It’s a debate that’s been raging for decades now: Which is better Apple Mac or Microsoft Windows PC? It’s a polarising question and the likelihood is that you will get a different opinion from everyone that you ask.
When it comes to picking computers for your veterinary practice you might be asking yourself this question. So, we’ve broken down the areas you might want to consider and provided our expert recommendation.
Cost/Budget
Okay, so it’s no secret, Microsoft Windows PCs are so much cheaper to source when compared to an Apple Mac.
Whether you’re buying computers for a new veterinary practice or just simply upgrading some old equipment, buying Macs for your practice would run up quite a bill. Its important to remember that just because Macs are more expensive it doesn’t mean that they would be the best fit for your practice and the price doesn’t not necessarily reflect the value of the technology you are buying.
It’s tricky to directly compare what you get for your money with Microsoft Windows PCs and Apple Macs due the difference in specification (processor speed, RAM graphics, memory etc) and the vastly different software packages available to work with them.
Management
When it comes to managing your practice IT systems, there’s no competition, a Microsoft Windows PC is easier to centrally manage.
This might be a bit boring but it makes life easier for IT support companies like us as we can easily manage and deploy security policies, software updates as well as ensuring that the devices remain compliant.
You really cannot underestimate how important being able to centrally manage your IT systems is. The security policies and software updates are integral to your practice security and GDPR compliance. Although not entirely impossible to do on a Mac its much easier to do on a Windows system, which means there’s less chance of it going wrong.
Aesthetics
It’s generally acknowledged by the public that Macs are the more chic option, with their sleek appearance becoming the cornerstone of their marketing campaigns. In comparison, Microsoft Windows PCs can seem the less ‘snazzy’ option.
But on the other hand, unlike Apple Macs, Microsoft Windows PCs don’t just come from one place, which means there will be a great variety of designs to choose from (although don’t get too excited – they are most all variants of the same thing).
When choosing between and Apple Mac and a Microsoft Windows PC for a veterinary practice, we generally advise our clients to really think about what it most important, the look and feel of the equipment you are getting or how well it works with your other systems and how easy it is to manage.
Useability
Ultimately for you and your team this is the most important category. How useable your computers are on a day to day basis, and how they work along side your other systems is integral to the smooth running of your practice.
Luckily, this is also one of the simplest areas to consider, as it turns out that most of the applications you use within your veterinary practice will only work on PC’s (Microsoft Windows). The last thing you want is to spend more money than you need to on equipment that just wont work within your wider IT ecosystem.
This is starting to shift now, with more and more platforms migrating to the cloud, but we are still a long way from being able to run a full veterinary system on MACs.
The other area of usability to consider is which system would be easier for your team to navigate. Most of them will have used a Microsoft Windows PC is their life, but not as many will be that familiar with a MAC. The last thing you want is for your team to get frustrated with the computers they are using due to easily avoidable user experience issues.
Our Recommendation
There are many benefits to Apple devices, but for the world of Veterinary we would very much recommend a Microsoft Windows based device.
It’s an age old argument, but when it comes ensuring that your practice is running efficiently, and you are getting the most return of investment from your technology, unless you are looking to spend at least £1200+ on equipment that might not even work with your other systems, your choice will likely be PC. This is likely to disappoint some, but it will be the right choice for your Veterinary Practice.
