Building The Mac Office

By Jake Widman 02/12/2011 Building an office around the Apple Macintosh has long been a good business strategy, particularly for SMBs. Macs generally require fewer IT resources and retain their value better than Windows-based PCs -- that's a key consideration for cash- and resource-strapped small and midsize businesses. And the iPhone and iPad, with their strong Mac integration, make it easier for businesses to move into the new era of mobile computing. But before you can Go Mac, you need to know how to get your Mac office up and running. This review of products from Apple and other Mac vendors, will take you on a visual tour of a Mac-centric office that could be your future infrastructure.

Workhorse Mac

The iMac, the iconic all-in-one computer, is still the foundation of a Mac-based office. For $1,199, your desk workers can get a 21.5-inch screen, a 3.06GHz Intel Core i3 processor, 4 GB of RAM, and a 500 GB hard drive. That's more than enough for most office tasks. Sure, you could spend $1,699 and get a 27-inch screen, a 3.2GHz chip, and a 1TB hard drive -- or heck, $1,999 to get a 2.8GHz Core i5 quad-core chip -- but few people need the extra screen real estate or speed.

Getting back to the Mac vs. PC debate, here are just a few of the reasons you may want to consider building your office around the Mac and compatible hardware and software:

1. Macs often require fewer IT resources to maintain than Windows-based PCs do.

2. They're typically not plagued by the malware -- viruses, spyware, etc. -- that Windows machines are. Whether that's due to the inherently more secure nature of Mac OS X or just because the Mac market share is too small to attract attention (there are good arguments on both sides), the result is that you'll spend less time guarding against and cleaning up after attacks.

3. They're not as expensive as you might have heard. Sure, you can find cheaper PCs -- but do you really want to entrust your business to cheap PCs? Windows machines with the same specs as Macs tend to cost about the same amount, and Macs hold their value better over time.

4. They look cool, and the peripherals match. Don't laugh: your office makes a first impression on customers just as your staff does.

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