Charles Haddad continues his weekly BusinessWeek column with a look at whether Apple can penetrate the corporate world: noting that even the upcoming OS X and new Outlook client will at best "persuade some big companies supporting both platforms not to drop Macs altogether...Macs are never going to undersell the inexpensive generic PCs favored by most big companies."
Comments
Total Cost of Ownership...
When you can't attack the arguments, you attack the presenter.
Haddad's points are mostly well founded in reality and represent real issues which most Mac users choose to ignore or dismiss. Businesses in general are very cost conscious and prefer to stick as much as possible to one platform. Much of that is because it's easier to set up IT and support when there's just one set of software and one set of hardware.
Businesses aren't home users - their world works differently. So try thinking different for a change and listen.
This guy's a fool with a big mouth. Enough said! Buy a PC dude...at least your stupidity is justified!
Only fools would make a stupid comment like this. Did you ever think they'd put a man on the moon too? Gimme a break articles like such, belong in the National Enquirer; I can't believe how short sighted you are...what you think that the world has reached a static freeze and that until the last day on Earth, MS will be the only dominant force and the PC will always be the best choice? Get real man....open your eyes!
A lot is made of this, and yes, one to one, Macs have lower cost of ownership... however, much of this advantage, at least in terms of hardware, goes away when you get to corporate volumes. You don't repair the cheap no-name PC, you throw away the $125 motherboard and replace it. The entire scale of operations is different.
I've also wondered how one compares software TCO. Businesses are doing things on PCs which are difficult to do with Macs - not because of any limitation of MacOS per se, but because of lack of support by third party companies. Even Office (which is the focus of Haddad's article) is relatively cripped on MacOS compared to Windows, and Office is one of the most widely used pieces of software out there - and critical to many businesses.
If a company has to devise entirely different ways to get the same job done on two platforms - especially when on the Mac that might end up being an order of magnitude more complex - how is that cheaper?
Well, first, thanks for proving my point.
Second - uh, I've been programming Macs since 1989. I've probably owned more of them than you have. I've even worked with Apple on several projects.
Just because someone doesn't agree with you doesn't necessarily mean they're stupid. It's just possible (amazing as it seems) that they just might know something you don't.
Apple doesn't have to win, just grow. While Haddad admits that the recent and expected releases should help prevent a business market /shrinkage/ he forgets several items that will help Apple grow:
1. Linux-like, unix-based, buzzword filled operating system that even geeks can't find fault with.
2. Enterprise Object Frameworks (EOF). This is that NExT-technology that rarely made a difference in the consumer market, but was embraced, even at its previous high cost, by some very large Businesses.
3. WebObjects.
4. A much improved Java platform. No more second-class citizen.
5. No virus worries.
6. Powerful server solutions without IIS security flaws. (Remember some Army sites jumping to OS-9 last year?, watch for more with this next release.)
7. Quicktime serving solutions. Quicktime period.
8. Internet and intranet sites becoming more platform neutral. Most probably aren;t even aware of how many workstations could be switched over to cheap imacs running Internet Explorer, Office, Outlook and even Cyrix Winframe.
9. Attractive Kiosk solutions. Which looks better as an information server, a cube/imac or Dell white box?
10. the tiBook. How many executives want this one? How many department heads will want one?
11. Expansion of tradition mac departments. Look for the web development, graphics, video and technical writing section to expand, demand, and recieve Macs.
Is this list a little 'rose-colored'? Sure, but I'm simply offering that the Mac business market has plenty of opportunity to expand. An idea the Business Week author doesn't seem to agree with.
I don't know how many of you posters that call this guy an idiot know jack *hit, but as a Mac user and Analyst for 16 years, I can tell you that this is as close as Mac users get to being accepted in corporate America.
I don't agree that Office on the Mac is not up to the PC bar - it's superior in many ways.
The new Outlook client looks VERY promising.
BUT
We can't do many things the company likes:
1) No SMS, Zenworks, etc.
2) We use RIM BlackBerry devices - no Mac client and it won't work in VPC.
3) PC's are cheaper to get in the door - TCO isn't looked at much, unfortunately.
Macs now have a strong and stable hold in the places where they excel - graphics, video, etc. Strong products from MS are the glue that holds us together here...like it or not. Me, I prefer to have them on our side.
Scott
Why bother tring to get in to corporates. thisis a low margin high volume business wher most computers only run a hand full of business apps. It is the most boring side of computing. Leave it to the bargain basement macines and concentrate of the high value content creation area. Where style counts and personal preferences are accomodated. Stick to the imagination business don't waist macs on accontants
OR
Network Headlines
Most Popular
MacNN Sponsor
Recent Reviews
iHome iW2 AirPlay speaker
iHome generally isn't known as a luxury brand when it comes to audio, but it is prolific -- the company's docks and speakers are every ...
Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover
One of the iPad's main weaknesses has always been productivity. It's not a question of apps; while it has taken a little time for a na ...
Logitech UE Air Speaker
If maybe a little more slowly than Apple would like, AirPlay is becoming a staple of the wireless speaker market for iOS devices. The ...
Most Commented
Popular News
Joined:
Like he is an expert?
Sure, he knows all about it.