Quick question, the software that goes on an intel mac is going to be reasonably compatible with a Pc. I’m 99% sure it is but the boss is asking so thought I’d ask you lot.

what do you mean reasonably compatible? you can’t load windows software straight onto a mac, you can use bootcamp to install windows on it though and run your windows software that way.

Yes and no, Sort of.

Things like word, where there are mac and pc versions of the program, typically there aren’t too many problems sending documents from mac to pc and back.

You will have to buy new copies of software like ms office for the mac though.

Programs themselves, if there isn’t a mac version. macs can run most pc software except games using dodgy virtual machine software to run it, sometimes slower though. You can also boot a mac up into windows to run Windows software, although that is kind of missing the point of a mac, as you then can’t run mac software at the same time.

I think you have missed the point here and your boss is probably right.
Just because the Mac is an intel one will not help, the software either has to be compiled for OSX – i.e. Mac software, or you boot you Mac into Windows (expensive way to get a PC) or you run it under boot camp – another software fix.
For most software there is a Mac version, often cheaper. If not you are going to have to buy windows to run n your mac

Office 2008 (mac) works well with Office 2007. The main differences are no VBA for Excel macros and no Outlook. The mac equivalent is Entourage, although I hear that Office 2010 for mac will have a version of Outlook.

FWIW I work on a mac and all my colleagues use PCs. There are very few issues I or they have to deal with as a result.

You can work work across Mac and PC as the files are compatible, not the same as trying to run the same software. Office 2007 (PC) and Office 2008 (Mac) are functionally the same and are fully compatible; not the same as being able to (easily) run Office 2007 on a Mac

The mac equivalent is Entourage, although I hear that Office 2010 for mac will have a version of Outlook.

Entourage came in with Office for Mac 2008. As far as I can see Entourage = Outlook.

Tails….please tell me you’re not your businesses head IT guy 😉

Entourage was in Office 2004 for Mac and may have been in earlier versions.

Office 2011 (Mac) will have Outlook http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/35901/microsoft-office-mac-2011-launched

Hi again think I have my answers. Essentially my boss bought a mac for me as he “heard” it was good for design, now we have employed another design girl who is on a PC as are all the other staff. There are compatibility problems with the mac and the server. I have told him that whilst i’m happy on a mac I would much rather be compatible with the other staff, but changing the licenses from mac to pc could be pricey, so i may be staying on OSX aslong as all the software swaps with other staff smoothly.

Tails….please tell me you’re not your business head IT guy

No I just use software but generally muddle my way through IT problems.

I have just bought a Mac and installed paralells which allows me to run windows programs on the Mac alongside “Mac” programs. It installed easily and runs well – better than on my old pc. However I tried getting windows 7running with bootcamp and could not it to go at all. gave up in the end.

There are compatibility problems with the mac and the server.

Such as?

(In a corporate environment, if you have a Mac and need to run Windows 7, what you need there is a PC. However, as a designer, do you really need Windows 7? Seems to me that what you need to do there is get some help with these “compatibility issues”.)