FedEx Switching to Mac?

[nagromme]

Were these OS 9 Macs? Or OS X?

I doubt they were OS X Macs.

And I thought Little Ceasars shut down..... 😕

If it was literally a Kernel Panic, then it had to be OS X.

And Little Caesar's didn't shut down. They just rebooted.

 

[Wonder Boy]

I always knew FedEx is the best shipping company--here in the United States, at least--and this just confirms it.

Cool trivia fact: Did you know there's an arrow hidden in the FedEx logo? Can you find it?

yes i can.

 

[ALoLA]

about time...

I can see why big corporations would finally want to switch over. I suspect the recent round of virus patches broke something at my workplace, because things that were working last week no longer work. Not to mention the fact that I still can't install the latest service pack for Windows 2000 because it disables all of my Microsoft applications. Sure, I can upgrade to the XP versions, but all that means is more $$$ for MS, and cost for the companies. It's about time these corporations saw the light. 😀

 

[rdowns]

Occasionally I see numbers like this and I can't figure out what you're doing. I worked in a Windows shop where we had 1200 workstations, about 50 servers, spread over 12 sites. Support for daily problems and a rather complicated inhouse business app was handled by two techs, one DBA who admitted he only put in a good 4 hours a day, and two people to answer the phone and do training classes. These folks were never busy and the only time I ever saw them work overtime was if we were swapping out a server and it had to be done at off hours.

If you're not buying Joe's backroom PCs, hardware failures aren't really that frequent, there are tools that will push security and software updates to workstations automatically, WTS and other tools will let you remotely admin servers and workstations, and if you've got a virus scanner installed (client and/or mail server), you're okay there. Apply a little security to your users (don't make them an Admin) so they can't just install every piece of junk software they think looks neat and you'll reduce a ton of calls right there.

Ghost is a wonderful tool too, make the users save all documents to network drive (which of course is backed up). If they do manage to trash a machine (never seen it happen to anyone who wasn't an Admin), reblast the standard image and boom you're up and running in a matter of minutes. If they are on a portable, partition the drive so that there is a system and data drive. Change my documents to point to the data drive and again if they trash the system, blast an image to the system drive.

You'll get no argument from me. Out IT Director is an AS/400 dinosaur and spends most of his time protecting the only technology he knows. We have 2 AS/400 programmers and 2 Web/VB programmers and a web developer. It's insane.

I run our Internet sales division of 14 employees. I've grown the business tremendously and demanded and got all new PCs for my group and I have admin access. I handle most of the tech issues quickly and without their help. Makes our support numbers even more insane. While I am respnsible for sales and marketing, I plan/help design the web site (not the actual HTML coding) and work with a programmer on our custom sales system. Damn, I'm not paid enough.

Sadly, this type of IT waste is rampant in companies. I can say that as I worked as a reseller for 12 years. It happens when Presidents and CEOs are not tech savvy and buy all the bulls**t spoon fed to them by IT people. I have pled with my President to take a technology for CEOs course but she says she doesn't have time. My reply, want to see profits rise instantly, go!

 

[rdowns]

As for the G5, the box is simply too big and expensive. I am sure Apple is aware of this problem, but does not want to crucify current sales of premium products.

Apple head up its ass marketing rears its ugly head again.

 

[rdowns]

I don't know if this has been asked before, but what other major/big companies use Apple/Mac?

Avis is a big Mac user. I was involved in a 700 CPU sale to their reservations center in Tulsa back in the 90s. Of course, Apple came in and took the sale direct to win the business on price. They let me have the monitors and printers though and I got a trip out of the deal also. I also know they are still pretty heavy Mac users in their Long Island corporate HQ.

 

[uberman42]

so that explains the G5 xServe delays....

Maybe that is why the xServe G5s have been delayed. maybe VT and FedEx bought up a large portion of the xServes. 😀

 

[rdowns]

Maybe that is why the xServe G5s have been delayed. maybe VT and FedEx bought up a large portion of the xServes. 😀

FedExServe G5s?

 

[hughdogg]

Thinking outside of the (FedEx) box

Everybody has been thinking about desktops as the Mac's that FedEx would buy..what about iBooks? I mean, they are 'relatively' cheap, portable so they can be flexible, have great wireless and battery results, and by most accounts are indestructible. Would seem to fit with the more flexible and mobile workforce, that many offices are requiring.

In our company, if you are a manager level or up, you are getting a laptop.

Also, I think a migration to OS X server is very plausible, given the earlier comments about FedEx being a heavy duty Unix shop.

Cheers,
Hughdogg

 

[axle_512]

Apple's main problem is that they don't have business-tailored computers. What kind of computer could FedEx buy ? iMacs with DVD-R and 32MB graphic cards ? G5 + flat screens ? eMacs ? None of those computers are corporate machines.

I think Apple needs to (1) have a corporate/large business offering (cheap boxes, with smaller hard driven & less powerfull graphic cards), better support and ... a better image in large corporation where Mac OS is (still) seen as a nice little computer for graphists. When will Apple make a strong advertising campaign to fight against those myths !!! 😡

What's wrong with a G5 + a flat screen in a corporate environment?
What's wrong with a powerbook in a corporate environment?

 

[mattmack]

I don't know if this has been asked before, but what other major/big companies use Apple/Mac?

Genentech uses a lot of macs
as well as some mid size construction firms I've worked with

 

[JGowan]

... They are not the anti-captalist hippy weedsmokers that people associate with macs...

WTF!! I've never heard that association in all the time I've known about Apple, owned a Mac or followed the corporation. Perhaps you've been toking a little much of the best weed in the Shire, hobbit! 😀

 

[mattmack]

WTF!! I've never heard that association in all the time I've known about Apple, owned a Mac or followed the corporation. Perhaps you've been toking a little much of the best weed in the Shire, hobbit! 😀

would that be longbottom leaf or southfarthing 😕

 

[jwdsail]

corporate macs - by IBM?

Apple's main problem is that they don't have business-tailored computers. What kind of computer could FedEx buy ? iMacs with DVD-R and 32MB graphic cards ? G5 + flat screens ? eMacs ? None of those computers are corporate machines.

I think Apple needs to (1) have a corporate/large business offering (cheap boxes, with smaller hard driven & less powerfull graphic cards), better support and ... a better image in large corporation where Mac OS is (still) seen as a nice little computer for graphists. When will Apple make a strong advertising campaign to fight against those myths !!! 😡

Well, what I've been saying ever since the first Netbooting demo (early iMacs w/ early MacOS X Server) is that Apple should team w/ IBM to create a large enterprise Server/client package made of a high end IBM server running a slightly modified MacOS X Server (on Power proc) and thin-client versions of the iMac (no hard drive, perhaps no optical drive). IBM would build the server hardware, Apple would build the iMacs, both would make money based on the sales, and both would be happy to see better sales of PPC chips.

Maybe one of these days..

 

[scottlee]

I think Nissan switched to Mac also. I have not seen this personally but a friend who worked at a dealership told me this last year.

 

[takao]

Well, what I've been saying ever since the first Netbooting demo (early iMacs w/ early MacOS X Server) is that Apple should team w/ IBM to create a large enterprise Server/client package made of a high end IBM server running a slightly modified MacOS X Server (on Power proc) and thin-client versions of the iMac (no hard drive, perhaps no optical drive). IBM would build the server hardware, Apple would build the iMacs, both would make money based on the sales, and both would be happy to see better sales of PPC chips.

Maybe one of these days..

hm macosx on POWER architecture ? hm that would be a lot of work since IBM's own AIX is #1 performance wise there ..
increased support between those to operating systems would be _a lot_ more useful and cheaper than developing a macosx version which would run on POWER architecture where AIX already is really good/optimized. AIX already is supporting Linux native (The 'L' in AIX 5.1L stands for Linux-support).

 

[MorganX]

You'll get no argument from me. Out IT Director is an AS/400 dinosaur and spends most of his time protecting the only technology he knows. We have 2 AS/400 programmers and 2 Web/VB programmers and a web developer. It's insane.

AS/400s are like Macs. Security is boosted through obscurity. Both over-priced. Both very good in their niches. Because you don't understand it, doesn't make it a dinosaur or useless. I think you would be shocked at how many corporations still utilize AS/400s. SNA is a dinosaur, AS/400 are not. The AS/400 is a great DB/2 server. Stays up forever.

 

[sabbath999]

My uncle is a senior programmer at Fed Ex in Memphis, TN. After my grandmother's funeral a couple of years ago, I was talking with some of his co-workers and boss... they were all big NeXT fans and I was able to get a bunch of unused NeXT materials from them... they also were using BSD, so this is no reach at all... these guys all hated windows with a passion, so this story rings true to me.

 

[JGowan]

would that be longbottom leaf or southfarthing 😕

I dunno... whatever Gandolf and Bilbo were getting high on at the beginning of the First one. 😎

 

[Joulesverne]

Mix it up...

This would be fantastic news if true, although it's difficult to believe that Macs would be accepted by the multiple layers of bureaucracy and corporate PC types that would exist in an organisation as large as Fedex....

The best part of the mac system as it exists today is interoperability. I use Panther on a PB17 at work where the Mac OS is not only NOT supported, but is actively rejected. Fortunately, a couple of the IT folks are kind enough to give me things like IP lists for printers, DNS addresses, and other critical pieces of simple information typically buried in .exe applications.

My kids school uses primarily macs, but has Linux servers and several windows machines. This stuff all works together and is managed by one IT person. The thing to watch out for is Microsoft tying up the net in some proprietary format. As long as things run pdf, html, xml, TCP/IP, etc there is room for all comers. At this point I would be happy to just see acceptance. The way I've done it is to bring in my own hardware and deal with my own issues. Stay out of IT's hair, and keep the communications responsible. Eventually people start seeing the benefits, and then they start asking questions. After five years of PC centric IT, we just hired someone in IT who is a mac afficianado.

Fight for keeping the interfaces OPEN... Thats the important thing. Apple is doing exactly the right thing with their approach to software.

And last, but not least... If its true... Raise a mug to the bold at FEDEX... Here's to the crazy ones....

--------
The Ox is slow, but the earth is patient.
-high road to China.

 

[september29th]

I do a great deal of shipping through FedEx at work… I’ve noticed a few changes to the FedEx website. japan.fedex.com (here’s a good example)

The buttons are very similar to ones found in OSX. While this may not be indicative of a move by the company (the person who put the page together, may have purposely designed it that way), I think that when there’s smoke – there’s fire.


.mCr.

PS – UPS recently did a revamping of their print/internet campaigns. I’ve spotted various Mac’s placed throughout it.

 

[sushi]

I happened to have written one of them, I confess.

Poor bastard...

Then again, I am teaching Access! 😱

Sushi

 

[Jackk]

Does Apple or any other major supplier lease computers? I mean amounts like FedEx might need. I think leasing is the trend in big corporations nowadays.

 

[Krevnik]

i just hope this doesnt make mac a platform that more virus writters will target

The only virus code out there that works on OS X right now is public code written to show how one could get user-level access using a buffer overflow exploit. So while code exists that can start executing arbitrary commands, nobody has actually bothered to find a buffer overflow exploit. Not to mention the fact that vulnerabilities are only public enough for about 2 weeks for an exploit to be made and taken advantage of. Windows viruses attack exploits that have been public and have had patches available for months.

The development cycle of viruses and the nature of updates and trust in the Mac community makes it difficult to target the OS X platform for viruses, even if it grows.

 

[superfula]

I'm not sure if this is good news or bad news. FedEx isn't exactly looked upon favorably in the business world. There's a reason why UPS is whooping them in market share.