[sheer]

So the ongoing saga at work - PC or not PC - continues.

I work in a small (3 designers, 2 sales, 1 admin) graphic design department within a newspaper group. We produce newsletters, magazines, stationery etc for other companies, outsourcing printing to private companies although we have the facility to use our own web offset for newsprint stuff up to 70-80 gsm broadsheet (it's an ageing press so we rarely do those type of jobs). Most of our work is sent to outside printers via PDF.

Anyway, for the newspaper group as a whole there is a new 'system' coming in, Win2k3 servers (currently NT/2K) with client PC 'boxes' (ie not a standalone PC) for all users. We want to stay Mac-based, preferably moving from Quark 3.3/OS9 (on G4 466s) to shiny new G5s/Quark6/OSX. All our printers are mac-based as are any clients who send us pre-press jobs. And personally because of the amount of time I spend in distiller the extra horsepower would make a hell of a difference (setting up a virtual printer in OSX is a doddle plus font mamagement is better so no hassles there).

However we are in a constant battle with the IT Manager who seems to know how we work better than we do (ie he knows jack about what we do). But since he's the IT Manager what he says is gospel to those who know less than he does about such things. We don't need to be on the main system completely since we're standalone, and we already have our own server.

We've had the thumbs up/thumbs down on the OSX/G5 move half a dozen times now (for every reason we have to stay Mac, he finds one not to...), however the Managing Director has now put a stop on what would've been the move since he saw the price of what we've specced up (Dual 2.0s, 2g ram, dual Viewsonic 20" TFTs - these things will have to last us a good number of years), ie why is that just over �3k per designer when Dells are under a grand which is what everyone else is having. So the MD wants our department to justify it's case for �3k boxes...

Anyways, the IT Manager's latest reality distortion field (yes, it's not just Mr Jobs who can produce these) was to tell the board that:
a) Macs and OSX will be obselete within a year.
b) You cannot buy a new Mac from anywhere because Apple are in such difficulties.

Nevermind the fact that in the last week I've been told (by our IT Manager) that
- Macs have virus issues just like PCs
- We only want G5s because they're G5s
- We already have a G5 in the department (heh, that was particularly funny)
- If we want dual monitors we need a PC
- The whole newspaper and print industry in the UK is moving to PCs

Nevermind the fact I'm an inch away from dishing out this guy's email because he is such an idiot (all that stops me doing so is my mortgage so while I'd like to, it ain't gonna happen).

Anyways, I just thought I'd share the retardedness of someone who is paid 3x what I earn + health scheme + travel allowance and the lengths they go to get their way.

[Turnpike]

It's clear you need to infect all the PCs around with a virus that will bring the entire company down... well, it would bring the entire company down if it weren't for the fact that the macs save the day.

that, or you could have him killed.

[Simon]

Originally posted by Turnpike:
that, or you could have him killed.

I agree, I think what you need is a good hitman. Let the bastard have it.

[pliny]

Many IT heads don't know very much about Macs at all, and what they do know is generally wrong or misinformed. This is another very good example.

The systems you have specced up seem very good, what are you going to tell your Managing Director?

[sCreeD]

Good grief, those are the worst excuses...

Cost. Getting RAM pre-installed from Apple is going to cost you more. Build with the minimum and purchase RAM separately from a reputable vendor. The cost of the displays are irrevelant in the Mac vs. PC argument because they would work with either platform. Unless you mean that the IT idiots won't allow you to have dual displays regardless. As for software, wouldn't switching to PCs require brand new software licenses of Quark as opposed to upgrade licenses? (I'll throw my pitch for InDesign here. Our publications deparment is switching from Quark -- two years after I warned them that Quark was hemoragging its userbase to InDesign).

Support. The money they're saving on hardware now will have to spent for the lifetime of the equipment in support fees. Virii, spyware, patching security holes, etc, etc. There have been several Gartner studies that show Macs are 25-35% cheaper to own compared to PCs. It amazes me that so many managers only look at the price tag and assume that is the total cost for the years it will be used.

Training. How much time is management willing to spend to let the users readjust to the Windows interface. It'll take several weeks, at the least, for workers to get back to pre-switch productivity.

Availability. Obsolete within a year?
Apple developers up 250%
To wit:"Enterprise developers are reporting an increase in customer interest in Mac."
Didn't Apple just open a ginormous store in London!?

Fear and Job protection. (The red ax scenario). Say the IT idiots won't budge. Accuse them of being afraid of new and better technology and, better still, accuse them of using inferior, unsecure technology which breaks easily to justify their salaries. (Death blow) - In fact, if the rest of the department(s) where using Macs, the Directors could hire less IT personnel.

You have a distinct advantage on your side: Facts. Apple is healthier than ever. OS X is an industry respected platform while Windows' security and Microsoft's new licensing scheme are becoming IT departments' #1 and #2 liabilities.

If none of the works, bribe the Directors with iPods. Halo effect ensues.

Screed

[DeathToWindows]

Originally posted by sCreeD:


Fear and Job protection. (The red ax scenario). Say the IT idiots won't budge. Accuse them of being afraid of new and better technology and, better still, accuse them of using inferior, unsecure technology which breaks easily to justify their salaries. (Death blow) - In fact, if the rest of the department(s) where using Macs, the Directors could hire less IT personnel.

Nice... threaten them with their own heads on sticks... I like it!

Originally posted by sheer:
So the ongoing saga at work - PC or not PC - continues.
Nevermind the fact I'm an inch away from dishing out this guy's email because he is such an idiot (all that stops me doing so is my mortgage so while I'd like to, it ain't gonna happen).

Address his issues point by point and keep it professional, and copy his boss. You should not get fired for that.

I would call a meeting with him and take this information to the meeting. Invite his boss to the meeting too.
- up-to-date information proving wrong every anti-Mac point he has ever made
- up-to-date information showing why you need Macs to do your job
- up-to-date information showing how others are using Macs to do your job, especially PC centric companies like Intel, Windows magazine, etc.
- show them why their corporate standard PCs will not serve you well enough.
- show how expensive a PC "equivalent" solution would be and how the Mac solution will save money. Show the stuff that you guys do that his support people can't help you with (like colour matching, RIPping, etc.), and how much extra it would cost to support if you went PC. Highlight that this would more than cover the cost difference of using a Mac.
- he will try to outwit you by talking up his IT experience, etc. to attempt to say he knows better what computers you should use. If he does this, remind him that his experience does not include recent model Macintoshes, and that you would be more than happy to help him add the Mac platform to his large portfolio of IT knowledge.

Do not be confrontational. Be friendly. If you are confrontational, all logic goes out the window and his only goal will be to beat you. Your role here is not to beat him, it is to educate him.

[sheer]

It will be my boss who does all the dealings now with the IT Manager and MD. The IT staff themselves have become very anti-Mac to the point where they have said OSX just won't integrate into a 2k3 server system (which is pure bunk) and active directory doesn't work with OSX (more bunk). It's frustrating from my POV since I'm the one in the company who knows OSX (user at home since 10.0) but very rarely am I invited to meetings which instead my IT-illiterate boss attends, probably because I am more IT savvy than the IT manager himself...

The systems specced up are to last a number of years and between us we tried to come up with something which is not outrageous (hence Viewsonic displays and not Apple ones, hence 2gb ram not maxed out) but will see us good for maybe 5 years. But again it will be questions 'Why is 2gb necessary, surely you only need 512mb, etc' (see my point above about IT-savvyness).

As designers all we want to do is our jobs. We're Mac people both at home and work for creative stuff (I have an A64 box for gaming/internet and have built PCs for many years for that purpose, but a PB12 for Music work and G4 AGP for design work) and as I said before all the printers we deal with are mac-based, and they are staying that way. However, what we want most is for a decision to be made either way rather than have this drag out any longer (it's been a year at least).

What I personally don't appreciate is someone who takes NO interest in the work I do and how I get that work done, who wouldn't know how to get the work done, who has no ability to use the software we use, telling me they know the best way for me to work. If they'd sat down with me (or one of my colleagues) for a day or two and taken an interest in things to see how goals are achieved, maybe it would be a different matter, but it's been a simple case of 'yes but no but' all along. Totally farcical to be honest, although I do bite my lip and let my boss do the trenchwork.

As far as the MD meeting, we've got a checklist of +'s (and a couple of -'s, the main one being IT support tho I have suggested they send me for some OSX cert since I maintain the OSX box we do have at work -a 466 w/16 rage pro and 384mb ram running Panther). We want to put our case, but be fair about it, the +'s do far outweigh the -'s.

Sorry for another book but thanks for the suggestions (and listening).

[d0ubled0wn]

Show the IT idiot a recent stock chart of AAPL. Companies that are "in difficulties" don't outperform the rest of their industry.

[Thain Esh Kelch]

Actually, in a situation like that, I'd get proof against everything he said, go right to your boss and get him fired... A dude who obviously is as bad as he is, shouldnt have his job. Period.

[d0ubled0wn]

Originally posted by Thain Esh Kelch:
Actually, in a situation like that, I'd get proof against everything he said, go right to your boss and get him fired... A dude who obviously is as bad as he is, shouldnt have his job. Period.

Um... no. In some fantasy world, yes, you could do that. But in the real world you can't get people fired on a whim.

[djohnson]

Good luck! Where I work it is 100% PC's, well except for the Powerbooks myself and the IT guy bring to work. If we had our way, everyone would be using OS X. Hopefully your IT guy will be fired soon for being a moron. Maybe you should suggest that you need the job more than he does. BTW, how much do IT guys make over there?

[Mac Guru]

Um... no. In some fantasy world, yes, you could do that. But in the real world you can't get people fired on a whim.

VERY true, a year ago I would have disagreed, but after working where I've been working for a year I've realized that in the REAL WORLD, anything that makes sense, doesn't get done.

We had a guy working here, that was BEYOND incompetent, the management knew it, but kept him around SIMPLY because it was cheaper to pay him $7/HR than it was to put an ad in the paper and rehire someone to replace him.

So we made his life a living hell until he quit

Mac Guru