Which platform is right for your business? Windows or Mac?

When I first started in business, Apple desktop or laptop devices were rarely encountered unless you were in graphics or design, with Windows being the dominant business operating platform.

Love them or hate them, Windows still dominates with approximately 80% of desktop computers running the operating system, with roughly 15% taken up by Apple. But 10 years ago Apple only had 5%, so their share has increased considerably.

In this article we’ll look at some of the pros and cons of each platform in the context of the general business office environment and what needs to be considered. Often, it can be personal preference, particularly with those brought up on Mac’s, but there’s more to be considered when setting up and managing your business office.

Hardware

Principally, whether it’s Microsoft Windows or Apple Mac, both offer a functional purpose, but Windows is made to run on a broad range of hardware, produced by a broad range of manufacturers (e.g., HP, Lenovo, Dell) and offered in an extensive array of specifications. You have choice, and as a result, competition.

Apply devices are made by Apple only and the Mac OS (Operating System) will only operate on an Apple computer. Because Apple are in control of the hardware through their tightly controlled distribution network, there is a limited range and limited specification choice, all resulting in, you guessed it… limited competition.

And then there’s connectivity, as Apple devices are typically limited to USB-C hardware ports, thereby complicating connection of your favourite devices.

Another key aspect when discussing hardware is repair or upgrade. For the slightly technically minded, you can open your Windows supported PC or Laptop and easily complete repairs and upgrades. Not so with Apple, as they do not encourage you (or make it easy) to tamper with or open your device, but rather take it to an authorised service provider. You can’t even upgrade your memory.

So, without stating the obvious, the Apple pathway is typically going to come at a higher cost, both for the hardware and service / repair. That said, Windows devices can be more technically challenging for users and the user experience not as seamless, so there are trade-offs.

Application Software

Given such a large market share held by Windows, it makes sense that a large majority of application software developers focus on the Windows platform. Whilst many of the popular developers also develop for Mac OS, you will still find some software that is Windows only.

It could also be argued that so much of what we do is now ‘browser based’ (cloud hosted applications) and we don’t need to install software. True, but we often find that even with cloud-based software you still need to communicate with peripherals (e.g., printers) and again your cloud software application may only support a limited range of hardware, of which drivers for the Mac platform are not supported. We particularly find this with cloud hosted Point of Sale (POS) applications.

What Apple have done well is integration of their devices within the Apple eco-system. E.g., iPhone, iPad, iPod, and iCloud etc. with the Mac OS and Apple hardware, offering a seamless user experience.

Driver Software

Driver Software is that component required for your peripheral hardware to operate. Most commonly this applies to printers, as to operate the printer and to access the full feature set, you need to install the specific driver software. As with Application Software, the same rules apply, with some hardware manufacturers only supporting the Windows platform, and think beyond just your standard office desktop printer, as this can also affect other printer types like label / barcode printers.

Security

Macs have long had a reputation of being more “secure” than Windows PCs, with users believing that Apple machines are impenetrable to cybercriminals planning to carry out malware attacks. 

Sure, cybercriminals will naturally target the Windows platform because there are so many more of them, but the reality is less clear-cut. Data from one of the major anti-virus / anti-spyware developers in 2020 showed that Mac endpoint detections increased from 4.8% to 11.0% in a 12 month period. Of course, these numbers are derived from the use of this specific software, but it does show that with an increase in market share, Mac OS will become an increasing target.

Another reason is that Apple’s closed platform has limited how developers can interact with the operating system, while Windows has generally given developers more flexibility, however in recent years Windows has closed off elements of its platform, bringing it closer to Apple’s security. 

As with Application and Driver Software, we run into the same difficulties, as some of the high-end monitoring platforms that we use to manage security across a business do not have agents that operate on the Mac platform, or strict limitations of the Apple hardware do not permit certain functions. If you have a pure Windows or Mac environment, then we can identify the right solution to match your requirements but introduce a mixed platform and it can get a lot harder with related cost increases.

Summary

This article is by no means an exhaustive study on all pros and cons of the Windows or Mac environments, but rather designed to highlight some of the key issues to consider.

Rather than let personal choice dictate your business model and then find yourself with a complex mixed platform, make sure you consider all aspects of your functional business needs and plan. Consulting with an expert can also add considerable value to your decision making.

This is an article for Business Blindspots Tasmania. To ensure you receive our regular updates from expert business advisers across a range of areas follow our  LinkedIn group.