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There is one question that we are asked now more than ever before: Should I switch from a PC to a Mac?  This question is one of the hardest ones we answer as it has so many variables, but the simple answer is, it depends.  There are several questions that you should ask yourself before jumping in and making the decision.

What am I used to, and am I willing to change?

This question may seem like one of the silliest questions, but it is perhaps the most important.  Several of the clients that I deal with have PC’s, but love the idea of the Mac, and who can blame them.  They are typically more pleasing to look at, lighter, and have the promise of just working.  The love affair for these clients stops there however.  Changing systems for these clients means learning something new, which with as busy as work is now, is just not a possibility.  It takes time for most people to make the switch from a PC to Mac, and it isn’t always pleasant.  Add-on the fact that there is almost always a 10% restocking fee for the mac if you don’t like it and you have yourself a standoff.  No one likes being locked into a decision they are not sure about.

Are the programs I use available on a Mac?

This is the second biggest problem we see with our customers.  The fact of the matter is no, not all the applications that you have on your PC are available natively on a Mac, this does not mean however that you can not run them on your mac.  I realize that the previous statement may be a little confusing, so let me expound on that.  While developers may not have created a version of their program to specifically run on a Mac, there are several options (AKA virtualization) that will allow you to run windows apps on your system.  Companies such as VMWare (we should say that they are a partner) and Parallels offer solutions that allow you to run full copies of windows on your Mac.  There are inherent problems with these solutions, namely the fact that they load a whole second computers Operating System on to your system which eats up hard drive space and when its running memory and your processing power.   The easiest solution if you have a arge portion of the company switching is finding a web based solution or moving to a terminal server (a remote computer that allows several people to connect and run windows without affecting their systems performance).

Will my company support a Mac?

This question is entirely for your boss and/or IT Team.  If Inevat manages your IT needs, the answer to this question is normally yes.  There are some exceptions to this rule and we would ask that you speak with us directly before you make any decisions.  Some companies do not allow the use of Mac on their sites due to the fact that company wide policies which are applied by server may require additional software to work on Macs.

So what should I do?

Well folks, this is where the bad news comes in.  The answer is entirely up to you.  Be aware, that switching from a PC to a Mac is a big commitment.  Like anything else, you will have some growing pains that you just have to endure.  Once you get used to the quirks of the new operating system, you should grow to enjoy the functionality of Macs.  Keep in mind that we are not suggesting that a Mac is right for everyone, but quite the opposite.  Think objectively before you make your purchase.