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Making a Mac work in a dealership

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#21
I do not understand this whole Mac thing. I have one at home and still prefer my PC. Although the Mac by far is easier to use for the not so computer literate, the fact that software and printers at dealers have been developed with Windows in mind, there is no way in implementing a Mac environment at the dealership. Even if you use a Mac and make it work with your DMS, try calling them if something does not work (all you get it we do not support that platform and good bye)

At our dealership we have implemented copier/printers other than our DMS' suggested printers and trust me it was a %&*$@. Now that it is all working, it is great because we do not have to purchase pre-printed forms anymore, because we setup a seperate print server that adds the invoice background automatically when it prints. This has given us big savings on printing, but a hassle what support is concerned since we have another party involved.

In addition to problems with your DMS or other software, MACs are expensive and as they become more popular, they become target of hackers and virus writers more and more. That is why McAfee just released a Mac version of their anti virus software.

Anywho, I can see how one person at a dealership could use it if they are a little more savvy, but to support a whole dealership with 50 plus computers on a Mac?
 
#22
Between my wife's Macbook and employees at work I am around 6 macs all the time. Of those 6, 3 have had major problems. Macs have all the same problems that PCs have. You just don't know very many people that have Macs so you don't hear about them.

Macs are a colossal pain in the rear for business use in a corporate environment. Network access, security, centralized back up and everything else that is important to an IT department.

At the end of the day, the operating system hardly even matter anymore. All most people ever use is an internet browser.

Snow Leopard fubared my wife's Macbook for some reason. She now has a wonderful Sony VAIO w/Windows 7 and is actually much happier. So I have a Macbook for sale...
 
#23
Matt - I'm not the least bit surprised to hear that from you. In fact, as I was writing this article, I was thinking "how negative is Matt going to be when he comments on this one."

First paragraph - beg to differ. Your second paragraph shows that you have absolutely no clue what you're talking about. Your third paragraph is spoken as a true Windows fan. And your fourth - huh? I've never heard of Snow Leopard destroying a Mac.
 
#24
Alex - we've been using MAC's for about 10 years in our dealerships. Yes, being the Marketing Director I'm bias. However I've been converting the PC faithful and they are finding that MAC's work better and faster! There is nothing and I mean nothing that the new MAC's cannot run...Reynolds, Reynolds CRM, autotrader.com, cars.com, vAuto, dealer.com...a MAC will run them better than a PC.

Yes, MAC's are more expensive but in the long run you aren't fighting virus, speed issues, etc that cause you to spend extra dollars fixing a PC. MAC's are true workhorses for your business.

For the PC faithful, try using FUSION with XP on a MAC. It will run faster and smoother than running XP on your PC. I don't suggest using Vista or 7 yet, not because they won't work on the MAC but because those op systems have too many bugs and many vendors still don't have working programs with 7.

I will admit you will need to buy an Intel based MAC for this to work. DON'T buy an older non Intel MAC - unless you don't care about running PC programs.

Your dealership will run more efficiently, and cost less to operate - BUY a MAC!
 

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