When employees learn they're getting a Mac, they often become giddy and want it right now. New employees are especially anxious. Yet too often a new Mac doesn't arrive in time for the new employee's first day, Kelly says. "It's probably the biggest gotcha."

Kelly orders a Mac from a reseller five miles away from Healthcare IP Partners' headquarters in Minneapolis, Minn. The order specifies Mac hardware configurations, while Kelly's team loads software. Many times, though, the reseller doesn't have the right equipment in stock.

The delay may just be a couple of days, Kelly says, which isn't a big deal. For new employees excited on their first day, however, "it's just a bad start," he says.