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Macs Landing on Corporate Desks, Led by iPhones and iPads
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Proof?
A *lot* of us are running Windows 7/Vista/XP, and we don't see BSODs.
Where "*lot*" is about twenty times the Apple OSX installed base....
Active Directory and LDAP
I hope I'm not the first to point out that Cisco allows it's SE's to choose between a Mac and a PC for their mobile platform. For windows-specific apps, such as visio, many use VM's.
The problem with Mac's in the enterprise is the lack of a true Active Directory competitor. Apple has bits and pieces with Apple Remote Desktop, Profile Manager, and LDAP. What apple needs is a true Active Directory and Domain Controller Replacement. What the article doesn't make any note of is the backend. I'll bet that the Macs are managed by either a Windows Server, or Linux/Unix box on the backend, not a mac.
I hope I'm not the first to point out that Cisco allows it's SE's to choose between a Mac and a PC for their mobile platform. For windows-specific apps, such as visio, many use VM's.
The problem with Mac's in the enterprise is the lack of a true Active Directory competitor. Apple has bits and pieces with Apple Remote Desktop, Profile Manager, and LDAP. What apple needs is a true Active Directory and Domain Controller Replacement. What the article doesn't make any note of is the backend. I'll bet that the Macs are managed by either a Windows Server, or Linux/Unix box on the backend, not a mac.
Corporates should understand that when Apple gets bored with a market it just drops it, and without warning.
Corporations do understand this. This is one of the many reasons Apple does not get any significant penetration into the enterprise market. In the consumer market it's a giant... in the enterprise market it's a footnote.
Those are estimates from Forrester, not a particularly Apple-loving consulting company.
More at Asymco
I was in a hotel yesterday which is almost 100% business heads and in the cafe in the morning (full of suits) I scanned around for who was using what. 1) zero tablets of any kind. Zero. not one. About 10 to 1 Windows notebooks against MAC's. About 30% iphones, 50% blackberrys and the rest I couldn't see.
Just an interesting observation.
Just an interesting observation.
If it's a hotel, you might be looking at 70/30 Sales/Enigneers (depending on event, if any)... not a real good makeup for a company. Otherwise, it was about 10% Macbooks, a few iPads, at the last MS WP Dev camp I attended.
You are a misinformed dinosaur.
Damn those facts, getting in the way of your excellent rant.
It's the absolute best thing to do. Corporate desires and user desires are more often than not diametrically opposed. There's a reason that Apple is more successful. While the other makers have been sucking the teat of corporate IT, Apple has been hooking the end users. And corporate IT doesn't REALLY make the decisions. If the CEO says he wants a Mac, the CEO gets a Mac. And IT needs to make it happen. That's the reality.
That's the key point. You're one of a dying breed. People used to make a living repairing toasters and televisions, too.
Any kind of facts to back that up? Of course not, because it's a delusion.
Yeah, and you're still wrong.
Software suite? That's not OS, and not only produced by Apple.
Holy crap STOP beating this dead horse. The market has decided: Glossy screens won. Give it a break. You lost.
If only AutoCAD made a Mac version... oh wait.
And Office "pain and suffering"? Please. Any examples of that hyperbole (which, in reality, is about a half-decade out of date)
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Windows = Job security for IT professionals.
That is, for now. The IT world is changing. There is no need at all to have a Windows PC on an employee's desk. Connection to a VM on a centrally managed data centre works just fine.
My experience is that _everyone_ in my company loves the MacBook Air and wants one and will get one if they can pull the necessary strings. The number of people using it for MacOS X and for Windows is divided somewhere. For Apple, it's a sale no matter what they do. Windows comes from a company license.
So.... Apple is the way to go.... but you still need the VMs to run the windows software so you can do actual work?? It sounds like you have bunch of vain employees.
We have heaps of Apples at work, they belong to clueless managers who use them for show and tell, the rest fall into Designers/UI/Encoders. The rest of the troops use PCs.
Buying a Mac just to use it as a thin client doesn't seem very cost effective to me.
And I hope when you say "pull the necessary strings" you actually mean they justify the cost as they would with any other piece of hardware.
I totally agree. At a time of cost reduction why would you spend up-to twice the amount of a Windows PC on a MacBook Air/Pro?
We are piloting a scheme whereby some users & new contractors are using their own machine & connecting to our systems by Terminal Services. This means we don't have to buy any hardware for these people and they can use whatever they want. I see that as forward thinking rather than wasting money on 'standard' corporate hardware.
I have to say though, I love working & supporting Windows 7. It's a joy to work with & administer.
What kind of proof would you like? (seriously)
And, on the other hand, can you prove that it isn't so?
I can give my own examples, which are only anecdotes, but do speak against Windows. That's why I am leaving a trail of converts to Macs, which started when we still had Mac OS 9. Which was ******, but still much less ****** than Windows.
You use revenue to indicate market share? Not to mention consumer + enterprise, and not just enterprise (as per the topic).
Actually, server management is - and coming up with solutions to problems and requirements of the company itself. A quick screening of open IT placements is basically all regarding server technologies and server management (plenty of Windows + Linux, including a few of the more uncommon types), with only a few on support.
If Apple actually had infrastructure tools worth a damn, and if they actually even worked in many such environments (don't get me started on the appalling network stack), they'd get somewhere.
Logs and historical data from dozens of companies, running thousands of machines. Every single unexpected shut down is registered, and Windows always creates a log entry with all the error specifics when a Kernel Panic (BSOD) occurs. We can see when a machine failed, and why it did so.
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A lot of Enterprise businesses are now realising the value of the "Bring your own" model. Basically, why should IT bother with your client workstation ? Most everything can be done with the thin client model nowadays except for very specialised apps that few departments need.
I've been in the "cloud" business (thin client computing) for about 8 years now, first doing it for SOHO and medium businesses back in 2003 or thereabouts and now on to enterprise grade infrastructure.
As long as your computer is fit enough to run an RDP, ICA or Web client, you have very low needs for the client portion side of things.
I can't wait to ditch my new HP Elitebook (which is quite nice I got to say... if not for the corporate mandated OS default install) for my MacBook Air fulltime. I already bring it and use it often on the corporate network, running all my tools and all the extra little Unix stuff I need to manage the Unix infrastructure (don't tell the desktop folks... my Elitebook actually runs a clandestine VM with Arch Linux with all my stuff running under E16. ).
We have much less problems with our Windows infrastructure than our Unix/3rd party infrastructure and software around here if you ask me. We hardly hear about problems with AD, CIFS or Exchange (I don't manage that stuff, but I'm in the same overall team with the people that do) and really it's Unix and the stuff that runs on top of it that's sucking up most of our time and ressources (this is what I'm involved in thank god!).
But that's only related to the fact that we run everything that isn't desktop support or authentification Unix.
IT professionals have job security not because of a particular platform, but because contrary to popular belief, IT is actually hard to pull off. Most uninformed people think IT is a cost center and that IT folks just invent solutions to non-existing problems to get their foot in the door. I'd like to see them 1 day in my shoes holding it together so that the business can concentrate on its primary mission and be productive about it.
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That's impossible on the basis that you can't prove a negative. And frankly, Aiden's not the one who made the claim of "BSODs!", so he has nothing to prove. If BernardSG wants to run around and claim "BSODs!" are a fact of life, then according to MacRumors rules he has to provide evidence when asked for it.
BSODs don't regurlarly happen anymore. Most of it comes down to bugs in drivers (and if you're running an enterprise, you're running WHQL certified drivers and have strict adherance to HCLs from vendors) or faulty hardware (which Apple is not immune to).
OS X, Windows, whatever, it's all pretty much "rock solid" these days.
I've been in the "cloud" business (thin client computing) for about 8 years now, first doing it for SOHO and medium businesses back in 2003 or thereabouts and now on to enterprise grade infrastructure.
As long as your computer is fit enough to run an RDP, ICA or Web client, you have very low needs for the client portion side of things.
I can't wait to ditch my new HP Elitebook (which is quite nice I got to say... if not for the corporate mandated OS default install) for my MacBook Air fulltime. I already bring it and use it often on the corporate network, running all my tools and all the extra little Unix stuff I need to manage the Unix infrastructure (don't tell the desktop folks... my Elitebook actually runs a clandestine VM with Arch Linux with all my stuff running under E16.
).We have much less problems with our Windows infrastructure than our Unix/3rd party infrastructure and software around here if you ask me. We hardly hear about problems with AD, CIFS or Exchange (I don't manage that stuff, but I'm in the same overall team with the people that do) and really it's Unix and the stuff that runs on top of it that's sucking up most of our time and ressources (this is what I'm involved in thank god!).
But that's only related to the fact that we run everything that isn't desktop support or authentification Unix.
IT professionals have job security not because of a particular platform, but because contrary to popular belief, IT is actually hard to pull off. Most uninformed people think IT is a cost center and that IT folks just invent solutions to non-existing problems to get their foot in the door. I'd like to see them 1 day in my shoes holding it together so that the business can concentrate on its primary mission and be productive about it.
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That's impossible on the basis that you can't prove a negative. And frankly, Aiden's not the one who made the claim of "BSODs!", so he has nothing to prove. If BernardSG wants to run around and claim "BSODs!" are a fact of life, then according to MacRumors rules he has to provide evidence when asked for it.
BSODs don't regurlarly happen anymore. Most of it comes down to bugs in drivers (and if you're running an enterprise, you're running WHQL certified drivers and have strict adherance to HCLs from vendors) or faulty hardware (which Apple is not immune to).
OS X, Windows, whatever, it's all pretty much "rock solid" these days.
Damn those facts, getting in the way of your excellent rant.
I said the iMac & the Apple Cinema Display have glossy displays. This are the facts. So what exactly is your problem with the facts?
From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Cinema_Display#Matte_vs_glossy_screen
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And you are?
It is obvious. You cannot understand the facts.
Nothing with a glossy screen gets deployed to our 50,000+ users. The health & safety people see to that.
A MacBook Air is not expensive compared to a quality PC laptop. And it will last longer. However, _some_ businesses recognize that it make business sense to keep your employees happy. Sure, it depends on which employee, but to some degree it always good for business (obviously, some businesses don't feel like that and end up wondering why all good employees try to leave). For the price difference between a PC and an MBA you make an employee feel enormously valued, and that alone will benefit the business. Having an employee who feels the company cares about employees vs. an employee who thinks they don't give a **** will make a difference in productivity and quality of the work.
I couldn't say if they are vain, but they make tons of profit every year. So I guess they are doing something right.
Both incorrect, unfortunately.
Ah yes, the "feelings" method of IT procurement. That's usually very successful.
Yes it is and no it won't.
My new work laptop has a end of warranty period of October 2014. Desktop IT will force me to use it up to 6 months after this date.
A MacBook Air with proper Applecare for that long of a period is over 1200$ for a 11" machine with 2 GBs of RAM. My HP Elitebook (with the same RAM, albeit, upgradeable with standard 204 pin SO-DIMMs) costs the company around 600$ (don't remember the exact price from the spreadsheet, don't want to bother looking it up on the corporate Intranet).
I will grant you that I would much prefer a MacBook Air and would be eternally grateful to Desktop IT if they provided such a beast (or even just an upgrade to a measly 4 GB of RAM... which I'm going to pay for myself if they refuse).
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That's because Macs are mostly clandestine affairs acquired in the "Other" spending column or acquired for purely the art and marketing department to run their software.
I am technology agnostic. I use both Macs and PCs. I think both systems have their pluses and minuses. It really comes down to personal preferences. For the END user. IT is a different matter. And this talk about how Windows systems = Job security so that's why IT departments love Windows is crap. Plain and simple.
The BSOD argument is also crap. In the past 2 years - I have had more issues with my Mac locking up/memory slowdown, spinning beach ball, etc than I have on the Windows machines I've used.
On the mac - some applications run smoother and faster and just 'easier' for ME. And since I do a lot of video editing - I love my macs because I can't get Final Cut Pro 7 on the PC.
Conversely - I prefer using Office on the Windows machine (or my VMWare) because it opens almost immediately whereas on the Mac it seems to take forever.
There's a lot of either FUD or extremely biased opinions going around on this thread that are just meaningless - beginning with the article itself which is based on an analysts opinion.
Every device has a learning curve. Nothing "just works." Every computer in the workplace needs to be managed and support is always needed for whatever platform an enterprise chooses. Choosing one over the other doesn't make everything perfect. Each platform has strengths and weaknesses.
That all being said - and truly, without bias - at current, systems running Windows offers the most flexibilty in form and function. It's really not debatable.That's not to say they are and will aways be better. Or that some enterprises shouldn't use Macs. It's a general comment that when comparing everything - right now, Microsoft offers IT departments more.
The BSOD argument is also crap. In the past 2 years - I have had more issues with my Mac locking up/memory slowdown, spinning beach ball, etc than I have on the Windows machines I've used.
On the mac - some applications run smoother and faster and just 'easier' for ME. And since I do a lot of video editing - I love my macs because I can't get Final Cut Pro 7 on the PC.
Conversely - I prefer using Office on the Windows machine (or my VMWare) because it opens almost immediately whereas on the Mac it seems to take forever.
There's a lot of either FUD or extremely biased opinions going around on this thread that are just meaningless - beginning with the article itself which is based on an analysts opinion.
Every device has a learning curve. Nothing "just works." Every computer in the workplace needs to be managed and support is always needed for whatever platform an enterprise chooses. Choosing one over the other doesn't make everything perfect. Each platform has strengths and weaknesses.
That all being said - and truly, without bias - at current, systems running Windows offers the most flexibilty in form and function. It's really not debatable.That's not to say they are and will aways be better. Or that some enterprises shouldn't use Macs. It's a general comment that when comparing everything - right now, Microsoft offers IT departments more.