Well, if your entire company depends on ArcGIS then you need to use Windows or Windows on Mac.  But that's pretty niche. 

Things are changing fast:

http://usa.autodesk.com/products/mac-compatible-products

AutoCAD didn't have a Mac version for 10 years and they started losing market share so they went hard into Mac about 3 years ago..

ArcGIS seems pretty legacy to me and I guess we'll have to wait see where it stands 3-5 years from now.

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On Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 10:30 AM, Mark Mwangi <mwangy@gmail.com> wrote:
The orgs I know on Windows are there because of proprietary legacy apps that were built on windows. Off the top of my head ArcGIS, ERDAS IMAGINE, a host of engineering and surveying software etc. Note that I am only talking about the industry I am in contact with. 

The loyalty to windows is because of the manufacturers of the equipment and software not an inherent loyalty to Redmond. There are open source and OSX  alternatives but they pale in comparison to the windows software. 

It therefore rests on the developers for the future of Windows dominating the workspace. If they port their apps to OSX and linux in sufficient quality, people will move. But then Redmond knows this and how they manage this will be taught in schools in decades to come. 


On Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 10:07 AM, Adam Nelson <adam@varud.com> wrote:
Google has already gone Mac/Linux and most of the startups I know in the States (even 100+ seats) are Mac/Linux.

I agree with @mark that it's going to be a problem for Microsoft.  Even GE, the stodgiest company of them all, offers Mac or PC as a choice for employees.

Any organization that is Microsoft only is really outdated.

-Adam

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On Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 9:41 AM, Mark Mwangi <mwangy@gmail.com> wrote:
Well true it is not really free but this is where I am coming from.

If an XP user could upgrade to Windows 8.1 for free then that could be termed a free upgrade. It is not possible for now. This is what Apple has offered. As an IT manager, yes the hardware is not cheap and the price is bundled with the cost of the software. However in the case of a guy buying an iOS device today, he is assured the phone will run at least the next two software releases before he needs to upgrade hardware. 

The same case goes for the OSX ecosystem. Buying a mac now I know the next 2 or 3 releases will be supported at no additional cost to me. With windows upgrades are a cost.  What improvements are actually made are another matter altogether. 

Hardware must change because the pc running windows xp will not handle windows 8. 


On Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 9:03 AM, Edwin Nguku <edwinnguku@gmail.com> wrote:
@Odhiambo,

I do agree with you to some point. 

But look at it this way, Windows 8.1 is not a completely new OS but rather an upgrade of an existing one. They have opted to do it the Mac way for the first time ever but in their case they have offered the upgrade for free.

Apple does the exact same thing to Macintosh OS X  where they release successive upgrades to the OS under a different name and charge for it up until OS X Mavericks which they will give out for free but only to existing OS X users.

So comparing the above scenarios it will be correct to say that MS is actually giving out the OS for free to existing Windows 8 users.


On Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 8:42 AM, Odhiambo Washington <odhiambo@gmail.com> wrote:
@Edwin,

Windows 8.1 should not be considered a new OS version. That's why those who already purchased Windows 8 get if for free. Those who are buying it as 8.1 are actually just buying the Windows 8 which has had feature fixes due to feedback M$. I therefore do not agree with you that Microsoft is offering a _free_ OS upgrade via Windows 8.1.
In the same breath, I don't see how Apple is giving anything for FREE. The cost is already taken care of in the price tag of the devices. And there we agree...




On 24 October 2013 08:29, Edwin Nguku <edwinnguku@gmail.com> wrote:
@Mark Mwangi

Windows was the first to offer free OS upgrade on its new Windows 8.1 and Apple decided to adopt the same and cancel the upgrade price to OS X Mavericks which they had announced earlier on in the year would come with a price tag to it.

Also I don't see any corporates lining up to adopt Apple machines for one simple fact.. they don't come cheap!


On Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 8:21 AM, Moses M.G <mouzmuyer@gmail.com> wrote:

It would only be free if I could download it and install on non-apple hardware. Otherwise, you still pay for it indirectly.

On 23 Oct 2013 23:43, "Mark Mwangi" <mwangy@gmail.com> wrote:
With the offering of the free software, then Windows is going to face a tough time. The demons of not diversifying early enough are coming to haunt them. Some corporates that are not tied to windows apps will consider going the apple way what with the free OS upgrades.


On Tue, Oct 22, 2013 at 11:00 PM, Philip Musyoki <pmusyoki@gmail.com> wrote:
Apple just released a new iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina. The Air is pretty impressive, and quite thin too. Sadly no fingerprint scanner for the iPads.
 
 And new MacBooks. The 13" now has Retina.

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