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FedEx Switching to Mac?
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krykert said: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.
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 $$$ for MS, and cost for the companies. It's about time these corporations saw the light.
I can see why big corporations would finally want to switch over. I suspect the recent round of virus patches broke something at my workplace, because things that were working last week no longer work. Not to mention the fact that I still can't install the latest service pack for Windows 2000 because it disables all of my Microsoft applications. Sure, I can upgrade to the XP versions, but all that means is more $$$ for MS, and cost for the companies. It's about time these corporations saw the light.
ewinemiller said:
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!
210 said:
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.
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.
Maybe that is why the xServe G5s have been delayed. maybe VT and FedEx bought up a large portion of the xServes.
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
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
Skypat said: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?
Genentech uses a lot of macs210 said:
as well as some mid size construction firms I've worked with
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!TimDaddy said:
would that be longbottom leaf or southfarthingJGowan said: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!
corporate macs - by IBM?
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..
Skypat said: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..
jwdsail said:
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).
rdowns said:
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.
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.
I dunno... whatever Gandolf and Bilbo were getting high on at the beginning of the First one.mattmack said:would that be longbottom leaf or southfarthing
Mix it up...
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.
Interiority said:
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.
I do a great deal of shipping through FedEx at work
Ive noticed a few changes to the FedEx website. japan.fedex.com (heres 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 theres smoke theres fire.
.mCr.
PS UPS recently did a revamping of their print/internet campaigns. Ive spotted various Macs placed throughout it.
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 theres smoke theres fire.
.mCr.
PS UPS recently did a revamping of their print/internet campaigns. Ive spotted various Macs placed throughout it.
virividox said:
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.