Anyone use their personal MBP to "replace" their work-issued Windows Laptop?

hellfire88 said:

Hi All, just curious if any of you guys/gals use your personal MBP to replace your work-issued Windows laptop?

I'm a mobile worker who primarily works out of customer offices, so I use my work laptop 9+hrs a day. I have no problems with Windows 7, but the screen on my work laptop is a "meh" / subpar 14" 1366x768 display (TN screen, poor contrast typical of business-class laptops).

Recently I've started to bring my rMBP 13" to work along with my work laptop. I use the rMBP for web-browsing (work-related research) and reading PDFs mainly. I've been thinking of just copying my files over from my work laptop to my rMPB 13", installing bootcamp / VMware Fusion, and a personal copy of Office 2013 for Windows that I own (of course, I'd ask my IT dept first if this is OK. I've seen other co-workers of mine work on Macbook Pros so I do not think I'd be the first one).

Only thing is, I don't know how I feel adding battery/SSD cycles, and potentially damaging my personal rMBP 13" in the field (sometimes I go to data centers) and the work-provided laptop would then kinda just sit at home doing nothing lol. But I feel I'd rather stare at a Retina display for 9+hrs daily than a subpar 14" TN screen.

Anyone else do this?

Click to expand...

Well I am not sure that this is work technically but I replaced my school issued dell with my mac and it is great.

I have used both my old and new MBP as a work surrogate machine when at home or elsewhere . Like most companies, mine is very MSFT-centric , so .. I use Office (2008 now 2011) for Outlook ( requires remote access through your company) ..a lot of my job is Excel, Powerpoint, and Word , and these have worked very well on docs created by co-workers or those I create via the Windows Equivalent . Most of the other company systems I have access to are via browser portal, where Safari works on <most> of them .. I do work through SAP via a client based GUI, so I'm stuck here ..if I need to access this, it's time to connect the company laptop .. We've upgraded to Lync for IM, but I still need to use the Office 2008 version of Communicator .

Depends on what you'll need access to , but there are no issues I've had via Mac and OS X ( I don't have Windows on the Mac) to do a lot of my work . It does require Company/IT policies and efforts to allow remote access.

snoylekim said:

It does require Company/IT policies and efforts to allow remote access.

Click to expand...

I think that's the gist of it in many places. You'd be a former employee where I am.

Ccrew said:

I think that's the gist of it in many places. You'd be a former employee where I am.

Click to expand...

Yes ..my access is all via pathways they've approved and configured ..If you work for a place where you can access company IT assets and data without their cooperation or knowledge , they have bigger problems than you
Thing is , a lot of software/remote is platform independent .. MSFT Exchange, is particular has hooks for smartphones ( i and not-i) , tablets , etc .. it's less a Mac versus Windows thing for a lot of stuff, than it is just establishing the policies and pathways for it .. My company is big, with a lot of remote and road staff, so they've stayed in front of being able to communicate safely whenever you need to ..I understand other companies having more restrictive practices.

hellfire88 said:

Only thing is, I don't know how I feel adding battery/SSD cycles, and potentially damaging my personal rMBP 13" in the field

Click to expand...

I wouldn't want to manage two different systems and I actually turned down a company issued Lenova for this very reason. I prefer to make my "work" adapt to my habits in personal life (vs. the other way around).

Over the years, I've found I can do everything I need on my mac from accessing corporate VPN's to full compatibility with MS Office for windows using the mac equivalent. I also have 3 flavors of Windows on my MBP which never ceases to amaze my colleagues especially since WinXP is needed to control our wireless projector which nobody else has.

So, unless you're constantly dragging your Mac to the top of an oil rig I wouldn't worry about the wear-and-tear factor.

Risking a personal laptop because you don't want to stare at an TN screen seems pretty dumb, if you don't mind me saying.

Having said that, I use my MacBook air for work occasionally, but I run everything for work on a Linux VM, so switching laptops based off of my desires for the day takes about 5 minutes.

I say go ahead and use it. You are using it all day long, so if your management doesn't have a problem with it, use it. I did something similar in the past because I prefer having either Mac OS X or Linux if I can't have my Mac and my company reimbursed me in the end for the Macbook Pro.

My work Dell laptop sits on my desk connected to an external monitor

I use my 13" MBA almost exclusively in the office and on the road
All of my files are in Dropbox and shared between machines if needed
My work email is forwarded to a Gmail account
And I remote into my Dell with Team Viewer if needed

Oh, and my work phone, a Galaxy S3 is forwarded to my personal iPhone 5

MacDawg said:

My work Dell laptop sits on my desk connected to an external monitor

I use my 13" MBA almost exclusively in the office and on the road
All of my files are in Dropbox and shared between machines if needed
My work email is forwarded to a Gmail account
And I remote into my Dell with Team Viewer if needed

Oh, and my work phone, a Galaxy S3 is forwarded to my personal iPhone 5

Click to expand...

I hope none of those e-mails are confidential or sensative, if they are, this could end really badly for you. Sorry just reading that is raising so so many alarm bells.

MH01 said:

I hope none of those e-mails are confidential or sensative, if they are, this could end really badly for you. Sorry just reading that is raising so so many alarm bells.

Click to expand...

Not for everyone's work situation, but for mine, it isn't a problem

hellfire88 said:

Hi All, just curious if any of you guys/gals use your personal MBP to replace your work-issued Windows laptop?

I'm a mobile worker who primarily works out of customer offices, so I use my work laptop 9+hrs a day. I have no problems with Windows 7, but the screen on my work laptop is a "meh" / subpar 14" 1366x768 display (TN screen, poor contrast typical of business-class laptops).

Recently I've started to bring my rMBP 13" to work along with my work laptop. I use the rMBP for web-browsing (work-related research) and reading PDFs mainly. I've been thinking of just copying my files over from my work laptop to my rMPB 13", installing bootcamp / VMware Fusion, and a personal copy of Office 2013 for Windows that I own (of course, I'd ask my IT dept first if this is OK. I've seen other co-workers of mine work on Macbook Pros so I do not think I'd be the first one).

Only thing is, I don't know how I feel adding battery/SSD cycles, and potentially damaging my personal rMBP 13" in the field (sometimes I go to data centers) and the work-provided laptop would then kinda just sit at home doing nothing lol. But I feel I'd rather stare at a Retina display for 9+hrs daily than a subpar 14" TN screen.

Anyone else do this?

Click to expand...

Depends who you work for and how serious they are about data management and security. If you deal with sensative data then the IT department will not configure your personal laptop to work on the network.

I'd love to use my rMBP but policy does not allow it, I have instead been issued with a cMBP and a PC laptop.

Go to your IT department and ask them, if you deal with sensative data and you put that onto your personal laptop, your walking a fine line... which will get thinner if your IT department find out. Work laptops have encryption on the HD plus other safety measures in case of theft etc, your personal laptop.... nudda.

hellfire88 said:

Hi All, just curious if any of you guys/gals use your personal MBP to replace your work-issued Windows laptop?

I'm a mobile worker who primarily works out of customer offices, so I use my work laptop 9+hrs a day. I have no problems with Windows 7, but the screen on my work laptop is a "meh" / subpar 14" 1366x768 display (TN screen, poor contrast typical of business-class laptops).

Anyone else do this?

Click to expand...

I'd jump at the chance if we had a BYOD policy, but we don't. We do for phones and iPads, though they disable document sharing using iCloud, Dropbox, etc.

In my case, it's a litigation risk matter. In companies or firms that operate in regulated environments, or who deal with sensitive corporate or personal data (my employer deals with all of those situations), often there won't be a BYOD policy because they want to make sure that data protection policies are in place. I don't work on any, but we also have some government contracts where we aren't even able to use our normal work-issued PCs (sensitive data, etc). We can copy data onto flash drives, etc. but they must be encrypted. Our PCs automatically encrypt any external drive (you can opt out, but then it will be read only).

That said, we do permit remote access to some services (e.g. Outlook Web Access), and I have accessed them from my rMBP at times. The biggest issue I have noticed is that sometimes the remote services (they operate on a Windows 2008 server) don't mesh well with the 2560x1600 screen. They expect a standard 1366x768 or 1280x800 display and won't properly display, even if you use Windows 7's built in scaling feature.

See what your IT department says. If they are OK with it, I wouldn't worry too much about the stress on your Mac. Computers are meant to be operated. I use Parallels Desktop and Windows 7 on my 13" rMBP and it works just fine. They might insist that you install one of their standard builds (particularly if you have encryption policies), and ask that you use FileVault 2 on the Mac partition and purchase some remote wipe software.

I use my own system to replace my work laptop partly because my work laptop can't hold itself together. The battery falls out when carrying around it; runs extremely hot; barely has 1 hour charge or sometimes it'll run 3 hrs without charging... just little things here and there.

However, I keep all my work files/emails and applications in it's own virtual machine that runs inside VMware Fusion. Along with encryption for the virtual machine and company policy log outs, user lock, etc. its probably my best solution so far. The VM doesn't even need a lot of memory. 1GB for Windows 7 Professional runs great.

I use my MBP at work and on client sites. In my field of work (Marketing Design) the administrator gives me full VPN access so dramas there.
I hook my MBP up to 22" Dell monitor and i just purchased a laptop stand (just mobile stand) the other day to make working with my mac a whole lot comfortable for my neck.

Haven't looked back since 2008

I started sing my own MBP in 2008 and haven't used a work provided windows machine since then. Mid 2010 15 inch MBP, iPad2 and iPhone 4S.
All great - except the MBP has noticeably slowed down since Mountain Lion and its started to go crazy now - frequent crashing, random pointer moving and selecting, zooming in and out, invoking the dictionary onrandomly selected words, starting up launch pad or dashboard - but I'll put a post in on that as a seperate thread

my work gives us a 2500 budget every 3 years to get a new comp. pretty nice deal. any computer we want.

We deal with extremely sensitive corporate data do any sort of BYOD model is a non starter.

And as I work in support I am absolutely delighted.

Any serious IT consultant will usually run their own rig, because, lets face it - 99% of the machines provided by the internal business are cheap crap.

At the end of the day, its my arse on the line when I am at a customer site, so I want to work as efficiently as possible. Plus, you are also staring at this screen for 8-9 hours a day. I also hate windows and refuse to run it, and I like to run multiple VMs so I can lab stuff up.

Just salary scarifies your machine / claim on tax as a work expense.

Think of it like being an elite special forces soldier, customising your weapons etc.. to make you more effective.

I run my own rMBP 15" at work.

No, just for the simple fact that I don't like work and personal hardware interacting.