There Goes The Neighborhood
I cannot say truly say that I am opposed to any operating system when it comes to productivity. I personally prefer Windows Vista for all my gaming needs. I prefer OpenSolaris over Linux for a free *nix platform. And for the enterprise, I prefer Solaris, although that is largely irrelevant at the moment. I grew up on Macintosh, but have not used one for over ten years — again, for gaming reasons. The idea of a web-based OS is coming and will certainly be all that many people need. But for a now, there is the need for a local OS; Mac vs. PC — OSX vs. Windows is a tiresome, yet constant debate. Hopefully the debate can subside for a while here at NewSpring.
Most companies have a policy for the computers they provide for their employees. Some provide desktops and/or laptops to their employees depending on the specific needs of that employee. This was the case when I was at Northrop Grumman. Some companies have a laptop-only policy. Such was how things went at Verizon. Some companies even let their employees pick what kind of laptop they want, like at Sun Microsystems. Here, at NewSpring, we have created a new policy that hybridizes these other policies.
Most employees will be given laptops to enable mobility; as NewSpring becomes more mobile by the addition of campuses, this seems to be a logical path. This includes our recent VPN implementation for remote access. There will always be some desktop users, such as video editors and volunteers. We also use desktops for guest services, check-in stations, and presentation areas.
When it comes to laptops, though, we are migrating to a user-choice policy. Users will be able to choose either a Mac or a Dell/Windows laptop. We have a standard Mac model and a standard Dell model for most users. Some users will be able to choose augmented versions of those standards on an as-needed basis.
FYI: Our back office is entirely run on Windows.
So, “there goes the neighborhood,” says the PC bigot in me. But in reality, I am happy to be in a place where I can help others be productive — whether that be with a Mac or a PC. This is just one step in the movement towards a more transparent IT infrastructure.
It doesn’t really matter anymore. PC versus MAC.
What really matters is the DATA. Can user A and user B exchange the DATA. Microsoft made sure that the Office suite works the same on the PC and Mac. They know that their bottom line depends on old boring Mr. PC and Cool Mac Dude being able to read each other’s documents and spread sheets.
One can easily argue that the applications and tools that people use everyday are really about the same on both platforms. Only the artists will still say the Mac is a better platform for them.
Now if you have an employee who wants to use a Linux platform for their day to day? Well, I’d be scared of them because they most likely are a hundred times smarter than you! But that could be good as well, huh?
But with the open policy it is good to see that NewSpring isn’t a closed minded organization.
But in the big enterprise defense, could you imagine supporting 10K people with different platforms?
Yeah — we are fortunate here to be small enough where we can support multiple platforms. Sun allows users to pick their laptop — there was a massive amount of Macs interspersed with Windows — but the users were responsible for support. You would think this was only for advanced users — but it was for sales guys too!
Ahh, salesmen… just give them pencil and paper!
[...] Zac wrote about our shift in IT strategy. Yes, we believe Macs and PCs can coexist. And, if you want my opinion, I think the shift to using Google for email, calendar, docs, etc. has made the Mac/PC shift a lot easier. [...]
[...] So I finally got home last night and found this blog post by Zac from NewSpring titled There Goes The Neighborhood. Check it out! Our Saviour’s is currently a little behind the times technology-wise and I am also acting as the IT specialist… We have a team of old and outdated desktop PCs cranking away as access terminals to our server farm. We use Citrix which allows us to keep old and crappy computers employed in what really is a young computer’s market. I mean… don’t get me wrong… I’m happy that we’re able to provide jobs for the old and the weary… but my eyes are always being dazzled by the newest sexiest computer system… dreaming of a day when all of our employees would have new computers and a server system that would allow them to utilize some local functionality. [...]
I love Vista and the gadgets! Thought I was the only
lone Vista supporter. Also, really enjoying your blog, exciting things are on your horizon, and fun to read about all the great internet potential. I can see that God is going to use you in many powerful and innovative ways!
[...] I finally got home last night and found this blog post by Zac from NewSpring titled There Goes The Neighborhood. Check it out! Our Saviour’s is currently a little behind the times technology-wise and I am [...]