14 DAY TRIAL // Jason R. Rich, author of “Mac Migration: The Small Business Guide to Switching to the Mac,” has found that ever more small businesses are making the move to Mac, thanks, in part, to Apple's aggressive advertising campaign - but mostly because Macs really do all that they're advertised to do.
Rich’s book, available from Entrepreneur Press for $17.95, explains that, “For years, Apple was known for offering computers useful to students and to creative people who dealt with graphics, animation, music and images. But now, due to their ever-growing lineup of popular business-oriented applications and their focus on compatibility, Apple’s Mac computers are now in high demand by business people working in all jobs and industries.”
Two reasons why small to mid-sized businesses are considering the Mac are business-friendly applications and compatibility. Both are heavily advertised by Apple in its “Get a Mac” ad campaign (counter-attacked by Microsoft, but with little success so far).
Talking about Apple's initiative to offer free file transfer from your PC to your new Mac, Rich points out that Apple's methods are reliable, fast, and highly practical, thanks to the professionalism of its retail staff. “If you buy your Mac from an Apple Store, you can bring your PC into the store and have a certified Apple Genius (a Mac Specialist) transfer all of your files and data from your old PC to your Mac. In most situations, this is a free service and can be completed within one business day (providing an appointment is scheduled),” the author says.
Mac OS X is also much easier to handle, as it comes pre-loaded on the newly acquired machine, and is available in a single version. Unlike Windows Vista, which has administrators scratching their heads when faced with choosing from four different versions, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is available in a single, universal (if you will) form. However, for businesses handling servers, there's Leopard Server that needs to be mentioned.