Fifteen years ago I used a Mac every day to write articles, do correspondence, and operate a small publishing/consulting business. The screen was very small and the processor slow but Mac had a graphical user interface, built-in networking, and laser printer capability. Macs were far ahead of DOS-based PCs.
Because I had to run insurance software to do reviews and because I needed affordable portability, I eventually abandoned the Mac, and, until recently, paid little attention to Apple and its evolving technology. It appeared to be too expensive, too focused on the home, school, and graphics markets, and didn’t do a good job running Windows-based insurance software.
But then I made the mistake of spending some time with a very knowledgeable Mac convert and evangelist planted in the Boulder CompUSA by Apple. He’d worked for Compaq for years and knew both sides. He no longer wants anything to do with the Windows world. Returning to the store for a third time, I made a decision. It was time to give the new generation of Macs, particularly the iBook, another chance. So, I bought one.
Rationalization
I have to admit that I buy too many computers and too often (on average two a year). Of course there’s always some important reason; for instance, to be able to do digital video editing. But I’m probably more enthusiastic than business prudence can justify. Here’s what I was thinking about when I started looking at Macs.
Though I’ve read that Windows XP is more reliable than past versions, Windows Me and its predecessors just aren’t reliable. I find myself rebooting several times a day. And I’m not doing anything fancy, just Office applications. Maybe a technician could clean up my system and it would work better, but that shouldn’t be necessary. Windows has been around long enough to prevent the “Blue screen of death,” but it doesn’t. Why should I have to put up with this nonsense?
Macs now run the Unix operation system, Mac OS X, and it’s rock solid. It doesn’t crash. Though I haven’t run my new iBook long enough to say there are no problems at all, there haven’t been any in two weeks of very intense activity. I would have seen at least a dozen Windows crashes in the same period. Macs have lower susceptibility to viruses, worms, and other circulating nasties — partly because most hacker attention is on Windows and partly because OS X is well protected.
Of course, reliability wouldn’t be enough of a rationalization on its own. The further question is whether it’s possible to deal with the insurance world without Windows. First, it is worth noting that Macs can run Windows software through an emulator ($200). It’s also possible to move various kinds of document files easily between Macs and PCs.
But emulating Windows isn’t really the point. Why not just run native on a PC? The real point is that to the extent that business information and applications are available through the Internet, it basically doesn’t matter whether you run Microsoft’s Explorer on a PC or Mac. In either case you’re going to get done what you need to. The Internet, with HTML, browsers, XML, and on and on, is platform independent. That’s the whole point. The Internet doesn’t care what hardware and operating system you use, as long as it follows promulgated standards.
It doesn’t take much imagination to project a world in which agencies use ASPs (application service providers) for all their insurance applications (whether supplied by carriers or vendors) and work station-based generic business applications for word processing and so on. Since Macs do fine with the Web and run Microsoft Office, it’s reasonable to think that Macs are today, or shortly will be, interchangeable with PCs in agency offices.
Not so fast
But there are many more issues. I understand that Macs network well with PCs, but what about Microsoft Exchange and e-mail? Well, maybe it makes sense for an agency to host its e-mail on the Internet, rather than locally. While Macs are not a good choice for running Microsoft OS-level software (under emulation), they can run anything that will run on Unix — and that’s a whole world of high quality server software. I admit that using Macs may be a stretch today for most agencies, but I think not by much.
The iBook
Apple has two product lines, one based on the G3 processor and one based on the G4. The G3 desktop model is called the iMac (colorful units combining computer and monitor) and the notebook version, the iBook. The G4 line features the Power Mac and the PowerBook, a newer, faster chip and architecture. The Power Macs connect to amazing LCD monitors, and the largest, at 22 inches, is something you have to see to believe.
The iBook comes in three models starting at $1,200 (with a $100 Apple rebate). It features 1024x768 screen resolution, weighs about 5 pounds, has true three-hour battery life, and built-in modem, ethernet, USB (2), firewire, video, audio, 15 GB (or 20 GB) hard drive and CD ROM (or DVD or DVD/CD RW). Free software includes the AppleWorks office productivity suite, digital video editing, digital photo editing, audio file management, Internet Explorer, some games, and both Apple OS 9.2 and 10.1, which can be run simultaneously to allow older Mac software to coexist with newer.
I’ll tell you what: as more and more insurance applications migrate to the Web, the Mac may well turn out to be a better office computer than WinTel machines. The Mac user interface is very well designed and easy to get to know and use. That was the strength of the Mac 15 years ago and it’s true again today. Next time you’re near a Mac display and knowledgeable sales person, spend some time looking and asking questions. Maybe you’ll decide Windows isn’t the only game in town, after all.
One final thought. Some producers and agency principals may be reluctant to use computers intensively because they don’t want to struggle with the Windows learning curve or its operating foibles. Maybe the iBook or PowerBook portables are just what they’re looking for, but don’t yet know it.
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