Apple vs. PC: What’s Right for My Business?
There are many reasons to advocate for either PC or Apple when choosing the machines that best suit your business needs, but they can become lost among the many arguments that proponents for either side throw around heatedly.
Choosing which is right for your business can seem like a stressful choice and as such one that you might avoid making, leading to mismatched software for your business needs. To combat this we have compiled the top issues that you should consider when deciding between Apple and PC – let us make the choice easier for you!
Pricing
It’s an unavoidable truth that Apple products are more expensive than most of the base PCs that you could buy instead. A powerful MacBook Pro can cost in the range of £1000-£1,600, whereas a similar specification on a PC might only set you back around £600. It’s simply impossible to buy an Apple computer for that kind of price. Ultimately, you are paying for build quality and reliability rather than specification so this is something to consider when weighing the two options against each other.
Apple products may last longer than a PC, but servicing and support costs are about the same and so no significant savings can be had either way – if anything a Mac specialist may charge you more for their services.
Cost is often the decisive factor in choosing the right path for your IT strategy, so the sheer difference in price between the two machines can more than likely make the decision for you. But, if you’re willing to spend money on quality then more money is going to be spent in any case.
Ultimately, a mixture of Apple and PC is often the answer to most business’ IT strategy needs and is the most cost effective solution to implement as a whole.
Ease of Use
The question of whether PC or Apple is easier to use is also something that may cross your mind when making this decision. Your employees are more likely to have a PC in their everyday home lives and so will be better used to these systems; introducing Apple products may require extra training at cost and lead to more confusion in the short term if employees are completely unused to the products.
But, there is the argument that the user experience with Apple products is better as they have designed an OS that is simple to use. People may enjoy using a Mac more and this causes less complaints and office IT frustrations in the long-term implementation of Apple.
Which is More Secure?
Security is at the heart of most businesses concerns regarding IT implementation company-wide. So, considering which product is more secure is an important step in the considerations between Apple and PC.
PCs as a whole experience far more viruses and malware simply because there are many more of them in the world. As the popularity and number of Apple computers grow then so will the number of viruses that target them.
There is also a worry with Macs, that they can be a carrier for viruses even if they are not infected with them. This means there is a risk of passing malware on to clients, affecting relationships and reputation if the problem were to escalate enough. Networking on Macs can also be difficult as they are missing key PC networking features, meaning it is difficult to ensure that backups and data are stored centrally.
There are significant pros and cons to both systems when it comes to security, but ultimately there is an added consideration of what anti-virus systems you put in place to combat these issues and not just a question of which product attracts the least viruses.
Is It an Image Issue?
The choice between PC and Apple can often be a shallow one. To appear at the cusp of technological advancement to clients, many companies do invest in Apple products, this is often the case in marketing and design orientated companies, whereas a more technologically focused company might consider that PCs mark them as more serious people who are equipped to get the job done.
Essentially this boils down to whether or not you want the ‘wow’ factor in the eyes of your clients with Apple products, or the apparent appearance of reliability that a PC provides.
What Business Needs Do They Suit?
It is often the case that designers gravitate towards Apple products – Adobe Photoshop was born on a Mac and so this is understandable. However, it seems to have become a matter of tradition in the design world, passed down from mentors who designers respect, rather than any real performance advantages.
Apple is also considered to be a necessity for the executives in a business as their decreased likelihood of phishing attacks and malware is far more attractive considering the sensitive information on such people’s systems. Employees who deal with data, writing and sales type jobs are often more suited to regular PCs as they don’t require Macs and it is often best to allow them to use what they are comfortable with.
Whether you choose Apple or PC, or even a combination of both to match different departmental needs, Q2Q can provide the IT support to suit your needs. We can help you implement an IT strategy that best matches the requirements of your business strategy; we also help to identify areas of improvement across your company. So, contact us on 01524 581690 to discuss your options and the best IT solutions with the help of our friendly team. Alternatively you can email your enquiries to us at [email protected].
