Macs vs. PCs
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MacLaw User Group
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A recurring request from Members and Prospective Members is paraphrased as follows: "Our managing partner is considering switching from Macs to Windows. Can you tell me where to find information I can use to persuade him not to?" We at MacLaw do not subscribe to the herd mentality. We have not accepted the commonly held belief that one operating system is better for graphics and publishing while another is better for business applications--because we know the truth: An operating system which is easier to use and more dependable will be more productive in any business environment. To review what
others have said on the topic, please visit the
following sites. You will then need to hit your
browser's BACK button to return to this site. |
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http://www.bobrk.com/lmms/mac/gartner.html http://macworld.zdnet.com/1999/01/opinion/desktopcritic.html http://micro.uoregon.edu/mactowin/transition.html http://www.pathcom.com/~kat/AppleJedi/truecosts.html http://www.digiserve.com/eescape/mac/Death-of-a-Thousand-Stings.html |
Special
Notes from
MacLaw Members:
"The
Jury Loved My iBook"
By Peter M. Zavaletta,
Esq.
A Texas Med-Mal Attorney tells us how he used his Macs to create and present Video Deposition testimony and organize bullet-points on the fly in PowerPoint--all with impressive and successful results. Peter, may we call you, "Gun Slinger?"
Also, here's what Apple
wrote about
Peter's iBook experience:
"Using
iDVD in the Courtroom"
"Big
Firm Solo Practitioner"
By Kerry M. Griggs, Esq.
A Phoenix, Arizona attorney tells us how he convinced his large firm to allow him to integrate his TiPB G4 into the firm's NT network--without a hitch. Hint: The largest obstacle was the IT Department. They're singing a different tune, now.
For more instruction on networking Macs with Pcs, please go to: ThreeMacs.com
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Dear Powerlisters and MacLawyers: I just finished a med-mal trial - an obstetrical negligence case involving shoulder dystocia that resulted in a brachial plexus injury - Erb's palsy. During the trial, I adduced testimony both from live witnesses and from witnesses who had previously testified by videotape. All of my 'video' depositions were actually edited down in iMovie (for OS X) on my PowerMac G4 733 (with Superdrive), burned onto DVD with iDVD 2, and played on my iBook 600. Most of the video depositions were recorded in mini-DV (digital) format, but for those that were recorded in VHS, I used a Formac Studio to get it into my PowerMac G4 running OS X 10.1.2. The Studio worked great right out of the box. In court, the iBook was connected (via the dongle) to the courtroom's built-in Epson projector, which in turn projected my desktop onto a huge screen mounted on the courtroom wall. The beauty of iDVD is that it allowed me to break up rather longish (even after editing) testimony into shorter, more manageable blocks organized by subject. The longest clip was about 21 minutes. Later in the trial I would call the same witness by videotape on another subject. The jury commented afterwards that offering the testimony this way kept them focused and attentive (which they were). For rebuttal, I was able to get a clip that I hadn't played before of a witness who my people said appeared extra-credible, and in iMovie the night before create a title slide that read, in sort of dramatic fashion: "Mary Jones . . . In Rebuttal of . . . The Lying Doctor" (names changed of course). My iBook was running OS X 10.1.2 and never, ever either in court or at the office during the long nights did it crash. I also used Powerpoint v. X (part of Office X) in a way I hadn't before - creating bullet charts capsulating and highlighting a witness' live testimony 'on the fly' - while the witness was on the stand. Again, good feedback from the jury, as the simple act of typing a bullet point which the whole courtroom could follow along with only served to emphasize and reinforce the witness' testimony. Then during one part of my closing I showed the jury the slide 'we' had created together, and it really hit home. And at another part of my closing, I played a 1 minute clip of very important testimony. In the post-verdict interviews, I was humbled by the jury's very high marks for my preparedness and my "mastery like a professional" (one juror's words) of the computer. I was very happy
with my iBook, OS X, Apple's DVD Player, iDVD,
and P.S. - The jury gave my client the big bucks she deserved! =================================================== |
Apparently you don't necessarily need a six-shooter to settle those greivances in Texas nowadays...but, an iBook comes in mighty handy for Peter Zavaletta, Esq. Peter used iDVD2 and iMovie to create manageable blocks of video-taped testimony, organized by subject matter, for a powerful presentation. |
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How Mac-Savvy Lawyers Can Use Their Preferred Computing Platform, Even at Large, Windows-Based Law Firms Kerry M. Griggs,
Esq. |
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I was hooked the moment a saw a crisply-rendered menu "drop down" from the top of that blue, nine-inch screen. I opened and closed "windows" just to watch them zoom. I clicked excitedly through every tutorial, dual 400K drives gently humming along in smooth harmony. My first full session with MacPaint simply sealed the deal. I couldn't get enough of the computer that smiled and said, "Hello." It was 1984 and I had found "Macintosh." Suddenly, the Franklin Ace 2000's and IBM PC's in my high school computer labs seemed useless. The Atari 400 became a laughable memory. (Don't even get me started on the CompuGraphic photo-typesetter we were using for page layout.) "Apple has done it," I thought. "They got it right. This is what a computer is supposed to do, and this is how work is supposed to be done. This will change the world." Little did I know that, eleven years later, I would join a profession where this world-changing machine would inexplicably confuse, intimidate, and frighten so many. Yes, when I passed the bar and joined a large Phoenix law firm, I was assigned a standard-issue Wang 286, running DOS and Banyan Vines. Suddenly command lines and WordPerfect codes were part of my computing experience. I felt as though I had taken an eleven-year jump back in time. My first 128K Mac was light-years ahead of that box, not to mention my SE/30, PowerBook 140, and Centris 610. At first, I simply accepted this anachronistic reality with humble associate resignation. However, as my office computing productivity continued to lag behind my Mac-based home system, I knew I had to act. I, therefore, embarked upon a years-long quest to integrate a Mac into my office practice. |
Apple has done it, I thought; they got it right. Yet, when I passed the bar and joined a firm, I was assigned a standard issue Wang 286 running DOS. I felt as though I had taken an eleven-year jump back in time. At first, I accepted with humble associate resignation. I embarked on a years-long quest to integrate a Mac into my office practice. Today, a PowerBook G4 running OSX hums happily on my desk, comfortably communicating with our NT network. |
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Today, a PowerBook G4 running OS X 10.1.3 hums happily on my desk, comfortably communicating with our NT network. At home, I connect wirelessly to the web, through my G4 tower, accessing office network files and communicating with other users on my office LAN. From a technical standpoint, getting here was not difficult. The necessary tools are readily available and the web is awash in free hints and tips from dedicated Mac users, including Mac-focused lawyers at MacLaw.org. With such support, any experienced Mac user with a willingness to research and do some low-level troubleshooting should be able to pull it off. The real hurdle is philosophical. Large firm administrators and IT personnel have a tendency to believe that the introduction of a Mac onto a Windows-only network will lead to LAN Armageddon. Of course, this is a myth, based upon the "old days" of proprietary systems and closed networks. But myths can, at times, be difficult to deconstruct. The keys to my success were diligent homework and effective presentation. I knew going in that I had more Mac knowledge than any of the decision-makers, including the IT people. I simply needed to show them that I had anticipated every contingency and had all the answers. I also needed to specifically rebut, with facts and technical research, the stories that usually began, "Some guy tried this at my old firm and screwed up the network." |
The real hurdle is philosophical. Large firm administrators and IT personnel have a tendency to believe that the introduction of a Mac onto a Windows-only network will lead to LAN Armageddon. Of course, this is a myth, based upon the "old days" of proprietary systems and closed networks. But myths can, at times, be difficult to deconstruct. |
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From this experience, I have prepared the following list of pointers for those seeking to bring a Mac into the Windows-dominated world of medium-to-large law firms. These pointers address not only the philosophical, but also some of the technical issues inherent in the process. Outline your expected productivity gains. As with all money-making organizations, law firms are interested in how technology will make a user more productive. In my case, I explained that my home computer system is all Mac. I discussed my need to have an office system that would integrate well with my home system, particularly as concerns web and office network access. I illustrated how a Mac laptop for work would increase my ability to follow up on files after hours, at home and on the road. I explained my frustration at being beholden to often-inaccessible help desk people while using a Wintel laptop, when, with a Mac, I could resolve my own remote-access problems. This was effective. Firm administrators generally listen when more billable hours are at issue. |
I explained my frustration at being beholden to often-inaccessible help desk people while using a Wintel laptop, when, with a Mac, I could resolve my own remote-access problems. This was effective. Firm administrators generally listen when more billable hours are at issue. |
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Highlight the Microsoft connection. Fortunately, Microsoft's Mac Business Unit has done an admirable job producing software to keep the Mac on par with Windows. Networked Mac users can seamlessly open and save all MS Office documents without the remaining users on the network missing a beat. There are no translation hassles. If you are clever, you can even work around integrated Windows-only third-party "document management" software by locating the file directories on the network and opening files directly into Mac Office programs. This does not impact their subsequent ability to be accessed through the document management system. The one minor Microsoft-related drawback is Outlook. Microsoft has not yet produced an OS X native version of this PIM client. I have seen nothing that outlines their plans either way with respect to this issue. Still, I am able to run the OS 9.x Outlook client through Classic, giving me complete e-mail, task, and scheduling parity with Windows users. Full Microsoft compatibility is a real plus from an "establishment" perspective. Don't underestimate the power of Virtual PC. Connectix's Virtual PC is a wonderful piece of work. It allows a "virtual machine" to be set up on a Mac that appears as a standard Windows box to everyone else on the network. Virtual PC allows me to access a complete, firm-standard software set, without denying me the additional benefits provided by the Mac OS. Our IT personnel have installed some very cumbersome, law-specific software packages on my Mac, using Virtual PC. So far, it hasn't flinched. While Virtual PC certainly isn't as fast as a dedicated Windows machine, it does what I need it to do, the few times each day I need it. In presenting my case to the firm concerning this issue, I discussed the "redundancy" that a VPC set-up provides. I explained how, if "something" happens to my Mac MS Office installation, I can still hum along with my VPC installation, and vice versa. The firm administrators seemed to like this. Based upon their own experience with computers, they know that "something" certainly could happen. |
Full Microsoft compatibility is a real plus from an "establishment" perspective.
Virtual PC allows me to access a complete, firm-standard software set, without denying me the additional benefits provided by the Mac OS. Our IT personnel have installed some very cumbersome, law-specific software packages on my Mac, using Virtual PC. So far, it hasn't flinched.
I explained how, if "something" happens to my Mac MS Office installation, I can still hum along with my VPC installation, and vice versa. The firm administrators seemed to like this. Based upon their own experience with computers, they know that "something" certainly could happen. |
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Show how "the internet" is the great network equalizer. One of the most significant philosophical challenges involved rumors of Macs crashing Windows networks due to their proprietary network protocols. Here, the internet came to the rescue. I explained how, in the "old days," proprietary network protocols may have caused problems for inexperienced users. However, with the advent of "the internet," everything changed. Virtually all computers use standard TCP/IP networking, and millions of Macs are logged onto NT and UNIX servers every second of every day. Everybody knows something about "the internet" and even inexperienced users seem to grasp how this "new phenomenon" probably has had a big impact on connectivity among different flavors of operating systems, even on a LAN level. Today, OS X has built-in, auto-configuring network capabilities that allow an OS X user to log on and mount volumes on standard NT networks, right out of the box. The "old days" are over, especially when many services are accessible through a simple web browser on any computing platform. This is not difficult for managing lawyers to understand. Leverage the UNIX factor. Along with OS X came the instant credibility of UNIX. Tech people seem to like this. In dealing with the firm's IT personnel, I discussed the rock-solid nature of UNIX and its implementation of open source, industry standard technologies. I explained that servers around the world are running UNIX, handling hits by Macs, PCs, Linux boxes, and everything else one can imagine. Further, I mentioned that many UNIX open source applications are being released in OS X flavors. On a more micro scale, I pointed out that UNIX systems generally don't crash. (I think I have had one kernel panic, and it resulted from the accidental unlatching of the PowerBook's keyboard while the computer was running.) Offending applications may crash, but the system itself remains unaffected. Most long-time Windows users have difficultly believing this, but are intrigued by the prospect. Explain the wonders of TCP/IP printing. In all honesty, printing was the one main technical challenge I had when I first put my Mac on the network. I think it had something to do with HP's netprint boxes on our old LaserJet 4's. I could print from Virtual PC, but not from standard Mac applications. Fortunately, our firm recently acquired a new HP 4100 series printer that solved this problem for me. We plugged the printer into the network and I recorded the IP address. I then set up an "LPR" printer using the OS X Print Center utility and the OS X-provided HP driver. It now works like a charm, with my Mac communicating with the printer via TCP/IP. Discuss the Mac's immunity to most virus attacks. Recent virus attacks are still fresh in most Windows users' minds. Macs have traditionally made it through these attacks unscathed. I assume that a virtual machine, using VPC could get attacked, but VPC has a great feature that allows a user to simply quit without saving any changes to the hard drive image. This is simply added security, increasing a Mac user's chances of working through issues that can be devastating to the Windows world. Firm administrators love this sort of safety net. Again, it's all about billable hours and productivity gains. |
Everybody knows something about "the internet" and even inexperienced users seem to grasp how this "new phenomenon" probably has had a big impact on connectivity among different flavors of operating systems, even on a LAN level. Today, OS X has built-in, auto-configuring network capabilities that allow an OS X user to log on and mount volumes on standard NT networks, right out of the box.
I explained that servers around the world are running UNIX, handling hits by Macs, PCs, Linux boxes, and everything else one can imagine. Further, I mentioned that many UNIX open source applications are being released in OS X flavors. On a more micro scale, I pointed out that UNIX systems generally don't crash. While tech people seem to like this, most long-time Windows users have difficultly believing this, but are intrigued by the prospect.
Recent virus attacks are still fresh in most Windows users' minds. Macs have traditionally made it through these attacks unscathed. Firm administrators love this sort of safety net. Again, it's all about billable hours and productivity gains.
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Illustrate the Mac's ability to work with imaged documents, deposition transcripts, and presentation software. In a litigation-centered practice such as mine, lawyers are increasingly turning to technology for help with document management and trial presentation. Unfortunately, most litigation software is Windows-only. However, the Mac can hold its own with respect to all but the most demanding tasks, using off-the-shelf applications such as Adobe Acrobat and wonderful freeware gems such as BBEdit Lite. Most document imaging companies are happy to provide a PDF file on CD, in addition to the directories full of TIFF files and import scripts necessary to pull electronic records into most dedicated litigation management programs. Further, BBEdit Lite, coupled with the Mac finder, does a beautiful job of searching and organizing trial and deposition transcripts. In fact, for many tasks, I prefer BBEdit Lite's searching capabilities to those of dedicated litigation tools. In addition, PowerPoint, the perennial closing argument favorite, comes standard with the Mac Office suite. I should also note that PDF, another emerging standard, is essentially OS X's native graphics engine. Law firms like standards. Bring up the Citrix issue. Mac users at firms with Citrix installations are in luck. There are Citrix clients available for most operating systems, including some modified Java clients that work under OS X. Citrix technology permits a Mac user to essentially run a full Windows application set with very little overhead . A good set up might be considered as a replacement for Virtual PC, although I wouldn't risk it. Citrix is also is a good workaround to the lack of an OS X native Outlook client. Editor's Note: Citrix is an expensive set-up. If your firm already has Citrix installed, then it's a no brainer. The Mac client for Citrix is a free download and simple to set-up. However, if your firm is not already using Citrix, I wouldn't even mention it. Point out the Mac's hardware standards. Many people are under the impression that the Mac is still a closed system, unable to communicate with peripherals. This is not the case. I have had success in connecting to generic USB devices, FireWire hard drives, digital cameras, LCD projectors, etc. In fact, for a recent trial, I had my PowerBook and an IBM laptop both connected to the same LCD projector. I switched back and forth between the two without a problem. As soon as the projector's cable was connected to my laptop, OS X auto-sensed the signal and put the computer into video mirroring mode at 1024 x 768 resolution. The IBM had to be manually configured. |
Most document imaging companies are happy to provide a PDF file on CD, in addition to the directories full of TIFF files and import scripts necessary to pull electronic records into most dedicated litigation management programs. Further, BBEdit Lite, coupled with the Mac finder, does a beautiful job of searching and organizing trial and deposition transcripts. In fact, for many tasks, I prefer BBEdit Lite's searching capabilities to those of dedicated litigation tools. In addition, PowerPoint, the perennial closing argument favorite, comes standard with the Mac Office suite. I should also note that PDF, another emerging standard, is essentially OS X's native graphics engine.
For a recent trial, I had my PowerBook and an IBM laptop both connected to the same LCD projector. I switched back and forth between the two without a problem. As soon as the projector's cable was connected to my laptop, OS X auto-sensed the signal and put the computer into video mirroring mode at 1024 x 768 resolution. The IBM had to be manually configured. |
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Address total cost of ownership issues. There is some evidence on the web suggesting that total cost of ownership for Macs is much less than for Windows machines. I haven't researched this, but can say that, in my experience, Macs generally have a fairly high resale value. Further, brand new, my PowerBook G4 cost the same as the standard-issue IBM laptops our firm provides to attorneys. Naturally, I had to buy much of my own software, but I was happy to do so. Don't be afraid to do some horse trading. Mac users should be creative in structuring deals so there is little risk to their firms. I provided our firm administrators and the IT personnel with a guarantee. If the Mac didn't work on our network, I would disconnect it and pay for it. I also agreed to reimburse the firm for the reasonable value of the Mac if I left the firm for whatever reason. That was about a year ago, and my PowerBook G4 has been chugging along faithfully ever since. I have no thought of leaving. The Macintosh certainly has come a long way since 1984. I have been a committed user even through the low points, since I am simply convinced that it is the best tool for the job. In my view, the platform is currently as viable as ever, even in the Windows stronghold of large law firms. I would encourage any tech-savvy lawyer to explore the possibility of transitioning his or her practice to the Mac. |
I provided our firm administrators and the IT personnel with a guarantee. If the Mac didn't work on our network, I would disconnect it and pay for it. I also agreed to reimburse the firm for the reasonable value of the Mac if I left the firm for whatever reason. That was about a year ago, and my PowerBook G4 has been chugging along faithfully ever since. I have no thought of leaving. |
