By Randy Zajonczkoski, Office Technology Coordinator
As the IT person here at TC&C, I often get asked if I’m a Mac or a PC. I say neither. I run Linux at home and Windows at the office and I truly believe every operating system and piece of software has its place. It just depends on what you want to do. You wouldn’t use a hammer instead of a screwdriver just because you liked the way it looked would you? That’s why you can find three operating systems running on computers here at TC&C and here are the reasons why.
Our account and administrative associates run Windows and Microsoft Office in order to be as close to 100% compatible with our clients as possible. Microsoft holds approximately 88% share of the operating system market and probably even more of the office suite market. Even though Microsoft makes Office for the Mac as well, they are not created equally and in the past we’ve run into compatibility issues when working with our clients who have standardized on Microsoft Windows. That is why we choose to use Microsoft products on the computers of associates who have direct contact with clients.
Our creative department, on the other hand, uses Macs. Even though products like Adobe Creative Suite are offered on Windows, we choose to install it on Macs. Most graphic artists are trained on Macs and are more comfortable with them and know all the keyboard shortcuts. Apple also keeps tight controls on the hardware being used in their computers which adds some reliability and performance and allows our artists to crunch through some monster sized high resolution graphic files. Also, most print shops use Macs and we need to be compatible with them to ensure the best output possible for our clients. That’s why our creative people use Macs.
Where does Linux and fit into this puzzle you ask? The exact answer to that question I’m still trying to figure out, but we are running it on two of our servers. Linux is an open source operating system and is built by the people for the people. It’s built by volunteers and shared with public. Several different flavors can be downloaded for free and it’s a rock solid operating system. With the current economic downturn I feel every company should take a hard look at Linux to see where its use can save money. Currently I’m looking at areas where I can expand its role within the agency. It could be our next server or even serve as a workstation. The open source community has provided some good alternatives to commercial desktop software which makes Linux usable for home computing and even for business purposes. A couple examples are OpenOffice and Gimp (both can be installed on Windows and Mac OS as well). OpenOffice is a Microsoft Office alternative and can be downloaded for free at http://www.openoffice.org. Gimp is a Adobe Photoshop alternative and can be downloaded at http://www.gimp.org. With free software packages available, why buy software? Use it and save your money!
Every system has its strengths and weaknesses. Next time someone asks you whether you’re a PC or a Mac say, “Neither! I’m a person who uses the best tool for the job.”
