by , 10:45 AM EST, March 7th, 2006

Security Awareness consultant, Winn Schwartau, has developed a total cost of ownership (TCO) spreadsheet that compares the initial costs in purchasing and setting up a new Mac and a comparable Windows PC, along with the added costs of maintaining the systems over a three year period. His findings: The initial cost of a Mac may not be any more than a comparable PC, and the overall cost of the Mac will be significantly lower.

Mr. Schwartau's Excel spreadsheet is flexible enough that you can enter your own equipment expenses and project your three year costs. His expenses are based on purchase price, initial setup cost including software, routine and long-term maintenance, user downtime, and productivity gains and losses. The spreadsheet works for PowerPC Macs, Intel Macs, Windows PCs, Linux PCs, or any other computer configuration you may have.

Mr. Schwartau also recently wrote an article for Network World detailing his TCO spreadsheet, and the points your IT department should consider when planning computer purchases.

Winn Schwartau chronicled the experience of converting his security consulting business from Windows to Mac OS X in a 16-part series called Mad as Hell - Switching to Mac.