Transitioning a longtime Mac user from a Mac to a PC is an interesting procedure.
Far be it from me to tell you what kind of computer you should use. Like the choice of ribbed or lubricated, the choice of what computer to use is really all about one thing: what it feels like.
I do, however, have a problem with corporate pinheads who “standardize” on a Windows (of any variety) PC because they think that “Apple is going out of business.” Or “It will save me money by having only one platform to support.” Or the even more ridiculous “Everybody else uses Windows.”
I’m not going to waste your time or mine attempting to refute a mindset that is akin to a deeply held religious belief. (IE based on faith, not fact). What I am going to do is relate a lesson I have learned. Learned over many years supporting both Macs and PCs. Recently driven home with the delicacy of a Republican panel investigating a Democratic president:
You will, on average, spend more time, per computer,
setting up, configuring, troubleshooting upgrading and maintaining a PC.
Always.
The Mac is far from perfect, Windows PC’s do offer some nice things, but I can count on spending twice as long (often longer -much- longer) setting up, configuring, troubleshooting, upgrading and maintaining PCs.
Before you dismiss this outright as the ravings of an uninformed Mac advocate with an axe to grind. Please note the pictures to the left. They are my two Microsoft certifications, a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and a Microsoft Certified Professional +Internet (MCP+I) Cert. There is also a Windows 2000 MCP added more recently.
They are not “paper” certifications. I earned them. I know this stuff and support it every day. It is not often fun but it is challenging and the pay is good.
You don’t really “support” Windows, you fight with it.
There are (actually “were”) easily 2 to 3 times the number of Macs as there are PC’s where I work now. I spend three-quarters of my day on PC problems. You do the math.
When this was written the “Mac Conversion” had only just started. It is pretty much done with. We went from about 800 Macs to about 20. When it started the Computer Services department had 3 support people. We now have eight…
Originally posted before I added WordPress to this site. Published date is approximate.