Migrating My Law Office from Windows to Macintosh

In my previous installment, I compared the costs of buying a new Mac Pro configured as a server with upgrading my existing Windows server to modern specifications and operating system. While the upgrade option was considerably cheaper, I'm leaning strongly toward the Mac.

No Longer Tied to Windows

What I didn't mentioned is that regardless of which server option I take, the technology is now such that I can easily migrate all of my client computers to Mac OS X. Whether I use Leopard Server and Apple's built-in productivity applications (Mail, iCal, Address Book) or continue to use Exchange with Microsoft Entourage 2008, I no longer am forced to use Windows for calendar sharing as I was three years ago.

Also as previously mentioned, my current system makes it difficult to access shared folders on the Windows server remotely from a Mac using VPN. There are options to do this - either hiring an experienced Mac consultant to make it work, or adding third party software to do the job.

The decision on the server side, while important for me as the person who administers the network, means little for the end users, who just need access to their documents and everyone's calendars, which can now be accomplished as easily on either a Mac or a PC.

Which brings me to the current state of our network. I use a previous-generation MacBook (2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo Black) upgraded to 4 GB of RAM. This system is fast, and with Microsoft Office 2008 and RIM's updated version of PocketMac BlackBerry, I no longer have any Exchange or synchronization issues whatsoever.

Everything just works smoothly - except for remote access to shared folders. I even have a temporary workaround for that, using a program called Chronosync to maintain a synchronized copy of my server shares that I update before I leave the office and again when I return. It's not real-time, but it's adequate.

Macs for Everyone?

My office manager works part-time in the office and part-time from her home. She also has a previous-generation MacBook, this one an entry-level white Core 2 Duo at 2 GHz with 1 GB of RAM. She previously accessed corporate functions using Windows XP Professional run natively in Boot Camp with Microsoft Office 2003 and Windows' included VPN client.

This worked smoothly and well, but I plan on moving her to Office 2008 for Mac and running everything natively in OS X. She will need the Mac version of QuickBooks 2007, which is her primary application, as well as shared calendar access in Entourage 2008. Her computer is modern and fast, and a simple RAM upgrade to 2 GB should suffice for everything she does.

Our legal secretary works only from the office, so no VPN access is required. Currently she uses a one-year-old HP desktop PC running Windows XP Professional and Microsoft Office 2003. Since her computer will be on the same local network, file sharing (even with the Windows server) is not an issue, and likewise this PC could remain compatible when we move to a Mac server, though she would have to move from Microsoft Outlook to an iCal Server compatible calendar program, most likely Mozilla Thunderbird with the Lightning plugin.

I do not, however, plan to keep this PC in active service. Rather, I will move it to the back office for use by temps, which we bring in once in a while for case-specific work. This PC is not very old and normally would have another year or two before a regular upgrade.

Since the secretary sits in the front-office and is the face of the company when people walk in, I'm leaning toward a new 20" iMac or, d if I can find one refurbished from Apple, the last-generation white iMac, which has a matte screen that would be better in the office.

Whether new or refurbished, an iMac is ideal, as it would not only offer enough power, but also would reduce the cable clutter associated with a separate monitor. Depending on budget, a Mac mini is also a viable option, as graphics requirements are low, and even though its architecture is old and uses slow and small laptop hard drives, the mini is more than adequate for a front-office machine that will rarely be used for anything more demanding than word processing and creating PDFs. Still, the iMac presents a much more elegant appearance and is what I am leaning toward.

A Special Case

My paralegal travels between two offices and currently uses an IBM (pre-Lenovo) ThinkPad T42 with a docking station, 19" SXGA monitor, keyboard, and mouse at each of her desks. In the main office she accesses shared folders directly over the LAN and has full access to the shared calendar and Exchange email using Outlook 2003. In the sub-office, which is 120 miles away, she connects using the built-in Windows VPN client and again has full access to Exchange and all shared folders, albeit with a speed penalty.

Another nice feature of Windows for that role is the built-in offline folder function, which automatically synchronizes the server shares whenever she logs on or off of Windows and can also be activated manually, such as when she establishes a VPN connection.

This laptop is almost four years old and is slightly overdue for my regular upgrade cycle. It has a Pentium M processor at 1.7 GHz that is roughly equivalent to a Core Solo Mac mini in power, has 1 GB of RAM (maximum 2 GB) and a small 40 GB hard drive. The PC is very reliable from a hardware standpoint, but I probably spend more time solving software problems with this particular computer, by nature of its multiple location use, than all of my other client computers combined. With a RAM and hard drive upgrade, it is powerful enough for Windows Vista, but like the HP desktop, I will probably keep this one in reserve for temp employee use or as a backup in case another computer goes down.

For this user, a MacBook makes perfect sense, and I will probably give her my current MacBook. The one complaint about the MacBook for her role is the lack of sophisticated docking for Apple portables. The ThinkPad hardware is ideal for this use, with a terrific docking station that has its own power button, making it easy to just connect the laptop to the dock and then power it on in lid-closed mode.

With a MacBook, she will have to plug in the AC adapter, mini-DVI connector, and USB for the keyboard and mouse. Where it gets tricky is lid-closed mode, which works well and which I use in the office on my MacBook, but it is a bit tricky for a nontechnical user. There are docks available, but they are nowhere near as well integrated as the ThinkPad docks.

Another option for this user is a MacBook Pro on a laptop stand, requiring only the attachment of the AC adapter and one USB cable for keyboard and mouse, and using the (elevated) MacBook Pro display instead of an external monitor. My only reluctance is that this user moves back and forth between offices a few times per week, and after looking at all of the smudges on her ThinkPad, I think that a MacBook Pro will end up dented and battered in no time - not to mention that the wide 15" or 17" laptop screen isn't as well suited to document production as the non-wide 19" monitors she uses now. Also, the graphics power of the MacBook Pro is overkill for document work in Word and Adobe Acrobat.

The 13" MacBook on a stand, connected also to the 19" monitor through DVI and used in dual monitor configuration is perhaps the best option. She gets the big 19" monitor for documents and can use the MacBook's 13" monitor for email, calendar, and toolbars in her various applications without bothering with the complexities (and high heat) of using the MacBook in lid-closed mode.

Pushing my MacBook down to my paralegal leaves me with only my old 12" PowerBook, which I've been using for the last few days while my paralegal has been learning the Mac on my MacBook. The PowerBook, maxed out with 1.25 GB of RAM, simply doesn't have the muscle to run Word 2008, Entourage 2008, Acrobat Professional, and Safari at the same time without slowing to a crawl from time to time. I originally thought of giving this PowerBook to my paralegal, but those same performance limitations are why she is currently using my MacBook.

The PowerBook still does a decent job within its limitations, and I can use it for a few weeks longer until Apple's new product announcement, which is rumored for October 14. That is when I will buy my next Apple laptop, either a new model, depending on whether I am sufficiently blown-away by Apple's latest to ignore my own anti-Rev. A bias, or a newly discounted MacBook Air or possibly even a MacBook Pro.

For my use, the choice is always a difficult balance between portability and power. I like to play games on my computer when I travel, and for that a MacBook Pro, either the current model or the next generation, would be ideal. I also fly a lot, and while I've seen people using 15" MacBook Pro and PowerBook laptops in coach, it isn't a good fit.

A MacBook Air for Me?

For travel, a MacBook Air would be ideal, and that model will likely be moving to Rev. B at that time.

The MacBook Air is perfect for me in terms of size and weight, though its lack of user-changeable batteries is a serious concern. Other than that, I can live with the external DVD drive, which can live on my desk at home and ride in my check-in bag on longer trips, allowing me to play those games that the Air's vampire video can handle, but letting me travel light when running from gate to gate.

Except for games, which my current MacBook is just as limiting for, a MacBook Air is more than up to everything I do with a computer. With 2 GB of RAM and even its current 80 GB drive (I expect a 120 GB Rev. B model to be announced), I can carry enough of my music collection, games, and movies to keep me entertained on a long flight and still have plenty of room for all of my productivity software.

I know this because my 12" PowerBook has the exact same drive capacity, and fully loaded (as I have it now), it has 18 GB free - and could have more if I better manage my movie folder. With a MacBook Air, I would likely rely on an external hard drive to keep my movie collection and only put what I anticipate watching onto the internal hard drive prior to a trip. Right now I have 13 GB of video on my PowerBook, which could easily be cut down to about 6. The same for music: I could easily carry 6 or 7 GB on a MacBook Air and keep the rest on an external drive. I've also got a 6 GB synchronized folder of my server shares that I will be able to eliminate (or at least greatly reduce) once I get VPN working on the Mac.

A MacBook Pro, while uncomfortable in flight, would of course negate all of the restrictions of the Air, allowing a massive hard drive, lots of memory, and the power to run the latest games for quite some time. Likewise, another MacBook would give me the massive storage and superb battery life (not to mention spares) that I enjoy now, though with the same restrictions on gaming graphics as the MacBook Air.

This is a difficult decision that, thankfully, I do not need to make today. One thing I already know, given the experience I had with the first generation MacBook, whatever I do buy will have AppleCare added right from the start.