How to add a Mac to a Windows business without chaos: what has to work, where the friction hides, security parity, and the honest cost of a second platform.
Windows 10 ESU year one ends October 2026 and the price doubles to $122 per device. Here is the real math and a 60-day plan to exit cleanly.
Protecting the point of sale, keeping guest Wi-Fi off the register network, card terminal basics, shared logins, and what to do when the internet drops.
Student and family data, the tablet cart nobody manages, staff account hygiene, and how to answer when a parent asks who can see their child's information.
Rugged versus consumer devices, job site connectivity with no infrastructure, keeping plans current in the field, and backing up the estimating system.
Power over Ethernet explained without jargon: what it does, why a switch runs out of power with free ports, the power tiers, cheap injectors, and the battery backup angle.
Battery backup done deliberately: what a UPS is really for, what belongs on it, how runtime works, and the battery replacement cycle almost nobody schedules.
Donating retired equipment to local causes is great, until old data walks out with it. Wiping versus crushing, license transfer, and what nonprofits really need.