Mac or PC for Web Development Business?

[macfanuk]

I can't comment on the Mac-PC argument as I only ordered my first Mac yesterday but I can comment on business economics as I run my own business. When starting a new venture you really have to save as much money as possible then once you start to make profits and are comfortable you can then make more informed decisions on equipment. I've seen so many people make the mistake of spending hard up front only to see it all go pair shaped when things could have worked out well on a tighter budget.

All the best on your new venture wether it be Mac or PC

Thanks Ranger. I guess the reason I'm looking at this topic now is because I currently have a part time job which provides me with some spare income so want to use it wisely. Does that make sense? Thanks again for all the helpful posts here.

 

[Biz.Kid09]

tbh i would say just continue using what you have atm (q6600 etc) and if the business takes off then by all means get mac pros,imacs etc etc.....Then you could spend money on some good IPS monitors and a Macbook if you so wish for 'on-site' which can inturn be plugged in a monitor back at your office if needed?

 

[OspreyO]

Theres a few reasons Macs are popular in the design industry. The main one being that in the past you could only do design and print on macs. So every studio, college, student, printer etc had to have a Mac. So the whole industry was built up around Mac's. Another reason is a lot of design goes into Mac hardware and software. That just appeals to anyone with an interest in design. Finally the design industry, creative types, tend not be that techie. So anything that allows them to avoid technical stuff they love.

Now these days theres in't the big difference as there was in the past. Anything you can do on a Mac you can do on a PC. Hardware is the same more or less. But the design industry still loves the Mac experience.

 

[MuGeN]

I can talk for experience on this one, as I started up my web & graphic design business nearly 4 years ago, and we now have apple stuff all over the place

However! - starting a business is not an easy ride, its a hard slog and you're going to get a massive hit from the cost of CS5 alone never mind the hardware and all the little apps (they all add up!) my advice would very seriously be: don't run before you can walk.

I started up with a macbook and a 22" monitor, and it did me proud for 2 years! keep your costs down matey and make sensible business decisions

 

[macfanuk]

I can talk for experience on this one, as I started up my web & graphic design business nearly 4 years ago, and we now have apple stuff all over the place

However! - starting a business is not an easy ride, its a hard slog and you're going to get a massive hit from the cost of CS5 alone never mind the hardware and all the little apps (they all add up!) my advice would very seriously be: don't run before you can walk.

I started up with a macbook and a 22" monitor, and it did me proud for 2 years! keep your costs down matey and make sensible business decisions

Thanks MuGeN, that's exactly what I'm trying to do - foremost not wanting to fork out for CS5 then have to replace it in a few months/maybe a year when I decide to switch to Macs

 

[Feek]

foremost not wanting to fork out for CS5 then have to replace it in a few months/maybe a year when I decide to switch to Macs

You wouldn't because the licence is transferrable between platforms.

 

[macfanuk]

You wouldn't because the licence is transferrable between platforms.

Really? That's good but what about the discs?

 

[theheyes]

It sounds to me like you have your heart set on Macs, and if the ultimate goal is to replace the PCs with Macs after 12 months then you might just be better off buying them outright.

However, I don't think running a mixed environment is necessarily a bad idea - particularly for a small setup. If anything, it could even be an asset depending on what type of things you plan to do.

 

[macfanuk]

It sounds to me like you have your heart set on Macs, and if the ultimate goal is to replace the PCs with Macs after 12 months then you might just be better off buying them outright.

However, I don't think running a mixed environment is necessarily a bad idea - particularly for a small setup. If anything, it could even be an asset depending on what type of things you plan to do.

Thanks, yeah, I have always liked Macs and have always wanted Macs but it's always the cost that stops me.

I've got a lot to think about me thinks

 

[Biz.Kid09]

Well if your pretty set on Macs then why not sell your current pc's (q6600 etc) then with that money get a macbook or two and use them for now like Mugen did with a external monitor which you already have?
Also please can you configure your trust as i would like to speak to you about something

 

[MuGeN]

the whole macbook-with-external-monitor thing is actually a really good setup for starting out... I used a standard macbook and it was quite happy running photoshop, illustrator, indesign etc etc - plus it basically gave me a double monitor setup which is a a wonderful tool to have

you've also then got the laptop you need for when you're out and about, all with one purchase...

if I was in your shoes buddy, i'd be getting a second hand macbook for about £400-£500 quid - you can get your iMacs (or even Mac Pros) once you've made a few sales and its out of profits, but believe me when you're starting out its better to have money in the bank than be surrounded by expensive gadgets

 

[bigredshark]

I'd just point out, if it was me I'd still want both platforms for web design, there are still plenty sites which freak out when confronted by a different OS, lots of (dumb) people still use IE so you need to know your work displays at least similar to expected there which means at least access to Windows.

I'd also advocate the Laptop and external screen setup, these days there's not many cables to connect and having the same machine all the time is a good send for lots of business uses - I have a massively expensive workstation under my desk at work but I do all my non intensive work on a laptop connected to an external screen because that way when I grab it out of the docking station everything is there and in the same place.

Nothing worse than turning up at a clients and discovering that presentation you swear you'd copied across is missing...

 

[macfanuk]

Well if your pretty set on Macs then why not sell your current pc's (q6600 etc) then with that money get a macbook or two and use them for now like Mugen did with a external monitor which you already have?
Also please can you configure your trust as i would like to speak to you about something

Not a bad idea, but not sure I'd get much for my current pc's. My only gripe with the Macbook/Monitor solution is the plugging in/unplugging of cables every day so in an ideal world would've had a laptop (such as a Dell) where I could get a docking station which would make things so much easier. Trust configured

 

[OspreyO]

... lots of (dumb) people still use IE so you need to know your work displays at least similar to expected there which means at least access to Windows. .....

Nice. Lots of people have no choice of browser, its not controlled by them, but company policy or intranet applications. Its no different than Apple limiting access to their software/hardware. Less variables, less problems.

 

[macfanuk]

Nice. Lots of people have no choice of browser, its not controlled by them, but company policy or intranet applications. Its no different than Apple limiting access to their software/hardware. Less variables, less problems.

Very true. It's funny how Apple ship all their computers and handheld devices for that matter) with Safari and nothing gets said but Microsoft ship IE with Windows and they get a lawsuit.

Where I work part time, I have no say what software is on the computer so have to use Internet Explorer however much I hate it.

 

[reflux]

Yes, you will definitely need a Windows box with IE6 on it if you care at all about cross browser accessibility. Whilst use of 6 is fading in the home market, its still quite common in the corporate environment due to bespoke software.

Also, don't jump on the CS bandwagon unless you absolutely need it. GIMP is not a bad alternative to PhotoShop and if you're doing the development properly you should be hand coding almost everything rather than using DreamWeaver.

 

[bigredshark]

Nice. Lots of people have no choice of browser, its not controlled by them, but company policy or intranet applications. Its no different than Apple limiting access to their software/hardware. Less variables, less problems.

OK, lots of dumb people or people who work with dumb IT departments who think mandating a browser which doesn't understand web standards is 'a good idea' and haven't grasped that Firefox is as easy to deploy and manage today. I'm not normally an advocate of deviating from the easy way in a corporate environment but IE is a terrible, terrible bit of software.

And for your information I had no problem with Microsoft distributing a free browser with their OS, I don't know where you got that idea from. That apple choose to distribute a standards compliant webkit based browser is excellent in my opinion as it's one less thing I need to install.

 

[bigredshark]

Yes, you will definitely need a Windows box with IE6 on it if you care at all about cross browser accessibility. Whilst use of 6 is fading in the home market, its still quite common in the corporate environment due to bespoke software.

Also, don't jump on the CS bandwagon unless you absolutely need it. GIMP is not a bad alternative to PhotoShop and if you're doing the development properly you should be hand coding almost everything rather than using DreamWeaver.

Or a VM, or it'll run nicely in wine under Linux. I'm not sure about CS, I don't rate the GIMP as anywhere near photoshop personally, let alone CS5 and I like Dreamweaver as a tool and I think any serious developer is going to want a copy...then again it's a huge investment for a start up company in an already crowded market...

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Guys, you have all the hardware you NEED. If anything you should be investing in good screens and a calibrator for obvious reasons.

As much as you want macs, USE the PC's there all the same these days.

No one seems to have mentioned downtime yet. If your mac goes down, you have to send it away, or wait for an appointment etc. If your PC goes down, you can get parts same day or next day easily. Any downtime could be detrimental to your business.

 

[Biz.Kid09]

Not a bad idea, but not sure I'd get much for my current pc's. My only gripe with the Macbook/Monitor solution is the plugging in/unplugging of cables every day so in an ideal world would've had a laptop (such as a Dell) where I could get a docking station which would make things so much easier. Trust configured

Well you could do what i do and that is grab a USB hub..stick everything in that and then there is just one plug into laptop...then simply unplug it and your away