FROM A USER:Do you have any experience with Apple Computers? Our neighbor has convinced my husband that they are the way to go. Something about a different language that is less likely to be hacked into??? Does that sound right to you?
MY RESPONSE:Apple is a solid system with its advantages – and fanatics. The reason it is less likely to have security problems is because it only has about a 5% market penetration (Why rob a street vendor when the bank next door locks their vault with a paper clip?).
That 5% is also the reason I strongly caution businesses who are considering Apple. Support – except for very specialized users – is sparse, your existing knowledge may not be applicable, equipment providers have a monopoly, and major applications may not be available for the Mac (check that your bookkeeping program is available and can transfer data).
On the other hand, 2 of my major clients are moving their primary business support applications to web-based environments. They could practically perform their business off the computing power of a cell phone. If all a user wants to do is access the web, email, and write simple letters; he can get a used a 5-year old computer and install the free Linux.
BUT ... if you want to interact with business people, if you want a better chance of support from your ISP or daughter-in-law, if you want to use the most common - or a particularly obscure - programs, if you want the cheapest components and accessories, if you want the latest games ... you're better off joining that other 88% of the users.
The old adage goes "no one ever got fired buying IBM computers." Now you just have to substitute "Microsoft" (although you still can't go wrong with IBM).
