As others have mentioned, you don't need a Mac just to create slideshows, check email etc.. If you were their web designer, or someone in their marketing division, sure a Mac would be fine.. but otherwise, you'll have to settle for a Dell..
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My office wants a "legitimate" reason for buying Apple or Dell
- Thread starter Stuntcar
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Imagine an entire company working with MS office applications and not knowing how to let their employees access these applications from any computer and from any location.
What was a smart business decision in 2000 isn't a smart business decision in 2010.
Hi there,
Some interesting comments here, I am currently studying computer networking at uni and only last year became a mac user.
We have over 600 Machines in our building and each has office 2007 with xp SP2.
Compatibility between Office 2008 and office 2007 isnt great, from mac to windows - not good. From windows to mac, great.
I can understand if their IT team doesn't feel it would be viable to support you and your mac, I can also understand your reasoning in wanting to stick to something you know and prefer. At the end of the day however you are working, its just better to have a one size fits all when it comes to large scale networks.
It would be nice to work in an All Mac/opensource environment as previously noted.
stroll on for win7/server2k8 in future IT networks.
Some interesting comments here, I am currently studying computer networking at uni and only last year became a mac user.
We have over 600 Machines in our building and each has office 2007 with xp SP2.
Compatibility between Office 2008 and office 2007 isnt great, from mac to windows - not good. From windows to mac, great.
I can understand if their IT team doesn't feel it would be viable to support you and your mac, I can also understand your reasoning in wanting to stick to something you know and prefer. At the end of the day however you are working, its just better to have a one size fits all when it comes to large scale networks.
It would be nice to work in an All Mac/opensource environment as previously noted.
stroll on for win7/server2k8 in future IT networks.
Macs have a higher reliability rating and customer support from Apple is rated #1 every year for the past half decade or so. You don't need to worry about virus and other malicious software. Macs last longer and will retain their value better than their Windows counterparts. They also support running Windows natively. Mac OS X 10.6 supports Exchange, and the new iPhone OS 4 does as well. Macs don't follow the "reboot and problem magically disappears" theory that Windows follows and is still following.
Lastly, Macs are aesthetically pleasing. It looks more refined and professional. If I go to work, I will stare at my computer 24/7, 365. If I stare at a Picasso, it will motivate me more than if I stare at a mass produced poster of some sort.
You could also use both. My community college I attend for summer classes uses both PC and Macs, running Windows XP.
Lastly, Macs are aesthetically pleasing. It looks more refined and professional. If I go to work, I will stare at my computer 24/7, 365. If I stare at a Picasso, it will motivate me more than if I stare at a mass produced poster of some sort.
You could also use both. My community college I attend for summer classes uses both PC and Macs, running Windows XP.
lol the Sony Vaio Z 13" can get 1920x1080... Apple Laptops are so far behind, if it wasn't for the OS they would be laaaame, a lot of cheap Dell laptops piss over the MBP 17" maxed Configuration.... still want one though
actually, while i agree with everything else in your comment... i sometimes have to reboot my Mac to quit and restart Flash, in addition i randomly get graphical glitches which fix after a reboot
Consumer customer service is a significantly different animal than enterprise support, which Apple doesn't really do. There's a lot to be said about fixing a problem in-house rather than sending it to an Apple Repair Center.
Mostly true.
A well-maintained Windows machine will run just the same as a well-maintained Apple machine. It can also be argued that you could buy two Windows machines for the price of one Apple machine, negating the "retention of value" argument.
This is not even an argument. You know what else supports Windows natively? Windows machines. Why would any business by Macs just to run Windows?
Finally.
What? This doesn't work in Windows as anything other than a stopgap.
Not an argument.
Not going to bother shooting this one down.
Well it is a slight larger PIA for you to support the PC at home, unless they want to buy you the apps for your home install to make work at home easier also. Or give you a laptop with the complete office app medley install to take work home.
However, from their point of view, you are more expensive if you don't exist within their site licenses. Though they are the ones who should shoulder the burden anyhow, taking away your Mac and saying you need to buy the apps for home would be slightly ridiculous.
However, from their point of view, you are more expensive if you don't exist within their site licenses. Though they are the ones who should shoulder the burden anyhow, taking away your Mac and saying you need to buy the apps for home would be slightly ridiculous.
Have you been using a Macintosh at this job of yours before it died? If so... don't they know that? Why won't they just replace it with what you already had?
If not... just use the Dell. It will probably make your Mac a lot more comforting to come home to after a long day of work
If not... just use the Dell. It will probably make your Mac a lot more comforting to come home to after a long day of work
My personal efficiency (as evidence by my personal output) has doubled, sometimes even tripled, doing everything from mundane PC like stuff to creative work on the Mac.
Chalk it up to a lot of things...
--> Faster in general, more "on" when I feel the urge to work
--> Superior UX (User eXperience) from trackpad to OS
--> No need to worry about maintenance
--> Less worry in general (which does free up the mind to actually do work that's PRODUCTIVE)
--> Less steps to accomplish similar outcomes (yet the outcomes on a Mac are anything but similar!)
--> Happier and more passionate when using the Mac. More emotively uplifting interface. Doesn't make doing drab seeming work, like spreedsheets, quite as drab
--> Top quality of the engineering also influences me greatly. It does trickle down into my own thoughts and work
I mean, if they want twice the employee at the same price, I'd suggest they let you stay in the Apple ecosystem. If they don't mind lower -- often vastly lower -- "productivity" on the PC, then so be it.
Maybe if they insist on forcing you to use drab PC stuff, they can pay for a Zoloft prescription for you, too, since it seems that work done on a Mac is just happier than that done on a PC -- probably because the user *is* happier on one vs. the other!
I swear to god, Apple should do psychological tests in the Mac vs. PC realm. There's no doubt who's gonna win that one! This is a significant and VERY REAL, but seemingly undiscussed, benefit/feature of the Mac!
All that said, The Four Hour Workweek book (and blog, fourhourworkweek.com) by Tim Ferris also some good advice on how to convince your employer to allow you to do things that ultimately in their best interest.
Chalk it up to a lot of things...
--> Faster in general, more "on" when I feel the urge to work
--> Superior UX (User eXperience) from trackpad to OS
--> No need to worry about maintenance
--> Less worry in general (which does free up the mind to actually do work that's PRODUCTIVE)
--> Less steps to accomplish similar outcomes (yet the outcomes on a Mac are anything but similar!)
--> Happier and more passionate when using the Mac. More emotively uplifting interface. Doesn't make doing drab seeming work, like spreedsheets, quite as drab
--> Top quality of the engineering also influences me greatly. It does trickle down into my own thoughts and work
I mean, if they want twice the employee at the same price, I'd suggest they let you stay in the Apple ecosystem. If they don't mind lower -- often vastly lower -- "productivity" on the PC, then so be it.
Maybe if they insist on forcing you to use drab PC stuff, they can pay for a Zoloft prescription for you, too, since it seems that work done on a Mac is just happier than that done on a PC -- probably because the user *is* happier on one vs. the other!
I swear to god, Apple should do psychological tests in the Mac vs. PC realm. There's no doubt who's gonna win that one! This is a significant and VERY REAL, but seemingly undiscussed, benefit/feature of the Mac!
All that said, The Four Hour Workweek book (and blog, fourhourworkweek.com) by Tim Ferris also some good advice on how to convince your employer to allow you to do things that ultimately in their best interest.
Tell her that your work-flow would be substantially disrupted by a switch to Win and that you are unwilling to sacrifice efficiency in the workplace.
PS -- Ohyeah... almost didn't remember... in the highly litigious US, employers can be sued for anything. Simply having less emotional distress using a Mac saves their a$$ in many financially beneficial ways. You could translate this to your employer as "Macs are less stressful for me". Even get a doctor's note! It's a very real, tangible benefit. Medical... remember, MEDICAL! That means a lot to a standard corp.
I have 6 employees, now all on Macs, and they don't complain of stress much anymore. The PCs were VERY stressful, and maintenance and IT costs were through the roof. Things stopped working for no good reason on PCs.
Macs really are much cheaper to use in a business environment, when you think in terms of "total cost" (a big keyword in business).
A Mac is also NOTHING compared to your salary. Why waste a perfectly good human by putting them on a frustratingly incapable computer? That's like hiring a race car driver and putting them in some shoddy automobile. Watch "Top Gear" sometime and see how this DOES NOT work out very well. The gear MUST match the man!
I have 6 employees, now all on Macs, and they don't complain of stress much anymore. The PCs were VERY stressful, and maintenance and IT costs were through the roof. Things stopped working for no good reason on PCs.
Macs really are much cheaper to use in a business environment, when you think in terms of "total cost" (a big keyword in business).
A Mac is also NOTHING compared to your salary. Why waste a perfectly good human by putting them on a frustratingly incapable computer? That's like hiring a race car driver and putting them in some shoddy automobile. Watch "Top Gear" sometime and see how this DOES NOT work out very well. The gear MUST match the man!
I'm not trying to pick a fight, but you can't just say that and not give any reasoning to back up your claim. In large enterprises there are many benefits to having the entire company on a standard platform. It's easier to manage, with everything from software licensing to platform imaging. It's easier to train, find applications, write one-off applications, deal with compatibility issues, security issues, get support (and this is a biggie - one of my HP servers died not long ago and we had an HP engineer there with all the parts required to make it work again in under 4 hours). Does Apple even offer a service like that?
Unless your company is doing something that can only be done on a Mac (iPhone development for example), then the smart business decision purely from a cost perspective was and still is to avoid a mixed system in the enterprise. When you add in all the other reasons above it becomes a no brainer to stay as standardized as possible.
Now, if I was starting a company today I would go with Macs and standardize on them. No Windows allowed, and something like linux on the servers. But if I walked into an established company with 10k windows desktops already in the wild, I would say no Macs. There would be no compelling reasons to add a new, foreign system to my already running and working infrastructure.
I feel for you. I can also understand your IT manager's position, like many of the other posters who is just trying to do their job.
It would probably help to know what you do. As some of the other posters have stated, people working in Marketing, Communications, etc. can sometimes justify using a Mac. In my case, I'm the only Mac user in our company. Part of my job is web design so the Mac is useful for cross-browser testing but the main justification for using the Mac is probably audio and video editing which I find so quick and easy with iLife.
Good luck with it anyway and if you have to switch to a PC at work, at least your Mac will be waiting for you at home once you leave the office.
...hope it works out for you and you get to use what you want... keep us posted on their decision - good luck!
Odds of you winning this are nearly zero.
Any IT manager (Especially a new one) is going to come in with the standardize/homogenize mantra. Odd ball cases are trouble, cause trouble, and make things more complicated.
The only legitimate answer that will save your Mac is if you have software required to use your job that is Mac only, and even then they will probably pony up a 'good enough' Windows equivalent and migrate you.
Like most of the (mac) world: 'Dell at work, Mac at home' is your likely outcome - and yes it sucks.
Any IT manager (Especially a new one) is going to come in with the standardize/homogenize mantra. Odd ball cases are trouble, cause trouble, and make things more complicated.
The only legitimate answer that will save your Mac is if you have software required to use your job that is Mac only, and even then they will probably pony up a 'good enough' Windows equivalent and migrate you.
Like most of the (mac) world: 'Dell at work, Mac at home' is your likely outcome - and yes it sucks.
LOL, Good luck. We have a hard enough time getting the IT department to get a Dell to replace a Dell, let along a Mac to replace a Dell. =)
Hi,
My employer is asking for reasons why I could possibly want to use an iMac in the office and MacBook Pro for international travel. I have to provide the reasons in writing by Tuesday or am being "migrated" back to Dell! WTF!
I was thinking this is easy. I've been using Apple gear for years, have an iMac at home, have been using a G4 MBP (it has just died - God bless its silicon heart) for over 5 years. So why are they even asking such a stupid question. I guess new IT manager has to prove herself somehow. Anyway ...
I have to provide reasons why the current Dell standard desktop model is not appropriate. Currently I have - use of Keynote, experience with MacSpeech Dictate.
Can anyone think of anything else? My brain is melting over this as I can not even comprehend why this question would be asked. Issue could be that IT Support has never had to do anything for me before the "Mac Laptop" died.
Any help out there?
Sc
Your best bet is to identify some software that is 1) necessary for your job, and 2) isn't available on windows.
Be prepared to explain why you can't use similar Windows software. (If the IT woman isn't familiar with Macs you can use that against her.
)Do you develop, design or test any web sites? You could make some kind of argument about checking/supporting browsers.
Maybe you can turn the compatibility argument around on her if you need to work in client environments or exchange documents with clients -- claim that some clients use macs and they like that you have a Mac because exchanging documents works more smootly (kind of BS, but maybe they'll buy it).
You next best bet is to go over her head. Does the vp of whatever or, better yet, the president own you any favors? Actually, it might help if you could get you manager to intervene -- anyone with clout.
It with definitely help to reassure her how little support you've needed in the past and expect to need in the future.
You're in college, right?
First, I hope you don't pick a job that will have you sit in front of a screen 24/7
Second, the reason it's called a job and not a hobby is that you get paid to do it. The rationale for payment is the empirical observation that the lack of it makes people walk away...because work is not a fun activity, regardless of what all the motivational talkers try to sell. In return for the pay, managers feel they can impose all kinds of nasty rules, one of which is the 'uniform pc' standard. If you feel you couldn't possibly stomach this then I'd suggest becoming self-employed.
10 years ago I worked as consultant for a multinational that had 100k users in 27 countries. The only department allowed macs were the guys doing the ads and packaging designs because (at the time at least) it made good business sense. The 99500 other employees were out of luck and had to plonk on their Dells. Incidentally, I'm not sure at all that Apple could/would give the same type and quality of corporate support (and discounts) that Dell et all provide in companies this large.
If you cant come up with good reasons on your own then maybe you need to consider that you dont need a mac after all. You may really want one, but if you have to ask strangers on the internet to help defend your personal method of getting work done maybe you need to take a step back and think if its that important to you or if you are just grasping at straw so you dont have to use *gasp* windows.
This makes no sense. If you have to stare at your computer *screen* for 24/7 then that's where you want to spend your money. Who cares what the computer box looks like. When I did work in an office my computer was on the floor under the desk. What I did have were 2 very nice monitors that made all the difference in the world while working.
To the OP, if you want to get your work to buy you a mac you're going to have to convince them that it is financially the right move. The problem there is that you're already starting an uphill battle, since depending on how large your company is they are getting huge discounts from Dell or HP. You will need to be able to quantify how much money they will save or make by purchasing a mac over a PC.
Hi,
My employer is asking for reasons why I could possibly want to use an iMac in the office and MacBook Pro for international travel. I have to provide the reasons in writing by Tuesday or am being "migrated" back to Dell! WTF!
I was thinking this is easy. I've been using Apple gear for years, have an iMac at home, have been using a G4 MBP (it has just died - God bless its silicon heart) for over 5 years. So why are they even asking such a stupid question. I guess new IT manager has to prove herself somehow. Anyway ...
I have to provide reasons why the current Dell standard desktop model is not appropriate. Currently I have - use of Keynote, experience with MacSpeech Dictate.
Can anyone think of anything else? My brain is melting over this as I can not even comprehend why this question would be asked. Issue could be that IT Support has never had to do anything for me before the "Mac Laptop" died.
Any help out there?
Sc
Reason: The Dell won't run Mac OS which I'm familiar with and have been running problem free for the last 5 years.. Ask her if she switches you to Windows, will that include any training on the "new" operating system.
I completely agree. Working in a computer sales department that sell both mac and dells I have person after person coming in acting likes dells are something special... newsflash they aren't, and haven't been since their "Dude, your getting a Dell" commercials stopped. Their parts are extremely flimsy also; I had a customer this month that had bought 4 dells over the past 3 years between her and her kids. Both of her kids had macs, and she bought the last old 13in $1499 MBP that we had in store.
The IT manager would get better support from dell than the average consumer, but the computer would still be more likely than not to have issues which can be frustrating if the occur while on business. Also, Apple's customer service has been ranked #1 for the past 8 years, and Dell is somewhere dead last. I know I generally hear 1-2 complaints a week while working part-time. Also keep in mind that you'll most likely be replacing your Dell in 2-4 years. Whereas macs generally last 5-8 years if taken care of.
Plus need I mention the virus/security vulnerabilities of windows? The Dell would secure your IT managers job, but wouldn't be the best. The being said most of our techs at our store are not fans of macs and are die hard PC users. I for one am able to fix most issues on PCs do not have the time nor desire to fix my computer, I would rather just have it work.
As stated previously you can run windows on a mac, and I've heard it runs better on a mac; I typically don't recommend running windows on a mac unless absolutely necessary. Mac equivalents are more readily accessible, typically cheaper (i.e. iWork vs. MS office), and work more seamlessly with the mac. Most compatibility issues have solutions.
Best of luck on your endeavor!