that effectively tripled the cost of licenses to corporations? Comparing the cost of OSX licenses to Windows Licenses alone would cut costs. Furthermore, when you consider the fact that OSX can run not only Mac software, but Darwin-compatible software as well, you effectively increase the options on that front as well. Finally, since OSX is so compatible with non-Mac networks, you alleviate many of the concerns associated with changing platforms. XML, SQL, etc. are all cross-platform standards that can be used for databases, records, etc.
Granted, you will have a large initial crunch resulting from people having to adjust to OSX, many of whom have probably never used a Mac in any form before. But once that initial learning curve has been traveled, I honestly think that you have a more cost-effective, stable IT infrastructure to work from. As far as tech support goes, you will probably see more issues that are easily resolved (i.e. swap out memory/HD, reinstall the OS image, etc.) than the typical Windows issues (such as virus/spyware removal, registry configuration errors, faulty updates crashing the OS, etc.).
I can't speak to the differences between Windows and MacOS in a corporate environment, but I know that at the university I attended, the techs spent less than 5% of their time actually troubleshooting or maintaining the Macs. Considering that in the labs the Mac/windows ratio was 1:1, that's a pretty telling statistic. And the Macs were often in heavier demand than the Windows machines, simply because you knew that you could sit down, launch Word, and type your paper. And this was before OSX was released.
One of the biggest myths about the Mac is that "there's no software for the Mac". But when you look at the major retailers (i.e. catalog & web-based companies), you see that there is far more software than you might see on the shelves of CompUSA, Fry's, BBY, etc. Database software? Check. Photo editing software? Check. Email/contact/personal organization software? Check. Photoshop, FileMaker, etc. all were first sold for the Mac.
I use both Windows and OSX daily - I have to use Windows (NT, of all things) at work, and I have both a WinXP and an OSX machine I use at home. All in all, I honestly spend much more time enjoying my Mac than enjoying Windows. How many people have spent hours downloading patches and updates for their Windows machine, then had to turn around and figure out why the PC is suddenly noticeably slower? OTOH, I turn on the Mac, fire up whatever program I need to work in at that particular moment, and have fun doing it.
The less time spent on updating machines and making sure the registry is not corrupted, the more time users can spend on actually being productive. That's why i have more fun on my Mac, because I'm far more productive on it than on my Windows PC.
