Why do corporate IT departments hate Macs so much?

Well, one, as someone who uses a Mac and manages a corporate windows network (not very well... but it is something I do) -- Large networks (windows in particular) tend to be Complex. Strange little things can crop up that turn out to be very different than their symptoms.

So being paranoid and preventing people from doing things outside the norm can keep things running smoother. The other thing is various stories about people gaining access to networks via all kinds of methods -- including scattering random USB keys infected with a trojan in the parking lot of a bank -- somebody's going to pick one up and plug it in to their computer to see what's on it!

As for the mac thing? I doubt they "hate" the Mac -- but it's an unknown thing. Plus, to get it to connect to the windows shares, they probably have to change a lot of settings. I've known networks to have a windows server & a mac server and just keep the two separate, only meeting at the servers.

I don't know whether they hate Macs. But they do know that the overwhelming majority of people knows windows instead of MacOS and that Macs are a lot more expensive than Windows machines. So: no Macs = save on teaching people MacOS + save on hardware. It all comes down to money, I think.

It also depends what sort business you're in. You'll find that businesses that deal with programming, accounting and so forth will have PC's. On the other hand businesses that deal with artsy fartsy stuff like communication design, print design, web design, etc. will have Macs.

A business will have to think of their clients too. Imagine creating a product on a Mac then finding out it doesn't work on your client's PC! Compatibility is horrendous even in this modern age, which really isn't acceptable but it's the way of the world.

I think It's a combination of all three previous answers. It's sometimes hard to switch to mac, it's not cost effective unless you are in the design business, and windows is so unstable that anything outside of the norm can screw it up.

Not to mention the windows propaganda machine makes sure people are deathly afraid of macs. Until I got one, I'd always heard how hard they were to use and they were generally a taboo topic. Dunno why, I love my mac.

I have to agree with Perchick re: Windows propaganda. Most of the "hate" is actually fear of the unknown and ignorance.

Corporate desktops and notebooks are also rarely cutting edge, so most Macs are too well equipped to fit their budget.

Ironically, I suspect a five year old G3 iMac could handle most cubicle work. Macs have such longer usable lifespans that they would often be a more economical choice. Again, just doesn't fit into a typical corporate IT department's comfort zone.

Something to do about the curves on the mac logo create conflict in a square cubicle. Therefore to avoid this eyesore, they must purchase square machines, with square monitors, and square logos.

It is easier to find IT people that have been trained to manage Windows. Their are literally thousands of places you can go to be trained as an IT person for Windows, but relatively few where you can be trained and certified as a Mac IT person.

Windows also provides more capability for restricting an end-user's capability. With Windows, an IT person can have very fine grained control (preventing the installation of certain applications, key logging, requiring that certain application are always running, etc.) of an end user's machine. With Mac's, the end-user tends to have more control.

@fchapa, I think you hit the nail on the head. It comes down, as far as I can tell, to cost and control. The entry level Winblows PeeCee is cheap as chips. It also, as you say, allows admins to pretty much lock it down. I'm lucky to work in an organization that is very Mac friendly. You can have my Mac when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers. ;^)

funny that you ask why they are so paranoid. i think a lot of their "paranoia" has to do with either them justifying their job or its their sad way of tryi g to impress you.