Re: [WinMac] RE: Cost/functionality analysis


Dan Schwartz(expresso[at]snip.net)
Mon, 11 Jan 1999 22:40:05 -0500


At 03:34 PM 1/11/99 -0500, Thomas Kase wrote; and I'll reply inline:
>
>> From: Dan Schwartz <expresso@snip.net>
>>
>> Matt:
>>
>> Let's look at your analysis, inline.

        NO: I do this for clarity for the 3rd party reader.

>
>It even starts out in a condescending way...
>
>> At 10:56 AM 1/9/99 -0600, Matt Shannon wrote:
>> >>Subject: Re: [WinMac] Graphic production, which is the better platform?
>> >>From: Liam Helmer <liamh@axion.net>
>> >>
>> >>>The people who put out our newsletter for our company are using Macs
>> >>>to do all the design and pre-press stuff. Our company is moving
>> >>>towards being PCs. The question is, should the artists switch to PCs
>> >>>or keep using their Macs? I know some of this is a matter of
>> >>>preference but I need some hard facts on the pros and cons of each for
>> >>>this kind of work. Does anyone know of any studies or where I can find
>> >>>more info? Please let me know. Thanks.
>> >
>> >I work for the Marketing department of a printing company. Not long ago
>> >we were looking at getting a lot of new prepress equipment (new
>> >imagesetter, RIP, proofers, etc...) We were going to need to upgrade our
>> >Macs within another year or so and it was decided to go ahead and upgrade
>> >those at the same time as the equipment purchase. The IS manager casually
>> >brought up the question of replacing those 5 macs with PC's. The reaction
>> >from the prepress department was incredible. Everyone of them said they'd
>> >quit if they had to switch to PC's, including the manager.
>>
>> This is a management problem: Who is running your company, the employees
>> or the owner/manager(s)? This is more like the inmates running the
asylum...
>
>Dan, this is maybe THE best example I have *ever* seen of Wintel techie
>attitude (aka 'Computer Support') = screw the user, we know what's best
>for you.

        Well, who is better qualified to support a computer: An artist; or an
Electrical Engineer with 23 years experience in this biz?

P.S.: I was part of a team that built an Altair 8800 in December, 1975...
Serial Number 007.

>
>Should we call this being Dan:ified?
>
>You must not have any employees Dan - not with that attitude.
>
>> >This was an emotional reaction and I came up with more factual
>> >reason's for them not to switch to PC's.
>> >
>> >1) Files received from outside sources come from who knows what! Macs are
>> >better equipped to deal with Windows app version files than the other way
>> >around.
>>
>> Very true
>
>Gracious - a compliment - should we bow?
>

        No, I always point up strong, as well as weak, points...

>> >2) They'd have to learn a whole new OS and quickly, which would put more
>> >of a strain on IS and add more cost to the company.
>>
>> Not really: If your company is already running x86, **even in other
>> departments,** then the switchover is almost seamless. After all, once the
>> operator launches the application the OS gracefully bows out. In fact,
>> PageMaker, Photoshop, Illustrator, FreeHand, and (I think) QuarkXPress use
>> the same manual for Mac & Windows.
>
>Duh!
>
>How about using the god-forsaken Windows Explorer with all its pranks?

        Depends on which of the *SIX* UI's you choose...

>
>How about lack of true drag and drop between apps?

        OLE 2.0 ?! Even as supported by Adobe and Quark on the Mac platform? Can
you say "Publish and Subscribe?"

>
>How about printing shenanigans? Sometimes not even simple things like
>a bold font will print predictably under NT.

        Depends if you use the (admittedly fair-to-poor) windoze printing system?
Or using a true Adobe PostScript print driver?

>
>> >3) We would have possibly had to hire all new prepress department.
>>
>> Again, this is a *managerial* problem: Who's running the asylum?
>>
>> Also, ask yourself this hard question: Are these rebellion-prone employees
>> worth keeping in the first place? After all, they are not the business
>> owner... They are the employees.
>
>Employees, Dan - not slaves - there is a difference.

        But again, who is running the asylum?

>
>> >4) PostScript output from a Mac is generally much more reliable than PC's.
>>
>> False: PostScript is, and always has been since its inception in ~1982,
>> platform independent. Just download the latest PostScript drivers from:
>> <http://www.adobe.com/supportservice/custsupport/LIBRARY/pdrvmac.htm> or
>> <http://www.adobe.com/supportservice/custsupport/LIBRARY/pdrvwin.htm> for
>> Mac and NT, respectively;
>
>This defines reason - can you HONESTLY say that Windows apps print
>PS output as consistently as Mac?

        Again, if you *pay attention* to the print drivers, then you'll have no
problem whatsoever.

>
>> >5) Color correction is built into the MacOS in the form of ColorSync.
>> >This is not the case on the PC. Color correction on the PC is different
>> >for each and every application.
>>
>> If you use Adobe apps across the board, then you can use the Kodak Color
>> Management System across the board.

        No reply here: I rest my case on this issue.

>> >
>> >6) The PC's we'd have to get were more expensive than the Mac's we'd have
>> >to get.
>>
>> I *strongly* doubt that. If you compare Apple's "Steveified" tech support
>> and warranty to similar PC manufacturer support (such as H-P), then the
>> cost for Apple machines is actually higher. Sure, IBM and DIGITAL/Compaq's
>> commercial products cost more than H-P... But you get MUCH more in service
>> and support.
>
>And with NT you *need* it - with Macs you rarely do.

        Until you have a hardware problem... Then you're f**ked.

>
>> >So basically it cost us much less to stay with Macs than switch to PC's.
>>
>> And how many times per day do the Macs have to reboot?!
>
>When did you last try a Mac? Was it back in the Quadra days?
>Perhaps a 6100?

        300 mHz G3...

>
>How often does the Windows Explorer crash - forcing you to log off
>and back on to get back all the services that went down with it?

        Separate out the Taskbar.exe and Expliorer.exe into separate processes...

>Let's face it - for anyone running multiple apps, regularly installing
>and "uninstalling"(as it is known by non-Mac users) apps - NT is not
>a bulletproof system.

        OK, hotshot: If this is true, them why does Aladdin have to publish
"Spring Cleaning?"

>
>Which will be on the market sooner - NT5 or MacOS X?

        Well, NT5/Windows 2000 is already WELL into its second beta... And
considering that NT5 now has to encompass users upgrading from the cruddy
windoze 98, as well as incorporating 64 bit (AXP) images and
enterprise-level enhancements (such as clustering); in comparison to
"Copland," "[Taligent] Pink," "Rhapsody," and "OS-X;" I'll put my $$$ on
NT5/Win2K.

        Yours truly,
        Daniel L. Schwartz,
        Electrical Engineer.

        Dan's Macintosh Consulting
        Suite 1306
        1840 Frontage Road
        Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-2205

        609-795-8965

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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b2 on Mon Jan 11 1999 - 19:58:08 PST