I was a Windows and Android guy for most of my career. Then I switched to Apple, and I wish I had switched sooner.
After years on Windows and Android, I switched to Apple and wish I had sooner. AI that keeps data on the laptop and IBM's lower Mac support costs make the case, and as ERPs move to the browser, sales laptops may not need Windows.
I expected to hate it. Two weeks in, I stopped thinking about the hardware. The phone, the laptop, the files, and the messages all work together, and the hours I used to lose to drivers, updates, and reboots.
Apple made the case stronger at WWDC on Monday. macOS 27 was announced with the new Siri AI built in, and Apple’s foundation models now read text, images, and speech on the machine itself. In an industry where data security is the first question every CEO asks, AI that keeps the data on the laptop is worth a look.
The numbers agree. IBM has published its Mac data for years: $273 to $543 saved per Mac over 4 years compared to PC’s, and PC users filed twice the support tickets. IBM manages 200,000 Macs with 7 admins.
The hard part for distributors is the ERP. Industry-specific ERP’s run on Windows, and you can’t flip laptop fleet overnight. But more of these systems move to the browser every year, and your sales team’s laptops may not need Windows at all.
I know a few (actually, VERY few) distributors that run Apple environments. While Mac’s are more expensive upfront vs. Windows machines, the up-time is invaluable. In addition, new Mac Neo will help narrow the gap.
If you priced out replacement laptops this year, did a Mac make the quote? I’m curious what kept it off the list.