<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial; line-height: 18px; "><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-size: 32px; line-height: 32px; ">Which is Better For Your Business—a Mac or a PC?</span></p><p>To start, I need to tell you that up until 2006 I was an avid <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/123848/top_10_value_desktop_pcs.html?tk=rel_news" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 96, 160); text-decoration: none; ">PC</a> user. Starting with my first computer when I was five, an IBM PS2 Model 30 (without a hard drive), I've been loyal. I started with DOS, then Windows 3, 3.1, 95, and then XP. Then came <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/129824/switching_to_vista_part_1.html?tk=rel_news" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 96, 160); text-decoration: none; ">Vista</a>. Before <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/159432/ms_makes_lastditch_push_for_corporate_adoption_of_vista.html?tk=rel_news" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 96, 160); text-decoration: none; ">Vista</a>, I spent a lot of time rebooting but it was more or less bearable. After Vista, which is by far the worst operating system ever made, I had to find another solution.</p><p>In the summer of 2006, I upgraded about 80% of my company's computers to <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/155996/businesses_make_the_move_to_mac_os.html?tk=rel_news" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 96, 160); text-decoration: none; ">Macs</a>; we're a design agency, and so most people wanted Macs anyway. I kept hearing about their strengths - how the OS never crashed, how it just worked, how you don't need to reboot every day - and dismissed them as blind lust from googly-eyed Apple enthusiasts.</p><p>But something changed. People started doing things quicker. Work started flowing faster (I estimate by about a third). After seeing how I could still use Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel on a Mac using Parallels, I decided to take the plunge myself.</p><p>I upgraded the company's remaining PCs to top of the line Macs -- to the tune of about $4,000 each. Gave them each 8GB of RAM (probably overkill), top video cards, and two Samsung 24-inch screens.</p><p>Words can't describe how much productivity rose, including my own. The same machine, two years later, sits on my desk and operates flawlessly every day. On the left, I have my Mac desktop, where I browse the web, listen to music, search for files using Spotlight (far better than Windows search), prepare presentations (in <a href="http://www.apple.com/iwork/keynote/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 96, 160); text-decoration: none; ">Keynote -</a>- far superior to Powerpoint) and look for files on our public file server (still a PC).</p><p>On the right screen I run Parallels with Windows XP SP3. I use Microsoft Office 2007, which works flawlessly with our Exchange server. I can drag and drop between the Mac and PC, even copy and paste. The Mac truly runs Windows better than PCs do. And Windows XP is far superior to Vista.</p><p>If you did the same thing today, you would need the following:</p><p>Mac Pro: Get at least 4GB of RAM, 500GB or larger hard drive, and an upgraded video card, all available for less than $3000.</p><p><a href="http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 96, 160); text-decoration: none; ">Parallels Desktop</a> ($79)</p><p>Fresh boxed copy of Windows XP Professional: Be sure to do buy a new retail copy (not an upgrade) with SP3</p><p>Microsoft Office 2007 Enterprise</p><p>Two Samsung 24" LCD Monitors (Model 245BW - about $240 each)</p><p>If you're thinking of upgrading your IT setup, I would highly recommend a Mac, even if you need to run a PC. Same logic applies for laptops in your organization. Even during a recession, the productivity gained by giving your employees computers that just work can't be underestimated.</p><p><br></p><p><em>Michael Schneider is the CEO of <a href="http://www.fluidesign.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 96, 160); text-decoration: none; ">Fluidesign</a>, a Los Angeles-based interactive agency. You can learn more about Michael at <a href="http://www.michaelschneider.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 96, 160); text-decoration: none; ">www.michaelschneider.com</a>.</em></p><p><i><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/163537/which_is_better_for_your_businessa_mac_or_a_pc.html">http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/163537/which_is_better_for_your_businessa_mac_or_a_pc.html</a></i></p></span></body></html>