IT Folks: Are any of you deploying M1 Macs in your organization as standard models?

[Yebubbleman]

I know different IT departments at different companies tend to have differing strategies in terms of what computer models to deploy as standard models (for instance, at the last shop I worked at that had Mac endpoints, the 4-port 13" MacBook Pro was the standard model issued for all but developers and special use cases, which used the 15" MacBook Pro at the time [early 2019]). However, with Apple choosing to update the 2-port 13" MacBook Pro, the Mac mini, and the MacBook Air, I would imagine that some IT departments were previously deploying the previous Intel versions of at least one of these models. The 2-port 13" MacBook Pro especially makes for a good standard user laptop at a workplace that has Macs in their environment.

So, I'm wondering, have any of you currently working in IT at a business that deploys Macs either found that your Intel model of choice got replaced with an Apple Silicon M1 version or have outright opted to shift to deploying M1 Macs for your users? If you're not deploying M1 Macs, but your previous standard issue Mac got replaced with an M1, what are you deploying to your users instead and what is your plan regarding eventually switching over to Apple Silicon Macs? How is M1 affecting your Mac deployment operations? Am very curious.

 

[AZhappyjack]

I know different IT departments at different companies tend to have differing strategies in terms of what computer models to deploy as standard models (for instance, at the last shop I worked at that had Mac endpoints, the 4-port 13" MacBook Pro was the standard model issued for all but developers and special use cases, which used the 15" MacBook Pro at the time [early 2019]). However, with Apple choosing to update the 2-port 13" MacBook Pro, the Mac mini, and the MacBook Air, I would imagine that some IT departments were previously deploying the previous Intel versions of at least one of these models. The 2-port 13" MacBook Pro especially makes for a good standard user laptop at a workplace that has Macs in their environment.

So, I'm wondering, have any of you currently working in IT at a business that deploys Macs either found that your Intel model of choice got replaced with an Apple Silicon M1 version or have outright opted to shift to deploying M1 Macs for your users? If you're not deploying M1 Macs, but your previous standard issue Mac got replaced with an M1, what are you deploying to your users instead and what is your plan regarding eventually switching over to Apple Silicon Macs? How is M1 affecting your Mac deployment operations? Am very curious.

It is way too early for that kind of decision. Typically, the evaluation period for a "standard issue" device is months. When the previously recognized "standard issue" is obsolete, our company typically offered a significantly similar model as the new standard. I am now retired from my company, but I suspect in the scenario that you posed, our IT department would opt for the next model up, rather than jump on a new device with new technology.


The downside to doing so could be huge. both in terms of cost of purchasing, imaging and deploying machines that do not (may not) ultimately be viable for the workload, and in lost productivity dealing with performance issues relative to the end user's workload.

 

[Yebubbleman]

It is way too early for that kind of decision. Typically, the evaluation period for a "standard issue" device is months. When the previously recognized "standard issue" is obsolete, our company typically offered a significantly similar model as the new standard. I am now retired from my company, but I suspect in the scenario that you posed, our IT department would opt for the next model up, rather than jump on a new device with new technology.


The downside to doing so could be huge. both in terms of cost of purchasing, imaging and deploying machines that do not (may not) ultimately be viable for the workload, and in lost productivity dealing with performance issues relative to the end user's workload.

I would imagine it highly depends on the workload and how well things run either natively or in Rosetta 2. Certainly a JAMF shop would be ready so long as the apps were. But that's why I pose the question. I'm sure that there are some shops for whom it wouldn't be a big risk, so long as a received test unit (which could've been received as soon as a week and a half ago) performed adequately.

 

[4sallypat]

Good topic!

In my organization, we had to spend funds from the Feds by end of October, so we went with 250+ MBP 13" Intel i7 16GB that were offered at about 25% discount due to the upcoming M1.
Apple sweetened the deal even more by offering 250 iPad Pros for 30% off.

We looked at the M1 MBP but decided against it due to the new OS (Big Sur).

Our deployment consists of a 3rd party MDM provider who activates the devices by the person receiving it. Makes it easy for us as we don't have to touch them like we used to with Airwatch enrollment (unbox, turn on, activate DEP/MDM, assign end user with AD credentials, etc)..

Now we just hand it out.

As for M1 replacements, we will have to test out Big Sur because we currently use Catalina OS and our MDM to push out apps remotely as well as white list add ons and extensions.

In our organization, it will be almost a year before we adopt Big Sur so that means every time a new OS comes out, we are a year behind...

 

[Yebubbleman]

Good topic!

Thanks! I feel like we can't be alone in wondering this. And I know different Mac shops behave differently when it comes to early adoption of hardware and macOS releases.

In my organization, we had to spend funds from the Feds by end of October, so we went with 250+ MBP 13" Intel i7 16GB that were offered at about 25% discount due to the upcoming M1.
Apple sweetened the deal even more by offering 250 iPad Pros for 30% off.

Which 13" MBP? 2-port or 4-port? I'd assume 2-port given that Apple probably saw you spending a bunch of 250+ of them so close to their discontinuation.

We looked at the M1 MBP but decided against it due to the new OS (Big Sur).

Our deployment consists of a 3rd party MDM provider who activates the devices by the person receiving it. Makes it easy for us as we don't have to touch them like we used to with Airwatch enrollment (unbox, turn on, activate DEP/MDM, assign end user with AD credentials, etc)..

Now we just hand it out.

As for M1 replacements, we will have to test out Big Sur because we currently use Catalina OS and our MDM to push out apps remotely as well as white list add ons and extensions.

In our organization, it will be almost a year before we adopt Big Sur so that means every time a new OS comes out, we are a year behind...

Most MDMs support day one adoption of the new OS. Certainly JAMF does (and I'm pretty sure Airwatch/WorkspaceOne/VMware does too). Though, I can definitely empathize with the desire to be the last to move to a new OS in businesses. If you can buy your hardware in bulk to last the whole year, it's totally the most stable way to do OS upgrades (as you're only having to deploy the security patches to the OS you're on throughout the rest of the year). Those that need Xcode might suffer, but you can always handle them separately. Hell, that'd be how I'd do things, given Apple's diminished quality control for macOS. Though I imagine there's some company for which the Air or 2-port 13" Pro was their standard Mac laptop deployment and for which Big Sur doesn't break anything and all apps either are native or run perfectly fine in Rosetta 2.