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Supporting Macs and PCs

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by Michael Kassner

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Some organizations have departments, such as Desktop Publishing, that favor Macs over Windows-based machines. This means that IT must support both. Does your IT team support both platforms?

12 replies

by lordinfidel

I refuse to touch a MAC.

Maybe I'm an *sshole elitist, fine. It's not that I'm *scared* of MAC's, I just don't like them.

I'm just not thoroughly impressed with the performance of a MAC vs the performance of a PC. I have seen BOTH crash an equal amount of times for no apparent reason.

No MAC OS X (did I say that right) is built on a unix platform, so I will be interested on seeing it work.

I also don't like the idea of not being able to replace parts easily. I should be able to dismantle an OS easily also.

Plus I really hate that 1 button mouse deal. What the hell is up with that?

(Tell us how you _really_ feel)

Why is there no major exploits for MAC's, why do hackers not care about hacking a mac? It's just not challenging and is a waste of time. Who want's to brag that they just Hacked into a MAC?

Not me.

by tbragsda

Yea, there's always some group that wants them. Let them have them. Its not a problem on the network (stay away from AppleTalk), and the desktop support is not much more trouble.

On the personal note, the new OS should be cool, but till then I wish they would shut up with the "Switch" stuff. Nothing about them is as great as there PR. PC don't crash every time you look at them, and MACs don't run all the time with no help. Were all using basically the same hardware etc. its not THAT different. Love Jobs, dislike MAC people. "Im different and cool, I use a MAC", please.....

by hburke1

I work in an NT environment, at home I run both PCs and Macs. My PC boxes have had to be rebuilt multiple times. My sons Imac was just upgraded to OS X after three years of running 8.6 flawlessly. Yes I had to reboot occasionally, but not as often as the PCs. I run an old performa with 9.1, (my workhorse) and have only rebuilt it once in 4 years, (by choice not necessity).
I can dismantle the os and the box as easily as I can the PCs.
If you haven't touched the system or the hardware don't comment on it.

by tbragsda

Almost sounds like hostility. I thought it was the PC people that were hostile.

Lets see. I started working on MAC 512 (fat mac) have seen them throughout their evolution. As I said, nothing wrong with them, some like them, others don't. Its like ice-cream. What I can say is, the differences are less than the PR from either camp spouts. MACs DO crash, and PC don't crash every day.

As for personally, I don't give a dam what people use at their desktops. Whatever they like, I will work it into my network. The software in most business determine the OSs used, and in most vertical applications are written for Win based PC first. I liked OS2. It was just what I wanted in a OS. It lost the desktop to Win in the business world, and I type this on a WIN based PC today because of that.

"If you haven't touched the system or the hardware don't comment on it." Ill comment on whatever I like.

by smuir

Trying to keep everything working in a PC/MAC environment is a daily battle. I know some things... but would like some help with other things. For example outlook express emails from pc's are turning up on a mac as a .dat attachment at the moment...what gives???
It would be good to have a place to go on the net that has advice on these PC/MAC issues. Since OS-X and XP came out... drivers,printing etc. has been a nightmare.
PC-MACLAN has been brilliant by the way.

by tbragsda

Using it, love it. Talked to one of the developers a while back, nice and smart guys.

by davwatson

Well, we have recieved the letter from hell, you are definitley in it. I experimented with software called Dave client for Mac-PC networks, in a word; stay away. When Macs run TCP/IP they don't have trouble browsing a windows network, but at the school where I work the hardware and OS (8.6) is a bit old and is slow and falls off the network often. Make sure you are using OS 9 or later as I have heard they sorted out a lot of the problems with earlier versions. File corruption is a frequent problem and a lot of it is Netscape (another piece of work to avoid). I can really feel for you on the hardware end, best bet is to stick to quality printers and keep complete image disks handy, as Macs need software maintenance often. Some Mac softwareis good, some not, try stuff out thouroughly before spending money/ I think Microsoft apps for Mac work ok. Basically if oyu are serious about a networking environment, then Mac is dirty word, but as a stand alone they are ok. My main gripe with them is their funny names and odd locations for everything. Teir is a small chancde of successfully hunting for the configuration screen you need (Printers and Networking is in a place called Chooser and Preferences is the folder for configuration files, go figure). My apologies for your situation, and I am not surprised OS X and XP has made your life harder, Novell is much the same.

by baldlars

Recently, the number of Mac's surpassed the number of PC's networked on our Digital Alpha Server. However, we still spend the majority of our time troubleshooting and maintaining the PC's (Windows 2000). I attribute the near troublefree Mac operations to the software program "Dave," by Thursby Software.

by admin

Still have to make some documents in MAC friendly formats, but other than that we offered the choice of PC or make up the difference in your own budget instead of Administrations. No one bought Apples after that and the legacy systems have since retired. After all these years, the fundamental Apple barrier is still price.

The reason I didn't get into MAC's was that as a kid I didn't develop a love for them (How many of us associate winning in Doom or Quake with their Apples?) as they were out of my price range and didn't break enough to get given away so that I could get my hands on the goods away from the school computer labs. I still think this is the main reason lot's of kids, gamers, etc. took to the PC platform. Ironically it was Apples superiority in the 80's that guaranteed a whole generation of techs wouldn't like them much. I do remember using them at school, but who associates Apples, chalkboards and structured recess with how they want to live life?

When you can't afford much you tend to like what you go with. Lot's more people love Classic Chevy's or Fords not because they were the best car of the era, but because they were their first loved car. Same with PC's IMO.

by hiro_protagonist

This used to be true back in the 80's when the GS came out. But now, PC's work just as well for desktop publishing (and are cheaper) My marketing department wanted to get a Mac and I said Hell no...

by dgelect

Having done a great deal of work for schools where the MAC is in the class room and the office staff has wintel. Had some problems at first when network was NT controlled but since changing to LINUX on our contract schools most problems have disappered. File sharing has been simplified by using ms office on both. Make sure all are using TCP-IP for Lan.

by mr.macadam

... but limit MACS to Design and Creative departments (MACS comprise 20% of our computers). Supportwise, they're more the same as PC's than different (drivers support, printing issues, file corruption). OSX is pretty cool and looks like XP in many ways. Both platforms' UI and usability mimick each other so much nowadays. I happend to like the 'switch' commercials

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