A Case for using Apple Computers in the Workplace

One of the big things I like about the Apple products is that they're ALL good, they don't even get into the loss-leader game, their least expensive products are as nicely made or better than most companies top end products.  I have yet to use another laptop that feels as robust and oozes quality as a Macbook Pro or Air.  I like the Lenovo laptops a lot and they have a lot going for them but the Macbook Pros and Airs are still a notch or two above.

The biggest negative that I see with the Apples on the desktop is upgradeability but the reality is that if you buy right in the first place, and it's hard to go wrong with any of the Macs really because it's not like they have a low end model, you're probably going to be due for computer replacement by the time you'd start thinking about an upgrade that couldn't be done readily.  They're super easy to upgrade memory on, the hard drives are moderately difficult to switch out but most businesses keep most of their data on a file server anyway so a 'mere' 500 GB hard drive (the smallest they offer) is fine.  Some people might wish to upgrade to an SSD drive as the prices come down but that's not that big of a deal to replace the magnetic drive with one of those.  Multiple monitors are expensive if you want to maintain an all-Mac desktop but you *can* use other brands to save money but the other monitors, unless you spend big $, aren't anywhere as nice.  You have to buy the Windows operating system whereas it's included on most Dells/HPs/Lenovos but over a 3 - 5 year period, $150 is not a big deal.  Since most peripherals are USB you can use a USB hub if you need more than 4 ports and for the handful of people who need massive fast storage, Thunderbolt is an outstanding technology.  I just got a Promise 12 TB array and attached it to my Mac Mini Server and it's crazy fast.  And lastly, if you price out a business class Dell/HP/Lenovo with a nice monitor (and not even as nice as the iMac monitor), you're spending about the same or more than you do on an iMac, either 21 or 27".  Then you have the Bootcamp option so if your apps are all available for Macs or you go to browser-based apps, you have the option of using the Mac OS.  Add in the fact that you have retail stores with tech support that seldom takes more than a couple of days to replace major components and it's even more compelling.

So really, as I think about it and look back over my words, I think the most realistic reason why you *wouldn't* seriously consider a Mac desktop is that it's not conventional thinking...