The age-old debate has been Mac versus PC but, increasingly, small business owners must think Mac and PC.
With Apple machines gaining ground on market-dominating PC business computers, more workplaces are powered by a combination of both platforms. That means business owners need to ensure that their software, documents and files can be used in-house and by clients -- no matter which operating system they are created on.
In our experience, we have found two main areas where small businesses may encounter problems between Macs and PCs: Microsoft Office programs not available on Macs and rich media files.
So what's the best way for businesses to get things done across both operating systems? While there is no easy answer, the good news is that if your business has made the jump to Apple, there are a variety of built-in and out-of-the-box software tools that can make your Mac more PC-compatible.
Here are several options to consider:
"Dual boot" your Mac.
Start by installing a copy of Microsoft's Windows 7 on your Intel-based Mac. That allows you to effectively turn your Mac into a PC whenever it suits you, using Apple's Boot Camp software that comes built into recent versions of Mac OS X starting with Snow Leopard (v 10.6). Windows XP and Vista are supported in Leopard OS (v 10.5).
On your login screen, choose between operating systems. Boot Camp will let you run Windows apps at roughly the same pace as Mac OS X tools.
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The downside is that you'll need to install the appropriate Boot Camp drivers and devote a sizable chunk of your hard drive to the Windows software. Apple recommends a minimum of 10 GB for Windows XP and 20 GB for the 64-bit version of Windows 7.
What's more, installing Windows is a fairly complex, time-consuming process that requires working through a lengthy instruction manual. In order to run Windows, you must to do a cold restart of your Mac, which can take several minutes per restart as programs shut down and then reboot. This can be especially frustrating when switching back and forth between Mac and Windows environments.
Advanced tactics: Install a virtual desktop.
There is a way around the dual boot hassle. Personal desktop virtualization software lets you run Mac and Windows programs side-by-side. We liked Parallels Desktop for Mac, an $80 downloadable application that lets you manage the Windows side of your Mac from a separate window.
Windows still needs to be installed on your Mac via Boot Camp, but Parallels tears down the computing wall that separates your hybrid system.
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We found that the variety of viewing modes within Parallels made the experience nearly seamless. For example, Parallel's Coherence mode hides the Windows desktop as it runs in the background, and the Windows apps appear in easy-to-access places on your Mac.
One caveat: Windows apps are significantly more sluggish when running on Parallels than when separately booted on your Mac. If speed is what you need, Parallels is not a good option.
For larger multi-platform businesses, create a network of virtual desktops.
While Boot Camp and Parallels offer solutions for individual users, they can't provide multi-platform computing for a group of workers. Instead, you'll need a group virtual desktop provider such as Redwood City, Calif.-based MokaFive. Such a vendor will replace individual PC-on-Mac installation with a series of virtual desktops that can be managed remotely via the local network.
Related: An Inside Look at Cloud-Based Microsoft Office 365
MokaFive offers a reasonable 30-day free trial but overall costs can vary depending on the number seats you need to provision, the amount of Macs you own or have to buy and the software to install.
But keep in mind that MokaFive involves a significant information technology investment over single computer installations and also a clear company-wide understanding of running complex software on multiple computers. Multiple virtual desktops are usually suited for larger companies.
Bottom line.
Without question, these cross-platform tools can be useful for occasional use of PC-based programs on Apple equipment. But keep in mind that the cost in time, equipment, software and training won't be trivial. Unfortunately, the frustrating, bipolar Mac-PC relationship still remains somewhat polarized.
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Comments:
This is an okay article except for a few things that it misses and doesn’t take into account. Can you imagine trying to explain and train users on how to dual boot a computer? Most of the users I support still don’t understand that when you log onto a pc as “Mike” that your Outlook is setup for you. When you log onto the pc as “Bob” then Outlook is setup for Bob. I still get calls regularly from users who can’t check their email because they just walked up to the pc without logging in and start Outlook and don’t understand why it doesn’t work for them. Can you imagine the job of trying to explain to them that now they have two computers running on their computer and which one their programs are installed on? What about the expense to the business for paying someone to set this up and support it? The other option they talk about is “virtual desktops” which I am using a little bit for the Ipad users. But even with this option the user still has to learn to use Windows. Also, this is EXPENSIVE. The whole gist of this article seems to be “How do we make Windows work on a Mac?” In other words, how do we make a product that is built to run on 90% of equipment in the world run on equipment that represents only 10%? Why is the 90% trying to please the 10%? If the Mac users are so smart why don’t they learn how to use a Pc? Just this week we had a team of guys come in and demonstrate some new software. At the end we had the usual questions from the usual people about is it compatible with the Ipads and Macs. You know what these guys sat there and told us? “We don’t deal with fruit. The integration of Apple into your environment is done at your own risk without any guarantees from us”. This all goes back to “Don’t buy a Mac and bring it to the office”. Some things will work but don’t expect your IT department to bend over backwards and re-invent the wheel just to please you and your decision to by a Mac. All these Mac nuts want to be different but want everything to work on their computers at the same time. Doesn’t really make any sense to me.
A couuple of things: I use Parallels on a MacBook Pro with 8GB of memory. Speed is not an issue at all with Windows 7, XP, Server 2003 or Server 2008 with Parallels. Just don't try to run them all at the same time. You also do NOT need to install Apple Boot Camp. I am in the IT industry and have been for the last 25 years. After selling and supporting (and still do) the Windows platform, I like Apple and Macs better for business and home.
Hi Jonathan! I am very thankful to you for posting this blog. Now I got some idea about how to run business software between Macs and PCs. Good informative post.
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Hi There, Your article is very interesting and touches on an increasingly relevant point for many businesses. Having recently been through the experience myself, I'd like to offer a slight correction. The real issue is not a lack of Microsoft Office software for Mac (In fact, there is a version specifically designed for OSX which works perfectly. Moreover, iWork can open most Office files - even if there are some minor compatibility issues). The main issue is to do with iWork files (.pages and .key) which can neither be opened nor converted under Windows. The simple solution is to run Microsoft Office across all machines, and to always use the PDF format when sharing with clients to preserve the integrity of formatting. Hope this is useful Alex
What are You talking about ? Microsoft office 2011 is available on Mac of couse and the documents are fully compatible. You even have Lync. So not sure where you got your Info from but time to update