Actually it's usually 2: power supply and monitor. One is a mag connection and the other is mini-DisplayPort so it's super easy to plug them in.

I use a wireless keyboard and mouse. And our network is 802.11n so I rarely ever plug in the ethernet cable, but that would be #3.

I don't use external speakers at work. When I do occasionally need sound, the built-in speakers are quite good.

Ok, this is my last response as it seems you're not going to be objective about this.

First, if you go to Dell and click "business" they don't list the Studio. That's why it's cheap. It's not in the same class as the Lenovos I listed or the MacBook Pro. Let's review your assessment in detail, shall we?

• Mac Baseline: $2499.

Let's compare that to the Dell Studio:

• Dell Studio 17 Baseline: $1099.
• Upgrade to Windows Vista Ultimate: +$150 (OS X has everything, so you have to pick the Windows edition with everything)
• Upgrade to 500 GB HDD: +$75
• Upgrade to CD/DVD Writer: +$29
• Upgrade to Bluetooth: +$25
• Upgrade to Backlit keyboard: +$25
• Upgrade to Sony Imagination Studio (near iLife equivalent): +$100

Total: $1500

Whoa! That's really cheap!!! So why the price gap? Apple must be robbing us, right? Not so fast ...

• Dell resolution: 1440x900. Mac 1920x1200
• Dell HDD: 5400 rpm, Mac HDD: 7200rpm
• Dell RAM: DDR2, Mac RAM DDR3
• Dell Weight: 7.8 lbs., Mac Weight: 6.6 lbs
• Dell Battery: 4 hours, Mac Battery 8 hours
• Dell thickness: 1.7", Mac thickness: 0.9"
• Dell Video card: 256MB, Mac Video Card: 512MB

You can continue the list if you'd like. All you have to do is actually look at the spec pages. So, nice try, but I've been around the block before. You should go check the Dell business class systems and price them. I just matched specs on the Dell Precision and it's $2884. You get what you pay for. It's not that these systems are overpriced, they're simply better spec'ed.

But hey, as long as you can convince yourself, that's all that really matters. The last word is yours if you want it. I'm done with this thread.

Yes, I have a degree in computer science, telecommunication experience, and currently lead a team that delivers ERP reporting solutions to Windows, OS X, and Linux users.

Who's talking about servers? This thread started with me stating that a dock is not sufficient criteria to not allow user to have Macs. I'm focused on my laptop. I do agree that OS X Server isn't that great.

No, you're wrong. Let's stop bickering and use these crazy things called "facts."

• Apple MacBook Pro, 17": $2,499
• Lenovo W700ds, 17" (upgraded to match Mac specs): $3,533, currently on sale for $2,494
• Lenovo T400s, 14.1" (upgraded to match Mac specs): $2,695, currently on sale for $2,592

It's not 2001 anymore. Time to update your "why I hate Mac" argument.

I think if you'd just step back for one second, you'll see that 1 solution seldom fits all. Windows/PCs have their strengths, but so does any system.

It sounds like your IT staff made some poor decisions. If you are in a situation where you've tied yourself to one vendor, then you may be correct about PCs. However, I recommend you look for software that follows standards and isn't made for a specific version of a specific application on a specific platform.

Not sure what you mean here. Remote login, controlled updates, automatic backups, MS Office, ERP software, etc., etc., etc., is all available on Mac too. Again, this is a dated argument.

That's an easy stat to toss out, but I'd challenge you to back it. When you go spec-for-spec, Apple's hardware isn't much more expensive (sometimes cheaper) than the PC alternative. And there's the cost of support to consider too. In general, you get what you pay for. If you buy a cheap PC, it's probably going to cost you time and money to keep it running. If I'm getting paid $50/hr, it only takes a day of me screwing around with my quirky PC to cover your price gap (if it even exists). You've got to look beyond the sticker price.

Anyway, best of luck to you.

No, this is why geeks who don't know when to "turn off their geekness" shouldn't be put in charge. Low level people tend to have fluff in their schedules. They have time to sit at their desk and think "stupid PEBCAK!" and tweak either their hardware or software to deal with it. As you move up the food chain though, time to do stuff like that goes down as you spend all of your time trying to get the 50 guys that work for you to focus on the business and not PEBCAK. The result is that your time to tweak your system diminishes while the impact of hardware/software issues rises.

I assure you it's not that I don't have the aptitude. I just choose to apply myself elsewhere and expect my hardware/software to just work.

And your implication that Mac is somehow for dumb people is just wrong. If you're in charge of administering anything, I strongly recommend you step out of your geek shoes and look at people as individuals and offer/support systems that meet their needs, not yours.

This advise is just silly. I work for a large corporation (10K+ employees) and Mac is fully supported in every area of the business (along with PCs/Windows). I know it's really hard to plug 3 cables into the very accessible ports on the side of my computer every morning when I get to work, but somehow I manage.

So, let's not say "no corporation should ever" about anything. There are tradeoffs with most anything. Where you may want a dock, other people like me couldn't care less (I actually prefer not to have the extra hardware on my desk).

I think in general the "Macs are bad for business" argument died about 5 years ago. It's simply not true anymore. On the contrary, I find myself far more productive on my Mac. The computer I had before at the same company was an HP NC6220 running XP. It was a nightmare.

Was it just me, or did anyone else find the process of getting Window 7 Beta to be a pain? I was amazed at just how difficult it was to obtain their software using a non-Windows OS.