OS X verses Windows clients

[Pants]

Of all your clients, how many of them run an OS X laptop/desktop computer?

Anybody have a client with ALL OSX computers? I would think this situation would not be common since OS X computer are more expensive.

 

[altrenda]

Don't believe everything you hear. A large part of my business comes from taking care of Mac users.

look at it this way, Macs aren't that much more expensive, there just aren't any cheap, crappie Walmart HP style low end flimsy plastic Macs.

Price out the specs of a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro and compare what you get vs a similar Dell or HP in an all metal body and the Mac may be a little higher, because they like to think it's a premium brand and people will pay it. And they hold there value better. Check out the price of a 4 year old MacBook vs a 4 year old dell on Craigslist some time.

Most of the techs here don't like them, for some reason, but for the most part, the kind of people that buy Macs are the kind of people that you want as customers, willing to pay a little more for what they want.

 

[Markverhyden]

Price out the specs of a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro and compare what you get vs a similar Dell or HP in an all metal body and the Mac may be a little higher, because they like to think it's a premium brand and people will pay it. And they hold there value better. Check out the price of a 4 year old MacBook vs a 4 year old dell on Craigslist some time.

^^^^^^^ Yep.

 

[Pants]

I don't mind working on Macs..In fact they're so easy to take apart I'd take a MacBook over nonMac laptop any day. I've got a 2007 MacBook Pro. And you're right; I got it in early 2012 for $450 bucks off eBay, which is more pricy than a lot of regular laptops you can get now. I've been running it full bore almost constantly and it hasn't failed yet, and it is now 7 years old....got some vertical colored lines showing up on the screen occasionally...probably just needs an lcd cable swap (maybe a screen swap)...the lines don't show up on an external monitor so I know it's not the chip set or graphics card failing.

 

[frederick]

On the Residential side, the majority of my clients are Windows. A lot (not most) have gone through me to ditch their mac for various reasons and switch back to Windows.

On the B2B side of the house, almost even. Many are again, switch from mac to windows because of various reasons.

I hate Apple computers. I hate the company, not the product. Clear and distinct, not to be discussed here. Lets go get coffee, then stop by Starbucks and talk about it.

Those who really enjoy their mac's are in to being a DJ, photographer, video editor, graphic design, etc. I call them the artsy types. All of them have said they were using a Windows computer at the start, and that it was great for awhile, but Mac is just super artsy friendly. Even some of Windows artsy folks say the same thing, if you are in to doing artsy stuff on a computer, get a Mac. Some of these clients own a Mac for their artsy stuff, then they own a Windows computer for everything else. They've told me that Windows does everything a Mac can't, and that is everything but the artsy stuff.

I have not seen any kind of noticeable difference in customers and what computer they use. I get Mac users all the time that try to low-ball us, want it cheaper, etc. So I can not agree with altrenda's comment. I see no difference. I have Windows users who would spend a fortune to save the pictures from the grand canyon with their kids, and Mac users who say "I can always just rebuild my database with all my customer and business data...it's no big deal".

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

In the SMB world, Macs aren't that popular. Mostly because, in the SMB world, the network (server and workstations) is there to run line of business software. Most LOB apps are written for the Microsoft world.

I do have some clients that do run MACs.

I actually started computers in the Apple world...those big old monster typewriter looking Apple II models.

I also worked at a museum that mostly ran on Macs...back in the Win3 and early Win95 days. Those early Apple Macs with the toaster looking tower with a tiny screen.

What Altrenda says about prices is quite true. I continuously see the mistakes people make in comparisons. They'll take an $1,800 dollar Mac, and compare it against a $599 walmart AMD or Celeron crap Windows computer...and then claim how much better quality the Mac is. And how the el cheapo Windows box (which was cheap so it has a basic CPU, minimal RAM, cheap hard drive, etc) didn't last very long.

However if they compared a Macbook against a higher end WIntel box (as we often call them)...like a Lenovo Thinkpad T series, or Lenovo Carbon X1...for example for laptops. Or for business grade desktops...like HP Elite series, or Lenovo ThinkCentre M series. It would be a fair comparison...a 1,500 dollar or 2,000 dollar WIntel box against a 1,700 or 2,200 Mac Pro.

...common sense..that typically doesn't appear to be very common!
When you compare cars...you'd typically compare similar models right? BMW vs Audi vs Mercedes, or Mustang vs Camaro. You don't go comparing an Audi S4 against a Chevy Cruz.

 

[frederick]

You don't go comparing an Audi S4 against a Chevy Cruz.

What's wrong with the Chevy Cruz other than I would never own one. But I heard, not really, that the Chevy Cruz is way awesomer than the Audi S4.

I agree with your post though. I hear all the time: Macs are superior because they cost more. I tell my clients all the time, the only difference between a mac and a windows computer is the operating system these days. My gaming rig is far superior to most macs out there, and it cost me originally $2500+ to build. Windows computers aren't cheaper, unless you buy cheaper. One amazing thing about Microsoft computer manufacturers is they build various levels, that are there to be used for different types of work. If you need a basic web surfer to check your facebook, and only that, why are you buying a $1500 Mac when a $300 used Windows computer will get it done just as well.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Yup...true.
My word for the day shall be "Awesomer"!

Apple actually did venture into the "let any hardware manufacturer install our OS on their hardware" game quite a few years ago. There were a few "Apple clones" out there. PowerPC, Motorola, and a few others. I really only had experience with the Motorola ones. Apple realized that move was a mistake, and stopped it.

Microsoft kept it open, their software can be installed on hardware with no control. Leading to some total crap out there.

We keep our standards high, and try to keep our pool of clients...the type that works with better quality hardware, allows us to spec higher end workstations, higher end servers. But our clients just don't seem to have the problems that we see other business clients have with budget stuff.

As much joking aside as I do about Apples...I call them CrApples...and all the other stereotype jokes I make about them, I like 'em. I don't mind 'em. My wife loves 'em, and I have a few clients with 'em. I'm not as knowledgeable about them like I am with Windows, about the same as I am with *nix though. But like you said...these days, same hardware, just different operating system. It's just Apple maintains a higher minimum level of hardware quality.

 

[gunslinger]

Don't believe everything you hear. A large part of my business comes from taking care of Mac users.

look at it this way, Macs aren't that much more expensive, there just aren't any cheap, crappie Walmart HP style low end flimsy plastic Macs.

Price out the specs of a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro and compare what you get vs a similar Dell or HP in an all metal body and the Mac may be a little higher, because they like to think it's a premium brand and people will pay it. And they hold there value better. Check out the price of a 4 year old MacBook vs a 4 year old dell on Craigslist some time.

Most of the techs here don't like them, for some reason, but for the most part, the kind of people that buy Macs are the kind of people that you want as customers, willing to pay a little more for what they want.

I could not have said it better. You are 100% correct. As for how many Mac customers I have: Maybe 4-5 regulars (people who want me to do routine maintenance and manual backups) and maybe a few per month for break/fix. (most of the time a failing HDD).

 

[trevm999]

Two things I have noticed about residential mac users.

1. There is a 50/50 chance of them paying for a logic board replacement (Apple part prices)

2. Some users figure that since they spent the money on a Mac that should have been their last computing expense.

Migration assistant is the #1 reason I like Macs. You can reload the OS and the customer might not be able to see the difference.

I used to do work for a school division that was 100% Mac. Easiest clients ever. They always went through with repairs and never needed any data.

 

[gavinsane]

I have found that the majority of my Mac-using clients are either senior citizens that are fed up with the issues they experienced with their Windows systems- but still keep a Windows desktop around in addition to a Mac laptop. I have seen "mac only" households, but those are rarer. Usually the Mac clients are more willing to go through with repairs.

 

[seedubya]

Macs are quite rare here but getting more common. Mostly broken screens or bad hard-drives. As high end devices very little goes wrong with them TBH. Mac users are much more likely to go ahead with repairs.

 

[altrenda]

We all have different experiences and client bases. After reading the comments, a couple of things stand out.

As I tried to point out Macs are no better or worse than any other high end computer. When the features and components are similar to Dell, HP, or Lenovo, the prices are similar as well.

There are many more Mac users, including Mac business users and families, than you think. Many individuals ran away from Windows because of viruses, crapware, junk like HP's DV6000, Vista, and now Windows 8 and never looked back (except maybe in Phoenix). Many of you who's businesses are based on removing malware won't see them, because they don't need to call you. And reading some of the questions when people get a rare mac in for repair, it's easy to see why more people don't call you.

Businesses use Macs; we have rolled out over 70 Mac Minis to a couple in the last 3 weeks. But maybe it's that they are 'artsy" types that some people don't want to do business with. As Ye Olde Stonecat said, if your line of business apps depends on a platform, than that's what you run. If not, then you can use what ever you want, and what I see are a hell of a lot of Macs.

Then there is the misinformation and dislike. Maybe it's because it is something different. I see some of the same attitudes towards Windows 8 that I do towards Macs, people have developed skills based on XP/Vista/7 and need to learn new ones to work on Win 8 or Macs.

As far as hating, I don't hate computers or care about corporations. I am in business to make money. Computers aren't my clients, people are. If they like a product and want to pay me to fix it for them, then I do it with a smile on my face. My opinion means nothing, unless something is cleary wrong. And if I let my client know I don't like a product, then they are unlikely to call me back to work on it.

For what it's worth, my view on success in the future in this business is finding a niche that you can fill better than others, because it's easier to find work and you can charge more. None of my clients are the 'just surf the web and do email" types. I don't do much residential, except through referrals from business clients, but I have at least 20 clients that call several times a year because of my Mac ability. And I'm not worrying about future clients too much, as every intern I see at one of my major clients and almost all the students I see at my son's university (except my son) are carrying MacBooks.

There is no right way to do this business. The only thing you can do is find customers willing to pay you a fair price to do work for them. For me my Mac clients are growing and my windows stuff is fairly level. Other people have different experiences, and that is one of the reasons I keep coming back to TN.

 

[Digital Sage]

About 60% mac users, I dominate locally via SEO and a lot of other companies around here say they "don't do macs" which brings me clients.

The difference in servicing macs / pcs is night and day.

I hate servicing windows machines, I should charge more but I do them to keep the income in. Windows machines always have viruses, malware, problems galore. No machine is the same. This comes with the entire market thou, with so many different manufactures, spare parts, etc...

Macs are great. I now know to fix any imac or MacBook Pro, and because I'm focused on that, there's not much variance, and it becomes a well oiled routine. Migration is dead easy, time machine will move data over from another hard drive or backup with a few clicks. It has never failed on me. Upgrading the operating system is dead easy, just run the installer from boot and point it at the hard drive. It works it all out for you. No need to worry about moving data over windows vista to windows 7 problems, blah blah blah...

As for using them, I have them all in my business and home life. They are very reliable and take a beating. Managing them is easy. Networking them is easy (to have a look at OSX Server, it's child's play). Every client I've ever spoken to says they'll never go back to windows. It's that simple.

Oh, and if you think macs are for just the artsy type crowd, you're sorely mistaken. Off the top of my head : building safety auditing business, retired handyman (ok he used to be in advertising) , farmers market conglomeration, at home mums, sole parents,tradesmen...

And don't get me started about Windows 8. Oh my god I'll never hear the end of it from clients, Microsoft just lost the plot in that one!

Lastly, mac clients are much better then windows clients in terms of $$$. They've spent good money on a computer (remember those days?) so they don't freak out over a $300 repair. Compared to windows users who penny pinch and have no idea what the real value of their computer is (data, work, software). Mac clients just say "yep" because, well, they have to be in a good financial position to buy one in the first place!

 

[PBComputer]

About 60% mac users, I dominate locally via SEO and a lot of other companies around here say they "don't do macs" which brings me clients.

The difference in servicing macs / pcs is night and day.

I hate servicing windows machines, I should charge more but I do them to keep the income in. Windows machines always have viruses, malware, problems galore. No machine is the same. This comes with the entire market thou, with so many different manufactures, spare parts, etc...

Macs are great. I now know to fix any imac or MacBook Pro, and because I'm focused on that, there's not much variance, and it becomes a well oiled routine. Migration is dead easy, time machine will move data over from another hard drive or backup with a few clicks. It has never failed on me. Upgrading the operating system is dead easy, just run the installer from boot and point it at the hard drive. It works it all out for you. No need to worry about moving data over windows vista to windows 7 problems, blah blah blah...

As for using them, I have them all in my business and home life. They are very reliable and take a beating. Managing them is easy. Networking them is easy (to have a look at OSX Server, it's child's play). Every client I've ever spoken to says they'll never go back to windows. It's that simple.

Oh, and if you think macs are for just the artsy type crowd, you're sorely mistaken. Off the top of my head : building safety auditing business, retired handyman (ok he used to be in advertising) , farmers market conglomeration, at home mums, sole parents,tradesmen...

And don't get me started about Windows 8. Oh my god I'll never hear the end of it from clients, Microsoft just lost the plot in that one!

Lastly, mac clients are much better then windows clients in terms of $$$. They've spent good money on a computer (remember those days?) so they don't freak out over a $300 repair. Compared to windows users who penny pinch and have no idea what the real value of their computer is (data, work, software). Mac clients just say "yep" because, well, they have to be in a good financial position to buy one in the first place!

+1 I totally agree with every comment here.

I recently bought my self a mbp and I use it at home and it's a joy to use, as when I get into the office it's work and its 99.98%
Windows, so when I get a mac it's a pleasure to work on and brings some of the joy back to a very humdrum daily basis, nearly every day is the same at the moment.

Paul