iSwitched to Apple

1. It's not only a Mac

When you buy a Mac, you don’t just buy an Apple machine, you also buy a PC. Macs areshipped with a software which will allow any user to also install Windows. The software isintuitive, easy to use, and in a matter of minutes you’ll have a fully operational Windowsinstallation on your Mac machine. Businesses can’t afford to lose time because theyrecently switched and don’t know how to perform a specific task on their new OS and thisclever Apple software alleviates that problem. (Try not to get too used to using it thoughbecause in the long term you’d be missing out on OSX’s fantastic features, which are atthe core of a Mac’s strength.)

2. Security

For some, working on a computer that doesn’t have a virus scanner may seem unnatural,but it’s definitely the way things should be!! Because Apple’s market share is relativelysmall, creating malware and viruses for Macs just doesn’t pay off, hence the quasinonexistenceof Mac viruses. One could easily foresee that this won’t last for ever, withApple’s popularity rising and Mac gaining market share, but some simple (and veryeffective) preemptive security features have already been implemented in Apple’s OSXSnow Leopard & Lion.This means no additional costs for virus scanner licenses, no endless scans of your harddrives, and no troubleshooting or countless reformatting runs, which equals better valuefor money and improved productivity.

3. The OS

Thanks to tight OS/hardware integration, Apple has fine tuned their OS for their relativelysmall product lineup, which basically means that you won’t need as much speed as on aPC.Macs are stable, but commonsense says you should always backup your files, and OSXhas a truly amazing tool for this called Time Machine. Just plug in a hard drive and let thecomputer take care of everything for you.The OS learning curve is quite shallow, so you’ll get used to Mac in no time. In fact it’s soaddictive that you’ll find it unbearable to work on a computer that doesn’t haveSPOTLIGHT (instant file finder/app launcher), EXPOSE (see all your open windows in onesnapshot) or SPACES (organize your windows on different desktops).

4. The software

The days when some folk voiced concern about a lack of software alternatives for Mac arewell and truly over. Commonly, the biggest concern for a small business is the productivitysuite, known to PC users as Microsoft Office. Microsoft has a fully functional version forMac, so not only will you have Mac’s suite but you’ll also be able to run Word, Excel andPowerPoint should you choose. Snow Leopard is Exchange enabled and Office ships withEntourage, so that takes care of your emailing.You’ll love the variety and capabilities of Mac OSX’s standard apps. GarageBand is apowerful audio editor, Quicktime X supports screen casts, iWeb will allow you to easilycreate beautiful websites, iMovie is a great video cutter and iDVD is a clever masteringtool. And yes, all this is included in your OS for free.(If you want to leave Microsoft’s world for good, consider purchasing iWork suite.)All the Adobe apps are available on Mac and there are no extra associated costs. Macdevelopers have also created their own range of apps, most of them quite inexpensive butof great quality, focusing in typical Apple fashion on user interface ergonomy and designwithout sacrificing functionality and usefulness.

5. Because of the popularity of the iPhone

Even if you don’t personally have an iPhone, there’s no denying that they are one of themost popular business smart-phones available. People love the iPhone’s connectivity, userinterface and various (business related) apps. They’re user-friendly and have a multitudeof practical functions. If you’re impressed by iPhone then you’ll be blown away by Mac.(And if you do already own an iPhone you’ll be amazed at what you can do once youintegrate it with a Mac.)