Mac vs. PC – Another Viewpoint

By Gerry Morris

From time to time in this column I’ve made comparisons between the PC and Mac platforms. I have always been a PC user. I’ve bought, built and used PC’s since the mid 80’s. I am admittedly ignorant of the pros can cons of Macs other than what I’ve learned through conversations with friends and colleagues who use them. Uniformly, they rave about them. This month I decided to turn this forum over to a dedicated Mac user. Dale Johnson practices law in Austin. His practice is comprised mostly of civil litigation.

WHY I SWITCHED TO A MAC

Dale Ossip Johnson

There is an old adage in the computer industry. Software developers and hardware engineers love the software and hardware which they know the best. The corollary is that the software developers and hardware engineers are the greatest critics of the software and hardware which were not developed or used by them. The same may be said about the end user. At the personal computer level, the hardware world, with some minor variances, is divided into two competing groups, PC and Apple. The PC computer since its inception in 1981 has always been built on the Intel processor and to a significantly lesser degree the Advance Micro Systems processor. Until recently, The Apple computer was based upon the Motorola PowerPC processor, developed by IBM and Motorola. In 2006 Apple moved to the Intel platform. Each platform has an operating system which is unique, both as to architecture as well as functionality. And, without intermediary software, which for the most part was complex to use and too often unreliable, there was no compatibility between the the different operating systems and their associated applications software. Many of the adherents of each group were fanatical and vociferous about the superior quality of their chosen computer system and the inferior quality of the other. Notwithstanding that PC and Apple now share the Intel processor as a platform, the fundamental philosophical and technological differences in operating systems and OS specific applications continues unabated as does the debate between their strongest adherents. Correspondingly competition between the hardware manufacturers and the software developers for each system to convince the end user that their products and software are uniquely reliable, functional and useful has become a major battlefield.

The use of computers in the legal profession parallels other professions, businesses and trades. Indeed, because of the underlying intellectual and fact driven aspects of legal services, the computer has become an essential, if not mandatory, tool in the practice of the law. No attorney can effectively practice law and meet his or her professional obligations to the client without effectively employing computers, personally as well as at non-attorney staff level. Indeed, I suggest to do otherwise may very well be a basis for legal malpractice.

Most lawyers lack a technical background and expertise in computer science at any but the most basic of levels. The average lawyer wants to practice law and not practice computer. Regardless of the size of the law office, lawyers want their computer systems, which for purposes of this article I define to include, the computer, its operating system and application software, to satisfy six fundamental requirements: The system must be reliable, functional, stable, cost effective, flexible and user friendly. My experience with the PC hardware since 1981 has been that it was consistently cost effective and reliable. However, the prevailing Microsoft developed and related system and application software have been more problematical. From the operating system standpoint It has taken Microsoft over twenty years to reach a state of reliability and stability. Even today, many third party software developers introduce into the marketplace software with stability defects which are often attributable to the peculiar centralized and controlled architecture of the Microsoft operating system. Moreover, the latest Microsoft operating system, VISTA, continues to have configuration issues both at the hardware level as well as the software level, particularly with regard to older hardware and software, and frequently requires ongoing technical support, whether in the form of onsite by knowledgeable employees or from third party vendors. Some configuration issues also appear to exist in Microsoft XP operating system, but not to the same degree as VISTA. In contrast the Apple Computer system has had a history of not only reliability of hardware, although at premium prices, but also stability of software, particularly its Mac OS X operating system. However, Apple also had a well deserved reputation for having limited availability of software, particularly at the business or enterprise level. The PC computer systems with Microsoft operating systems and Microsoft developed or related software have become pervasive and comprehensive resulting in Microsoft and its developers capturing over 90% of today’s PC market place. With Apple’s move to the Intel processor, the software gap between it and Microsoft is rapidly diminishing and, based on my personal usage, no longer meaningful to me.

When Apple announced in 2005 that it was moving its hardware platform to the Intel processor, I began to give serious consideration to moving my law office to an Apple Computer system. After evaluating a number of different types of Apple computers, its Mac OS X operating system and available applications, in December of 2006 I decided to replace my existing PC system and associated Microsoft software with an Apple system in which the iMac is the core computer. Some of the material factors in my decision were:

• With the use of special software, the Apple system was two computers in one. It could run both Apple and Microsoft application software seamlessly and share files;
• All of my Microsoft data files were easily transferable to the Apple system and were totally useable by both Apple and Microsoft software;
• Mainstream Microsoft software had been ported to the Apple platform, including Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat and Quickbooks. Other lawyer specific software was in development;
• Apple computers easily could integrate into PC based systems and exchange and share files;
• Apple computers were reliable, stable and required little, if any, outside tech support;
• Mac OS X operating system was compatible with not only new peripheral hardware but also my existing peripheral computer hardware such as printers and was trouble free in configuration;
• Although the Apple computers were slightly more costly than many PC computers, the cost was more than offset by the lower requirement for technical support and corresponding increase in productivity;
• Installation of new software was quick, efficient and virtually trouble free. Moreover, moving software from one Apple computer to another was equally easy, efficient and trouble free.
• The license fees for a substantial part of Apple software, such has the Mac OS X operating system were significantly less expensive than Microsoft. This became particularly true when Microsoft released Vista;
• Exposure to viruses and third party computer attacks was almost non-existent.
• The apparent speed of business applications was significantly superior to that of PC. Even the startup in the morning took only about 10 seconds.
• For $100.00 per year Apple provided telephone support which is readily accessible, comprehensive and effective.
• Synchronizing data, address books and calendars between Apple computers was quick and easy.
• For $100.00 per year .Mac services provided a plethora of utilities and services including online storage and online synchronizing of address books, calendars and other information between Apple Computers at different locations;
• Backing up of computers was seamless and trouble free;
• Mac OS X had unique features which were far superior to Microsoft XP. Ultimately the same was true regarding VISTA. An example is time machine which stores apple computer information and data in such a manner that you can go to any specific date and restore the computer to the condition that it was on that date.

With the limitation of space imposed upon me, it is impossible to adequately compare the Apple Computer system with the PC Microsoft based system. However, in summary, although Apple continues to market its systems as “consumer systems,” in fact they meet the needs of both the consumer and the business environment for not only the solo practitioner but also the multi-person law firm. Apple has recently released some enterprise level systems which should be able to handle the needs of even the largest law firms. In a like manner, the Apple Computer systems have access to all of the existing and future software, regardless of whether it is Apple or Microsoft developed.

There are many online articles written by lawyers and their experiences with Apple Computers. A few which I suggest are worth reviewing are Apple Briefs - Improving Your Law Practice with Macintosh, www.applebriefs.com?why-use-a-mac-in-your-law-firm/; www.law.com/jsp/legaltechnology/pubArticleLT.jsp?id=1184869659955; http://www.themaclawyer.com/the_mac_lawyer/2008/01/law-related-mac.html; and www.maclaw.org/.

I consider my switch to Apple Computers as being one of the best business decisions which I have made. It has allowed me to withdraw from the non-productive activity of providing technical support to my staff and colleagues for their PC computers and Microsoft operating system and applications and return to the full time practice of the law with a lot more enjoyment, indeed fun.


E. G. “Gerry” Morris is a small firm practitioner and has practiced law for over 29 years in Austin, Texas. He is certified as a Criminal Law Specialist by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. His firm web site is at www.egmlaw.com. Email your comments and questions to Gerry at tech@egmlaw.com.