Many small businesses are interested in making "The Switch" - taking
the plunge and investing in Apple hardware. If you find yourself in
that situation, there are some simple tools that you can invest in
(sometimes requiring nothing more than an investment of your time) that
will help make that switch a successful one.
1. Microsoft Office 2008
You've decided to go Apple, so your gut is to go all the way and
throw off the Microsoft shackles for good. Unfortunately, that's not
necessarily the best way to make your transition go well. Even given
the other alternatives, if you're in a business that requires 100%
compatibility with people outside of your office, it's worth the
investment to purchase the latest offering from Microsoft.
Yes, you can try to use OpenOffice.org or NeoOffice - or try to stay 100% Apple
by investing in iWork '08 - but you're sacrificing the guarantee of
100% fidelity with Windows-only shops. In addition, while the program
is different than the Windows equivalent, it is similar enough to
smooth the transition for your employees with as little downtime for
training as possible.
2. Mozilla Firefox
Chances are you're already using Firefox on your Windows
machine. So, while Safari and Camino are excellent and very speedy
browsers, why change again? If you fit this mold, you'll find even more
savings in retraining time, and you'll be much more confident that
every web-based application you had been using (other than badly
designed IE/ActiveX only websites) will work as well.
Again, there is strength in the familiar.
3. A Generic PC Mouse
Some people absolutely adore the mouse that comes with the
Mac. It's very stylish, I will grant you. But after years of using
a mouse with a scroll wheel, the scroll ball will feel foreign and
unpleasant to many.
As such, I would either repurpose the mice from the PCs that you're
replacing (if they have USB, are new enough, and are in good condition)
or invest a few bucks in a new USB mouse for your new computer. Between
the presence of a second mouse button (yes, I know, there are ways to
right-click with the Mighty Mouse) and the familiarity of the scroll
wheel, you'll see a huge payoff.
That said, if you're giving out MacBooks, let them have some time
with the trackpad as well. Once you've acclimatized yourself to two
finger scrolling, horizontally and vertically, you'll wonder why it's
not standard on all notebooks with touchpads.
4. Parallels/Fusion/VirtualBox
Some applications just don't exist for the Mac yet. And others do
but are poor knockoffs of the Windows equivalent. They will very likely
get better, now that Macs are surging into greater popularity, and if
they don't (and maybe even if they do), someone will write something
better eventually.
Until then, however, you can bring Windows apps into your new Mac
office with virtualization. Some
programs will even let you clone the entire hard drive from the PC that
you're replacing, so it's like your employees never really have to let
go. For some, this will be a welcome insurance program, a "just in
case" fallback in times of emergency. For others, it may be too much of
a crutch, requiring a slow weaning process.
Before you leap into virtualization, I recommend looking at what is
available in terms of similar applications - you may be surprised to
find that while there isn't a perfect clone of the Windows program
you're using, there is a program that works better for your business
flow.
5. The Apple Store
There are enough subtle differences between the Mac and Windows
that, depending on the desires of your staff and their relative
experience levels, your decision on whether or not to invest in some
professional training might be make-or-break for your Mac experiment.
Apple offers excellent training guides, online video courses, and even
hands-on courses at their stores. Getting everyone off on the right
foot, understanding the differences from Windows from the very
beginning, will pay off immensely.
And your Apple Store either has someone on-site all the time who can
help with the transition for small business or can put you in touch
with an Apple professional. Having someone who has either done this
sort of thing before - or at least can help to make you aware of some
of the "gotchas" - can really ease your transition and maintain your
peace of mind. And if you have investors who are leery of taking the
plunge, these are exactly the folks you want to have, holding their
hands. 
