Macs in the Enterprise: the Cost Factor
At A&E Television Networks, employees have to make a compelling case to get a Mac. More often than not, they're denied. That's because the high cost of a Mac is downright hard to justify, especially in these tough times.
"You can buy a PC for $400, while the cheapest Mac is over a thousand," says Jon Graff, director of IT operations at A&E. "In the real world, you're spending a lot more on a Mac. People really need to show why they can't get their work done on a PC."
Few CIOs want to shell out recession-scarce dollars for pricy Macs when a cheap PC will do just fine. Microsoft drove home this point last week with attack ads showing cash-strapped consumers choosing PCs over Macs. But are Macs really too costly in the business world?
