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Nearly every business today is dependent on Microsoft-based systems. Over the course of a decade, Microsoft has made it easy and convenient for businesses to set up a complete system based on their software - from the Windows operating system, to Exchange for communication services, to Windows Server and its variants for user and data management, and Visual Studio for basic in-house software creation. But though it’s easy to deploy to many users, and the accepted standard today, Microsoft systems are prone to crashes, downtime, and general maintenance nightmares. Yet businesses continue to use this problem-ridden system, because it is the standard.

In the meantime, home users discover the Mac, and its ease of use and incredible functionality. Then they go in to work, and bear through the bugs and blue screens of Windows. Many a time have I heard the complaint that “the company won’t let me use my Mac for anything work-related”. Why don’t more businesses switch to the Mac, when it’s easier to use, and doesn’t have so many issues?

As I wrote on my own blog, Apple and the Business Market - What Are They Up To?, Apple isn’t actively courting business to adopt their platforms. Instead, they’re depending on their already-happy customers to eventually turn their companies over. For business start ups, the question is obviously there: Should we go with the accepted standard, or work with something that’s not as widely used, and expensive, but works better?

Consider the cost factor for a minute: Though the cost of buying a Mac is considerably more than a PC, less money needs to be spent on maintenance, training, and upgrades - because the Mac isn’t as error-ridden as the PC. Time doesn’t need to be wasted while waiting for patches and service packs to download and deploy, and many service issues can be performed remotely using Remote Desktop. And a Mac even works with most already-in-place Microsoft systems, especially with the upcoming release of the new Mac operating system, Snow Leopard.

If you don’t have to use a Microsoft server system, all the more power to you! Mac OS X Server offers the same services Microsoft offers - from corporate email management, to calendar sharing, to enterprise data storage. The cost of server systems on the Mac is considerably cheaper than Windows, on a side note: Microsoft charges for their Windows Server OS by the license, so larger companies have to pay more to use the software. Apple charges a flat rate for unlimited users, and then that’s it. You can add as many new users as you like, and you don’t need to pay anything more for your server software.

If you’re starting a business, or work in one, it is certainly worthwhile exploring the other easier options before you go with the status quo. In this case, Apple might well be the solution you are after.