Corps jumping ship and switching to Macs?

Posted February 28, 2008 at 05:33 PM by JG Mason

Section: Apple, Communications, Mobile, Computers, Desktops, Software / Applications, Originals

Here in corporate America, this growing question is getting louder and harder to avoid.  Is it time we switch to Mac?  Our IT folks swear by Microsoft almost as much as they swear at Microsoft.  How about yours?

The past It used to be if you did business you had a PC and if you were artsy or in academia you were Mac’d out.  Thanks to delays from Microsoft, folks scared to upgrade and whatever you want to call Vista’s release and subsequent lackluster conversion of Windows users; everyone seems to be doing some head scratching before their next move.

Many characterize the Vista vs. Mac battle as “revolution vs. evolution”.  Microsoft added a bunch of things Mac has had for years, jumping forward but is it enough to keep them ahead in the corporate world?

Today Microsoft made a big play for how Windows Mobile is their path forward at this years CES keynote.  The thinking is your Windows Mobile phone will integrate with business, Microsoft Live fun stuff and of course syncing to your car and servers.  That is good and all but does anyone really like their Windows Mobile phone?  I’ve got a Blackjack I am willing to part with.

My company refuses to upgrade to Vista.  A local Ivy League school refuses to upgrade its staff machines to Vista.  How about yours? 

And today, we get an inside look at how Microsoft operates.  Yes, it confirmed what a lot of us already suspected: MS seems to know things were not going to work to well with Vista but pushed ahead anyhow.  This blow to credibility feeds the fire and might give some IT manager the wherewithal to push them over to Mac.  Not that those types of discussions probably don’t happen at Apple.

Tomorrow Apple is in an interesting position here.  They’ve got a couple of things working overtime here: iPhone, Air and Leopard.  With a 3G iPhone (and almost without) they’re barking at big business.  They’ve created a device and platform that is even better than a full blow desktop or laptop to use.  Pop open the travelocity.com site that’s been optimized for the iPhone and you’ll see what I mean.  Here on the phone are the things I need most: waiting times at security, gate info, access to trips and a great link to a map of the airport so I can see where to park.  It would take me much longer to get at this info using the main Travelocity site.

So with this device, Apple is primed for a 3G iPhone with SDK support all out assault on business.  As more and more folks get their hands on the iPhone, they are going to ask themselves, “how much fun is a Mac?”.  If you’ve been in an Apple store, you see people interacting with tech, playing, listening, watching.  It is something special that is not recreated in another manufactures store.  Maybe an exec gets to behold the waif that is the Air?  “Hmmm.  I travel a lot and hate lugging my HP laptop around.  Maybe I could make a case for the Air.”

Perhaps Apple believes a top-down approach will get them into big business.  I can imaging quite a few exec toting around a 3G iPhone and an Air having the tools become the status symbol of the 2009 executives.  Is it enough to make a push into your company?  Is the Windows wall around business beginning to crack or is it about to crumble?

I can tell you from this side of the fence, it looks like the Macs are having more fun.  Just a quick look over at Appletell and it is like a playground…