Re: [WinMac] Which is less trouble: Mac+Win or Win+Mac?

Gordon Lanoie(glanoie[at]MINET.gov.MB.CA)
Sun, 26 Jul 1998 15:59:47 -0500

John has given some more information to the group, anyone who has some
suggestions....

>Gordon,
>
>Many thanks for the thoughtful and helpful response. Below I've given a bit
>more detail, which may enable you to give a more confident answer to the
>question, if you can spare the time.
>
>>You have a wonderful oppertunity to start from scratch. So many of us
>>walked into a mix of platform soup.
>
>I really appreciate having the opportunity; just don't want to screw up <g>.
>
>>Macs generally (everything has to be considerd as 'generally', there are
>>too many exceptions to every rule in computers) have a reputation of ease
>>of use, lower support costs, faster learning curves, multimedia, and easy
>>upgrades due to platform wide standard. In the same ball park, if the
>>systems are going to be abused, a PC floppy drive can cost $25 to replace
>>where as a Mac one might cost $100.
>
>Abuse unlikely. There are about 15 full-time employees in the organisation,
>plus about a dozen regular subcontractors, who buy their own hardware and
>with one or two exceptions wouldn't be put on the network.
>
>>There are a couple of things to consider.
>
>>(1) The needs of the users
>
>>What will let them get the most work done from a software point of view.
>>Multimedia and education software tend to do really well on the Macs, but
>>there is more variety of business software available for the PC. I believe
>>all the MS products you have mentioned are available on both platforms, and
>>PDF documents can also be created on both. From a software pint of view,
>>you might consider what platform your users are most at ease with already,
>>to help keep down retraining costs.
>
>All except our one Mac zealot are more at ease with Windows, but the least
>computer-literate ones are still on 3.1 so will have to be retrained whether
>we go to Win9x or Mac.
>
>Apart from two people in Accounts, who will be on Windows either way because
>there's no Mac version of the system, expected software usage is about 50%
>Word, 25% Excel, 5% Powerpoint, plus say 20% for database, project
>management, graphics, modelling beyond Excel's capabilities, and odds and
>sods. As usual, it's the last 20% that's the problem.
>
>Database: In Windows, we'd use Access. I know how to drive it and it
>integrates well with the rest of MS Office. With the Mac, I'm not entirely
>confident that Filemaker is relational enough and flexible enough. It seems
>gorgeously easy to set up tables and forms, but when it comes to querying
>the database and using the results in other applications we seem to be back
>in the days of dBaseII and WordStar. On the other hand, the heavy-duty Mac
>database apps have the power but not the ease of use.
>
>Project management: Provided it's no harder to exchange information between
>Microsoft Project 4.x for the Mac and Project 98 for Windows than it is
>between 4.x for Windows and Project 98 for WIndows, we should have no
>problems.
>
>Graphics: In Windows, we'd use Visio for business graphics (org charts and
>so on). I haven't identiified a Mac tool in the same class. Also, we'd need
>an assortment of vector and bitmap apps and converters to edit and print
>graphics from various sources. My biggest worry here is that Office 98 for
>the Mac doesn't seem to have bombproof support for the common Windows
>graphic formats.
>
>Modelling: Again, I've identified the Windows software but not the Mac.
>Visio drawings are fully controllable via VBA, and drawing objects have
>events to which VBA procedures can be attached, which means it's possible to
>use Visio as a fully graphical front end for a model implemented in Excel. I
>haven't identified a Mac tool that could do this, or even a general purpose
>RAD tool corresponding to Visual Basic or Delphi. This probably isn't a big
>deal if the Mac's Windows emulation is as good as it seems to be (at least
>as long as I can get the firm to shell out for a fast Powerbook with 128Mb
>for me!).
>
>>From the hardware point of view, are there any peripherals or situations
>>that favour one platform over another?
>
>No.
>
>>(2) The skills of the users
>
>>Are many users new to technology? Is there a steep learning curve that
>>will be placed on them, or will they have more time to learn whatever
>>platform they are offered (given)? The cost of training and retraining, not
>>only in money, but in technical support time, is often overlooked by
>>management. Do you have the manpower to offer classes periodically so they
>>are comfortable and productive on whatever platform they are on?
>
>>If many have PCs at home and are comfortable, it makes sense to use
>>technology they can go with. If many are new to technology, Macs are often
>>a lot more friendly to the new user in the short and long term.
>
>We don't have the spare manpower or the money for extensive training.
>
>Everyone already has a (clapped out, non-networked) PC on his or her desk,
>but only about 25% of them are making effective use of what they've got: so
>everyone faces some training and changes in their work practice. Switching
>from Windows to Mac might provide something of a clean break.
>
>Unfortunately, several employees and all the subcontractors have PCs at
>home; only a couple have Macs.
>
>>(3) The initial cost of machines
>>(4) The long term cost of machines
>
>>Macs initially usually cost more to buy up front, depending on the
>>configuration (that may change with the iMac) than a PC.
>
>My best shot at a like-with-like comparison had Macs coming in surprisingly
>close to the PCs. In any case, if using Macs would bring us even a 2%
>overall productivity bonus we'd be better off buying them even if PCs were
>being given away.
>
>>(5) The type and amount of cross platform data sharing
>
>>This used to be a large block to overcome in the business world... much
>>less so now. Especially since you are starting from scratch. There are
>>many utlilities (stay tuned to this mailing list, there are always more
>>comming) that make this job easier. This will probably be the least of you
>>long term problems, regardless of which platform you have in the majority
>>for in house work.
>
>>Any problems might arise with what you have to deal with in the 'outside'
>>world. If there is a lot of work that is sent 'unfinished' out to other
>>firms (for review, pre production work, etc.) and they use one platform or
>>another, this may also have an influence on your discision. Probably less
>>so that other things mentioned above.
>
>I think this is the key point. Exchanging Word and Excel documents with
>subcontractors and other organisations is a daily business. PowerPoint and
>Project less common. Many Word documents include graphics and tables or
>worksheets.
>
>I don't want to land us in a situation where we have continual hassles with
>these daily tasks that cost us more than a Mac system saves in ease of use.
>
>>(6) Technical support
>
>>You are all alone. Just kidding, there is a world of people out there who
>>enjoy brain teasers and technical problems, but they can't help you install
>>new software patches on 20 workstations or change network cards during a
>>crisis.
>
>>So this is a major part of your discision.
>
>>Will users have enough technical ability themselves to take care of the
>>simple stuff (my fonts don't print the way I like them to, what does it
>>mean 'missing DLL'?, how do I rebuild my desktop?), will they be installing
>>their own software?
>
>Mostly they won't.
>
>>Will they be installing their own peripherals?
>
>Not beyond perhaps an external Zip drive or scanner.
>
>>How
>>much time will you have to spend between the users and the platform? I
>>often send out little 'tech bulletens' to some of our users when there is a
>>common problem that is easy to solve... some of our users are savy enough
>>to help themselves, and others nearby. Others are 'technically clueless'
>>and we give them a hand whenever they need it.
>
>Most are technically clueless. I've got more interesting and billable things
>to do than troubleshoot for them.
>
>>The amount of outside support is something I forgot to mention. If there
>>are no good Mac sevice centers nearby in your area, that may influence you
>>as well. Your Mac vender may be far enough away that parts and on site
>>advice may not be same-day. Would this be an issue? There is always a PC
>>shop within driving range if parts are needed in an emergency.
>
>Mac vendor is 2 hours drive away; PC is 20 minutes.
>
>>Just from what you've mentioned in your letter, you are on the right track.
>>Alot of the choice also resides in what you are comfortable with. The
>>applications will work very closely between platforms, but the
>>administration changes. That's where you come in. Each platform has it's
>>advantages and disadvantages. NT has reasonable security built into the
>>OS, while Macs may need a thrid party solution if desktop security is a
>>major concern. Networking issues between the two get easier all the time,
>>but you will still have to fill in some of the blanks, and that depends on
>>your learning and working style.
>
>Security is not (yet) a major concern, but the Mac vendor suggests Fileguard.
>
>Decision time is approaching. A loaner Powerbook arrives soon for assessment.
>
>ATB,
>
>John

-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
         __ Gordon Lanoie
   __/\_\ glanoie@mbnet.mb.ca
 /\_\/_/ http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/~glanoie
 \/_/\_\ Computer, A/V Technician
       \/_/ Assiniboine South School Division #3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b2 on Sun Jul 26 1998 - 14:03:46 PDT