Jamf Survey Suggests Employees Using Macs See Higher Productivity, Creativity, and Collaboration

[mrothroc]

For company that values their data, using amazon or google or Microsoft is not an option.

Yeah, that may have been the case in the past. However, nearly all (if not all) companies, including those with significant regulatory requirements like financial institutions and healthcare providers, are moving to VPCs. Even the CIA uses AWS for classified information. Sure, they needed changes (customer managed keys, for example) to make it work, but the cloud providers have responded.

Realize that the cloud providers have a large reputational risk around security, and can afford to hire the best experts in the world. Their teams are the ones who are defining the current best practices around security. It would be a rare company that would be able to compete with that.

 

[Tech198]

"According to the survey, 79 percent of respondents said that they would not be able to do their jobs as effectively without a Mac."

Arguably, because everyone in business could still be using Windows 7 as well.

If more went to Windows 10, the results may be different. Macs work better, but only with other Apple products.

And for that to work, a businesses transformation would need to be in order. There would be all Mac businesses, but mix still is larger. I fail to see more all mac business mainly because everyone in a business replies on paid Outlook and Exchange.

If you make that much money in a business it makes little sense to go free route, when its not a huge dent,

 

[ocnitsa]

Just thought it's worth mentioning that questions of productivity and creativity are more complicated...I admittedly use computers for light tasks (although I like to game sometimes). I can make a syllabus on a PC or I can make one on my MBP. Now, on a PC, I could still use Pages through iCloud...and on my MBP, I could still use Microsoft Word. I prefer to work in Pages on my MBP for that kind of work. The syllabus I create for one of my classes in Pages is going to look better and integrate more images (some tweaked) than the one I create in Word. Using either application will result in a functional syllabus. I could probably do similar work in Word on a PC, but it would be more cumbersome for me. I would likely end up with something that doesn't look as nice...or at least that one that I would be less happy with the outcome. All that said, I don't think I'd be less productive on a PC...but I probably wouldn't be as creative.

 

[Mr. Dee]

I support Windows customers and I do this from a Mac. When I think about a task as basic as searching a text file, macOS is far ahead of Windows. Searching a keyword in a Notepad text file is jarring and frustrating; I have to be choosing the up or down radio box multiple times to find what I want.

In Textedit, I just search, hit Enter until the phrase or word is found. After nearly 35 years on the market, Windows is still not getting any more intuitive.

macOS just seriously thinks out the end to end and makes what feels like the impossible on Windows, possible.

 

[DownUnderDan]

Yeah. Just better people all round really. They did forget to mention though that we also retire five years later than everyone else in the office, because of the money we spent with Apple over a lifetime.

 

[derekamoss]

iOS 13 provides mouse support, and you can connect external device directly to iPad. However limited it is, this is something.

They brieng minimal support and not really making it that much productive.

No Real File Management.( You can't create a folder at the user level called pictures and have programs be able to use that folder. It's only for Importing and exporting only. You cant open a file in Photos, do a quick retouch of it close it and then open Adobe and continue from there. You would have to import it in from external storage do what you want with it for one program, export it back to external storage, and then import it back in so you can use it on another app.) This seems like a lot of Fun.

No real mouse support. (There isnt any real contextual menu. You can't really right click. It allows you to assign a command to the right mouse button, IE. when you click the right mouse button after selecting text a popup saying copy will appear and you can click on it, now when you go to the place where you would like to insert the copied text and right click, the only thing that will appear is the pop up saying copy you can click, you cant paste. Now if you wanted to you could open settings and go to assistance, assign right click to copy, select text and copy, then reopen setting and go to assistance and then assign the right click button for paste, then flip back to the app you were wanting to paste in, right click and then click paste.... I don't see many people being happy with that at all really though.)

I am all for able making the iPad into a production device like the Surface but Apple is misleading in what they tell you, and so are Websites which falsely depict the support or change headlines for clickbait. Just today on Windows central (A website, I really find it hard to take serious, but alot of people follow it, posted this headline today... '

Why Apple's iPadOS is a legit threat to Surface Pro
https://www.windowscentral.com/askdanwindows-60

I can go on and on but iPadOS nor the iPad Pro is a real threat to Surface devices. What will happen is you will get a lot of ticked off consumers who read headlines like this or see where iPad now has "Mouse" and keyboard support on all the other click bait misinformed article names(Believe me I know because my girlfriend almost feel for it when she read the iPad now can be just like a surface pro after them announcing iPadOS) and going out to purchase expensive hardware to find out that it's worse than a chromebook.

 

[Emanuel Rodriguez]

That was a joke right?

I'd hope so. A lot of enterprises are neck-deep with Microsoft stuff. Try getting rid of Active Directory in the average workplace and see what happens. Macs can "kinda" make use of Active Directory, but you'll never get the same kind of integration that you can get with a Windows PC. Yes, there are alternatives for the Mac, but those require retraining your IT staff, and translating all of your GPOs into whatever the heck Open Directory uses (I'm not entirely certain, to be honest), assuming all the functionality is there.

Let's just say that's a tough sell for any business. If I thought it would make my job easier, I'd try to sell it anyway. But, the fact is that a lot of people in the workplace are either luddites or bad with tech. They can barely work on the Windows PCs they've been using for the past 30 years (upgrades aside). No IT staff wants to go through that. My primary computer is a Mac. I explain it to people when they ask, but it never makes a dent. They don't want to learn something new.

 

[derekamoss]

[doublepost=1561095338][/doublepost]

I'd hope so. A lot of enterprises are neck-deep with Microsoft stuff. Try getting rid of Active Directory in the average workplace and see what happens. Macs can "kinda" make use of Active Directory, but you'll never get the same kind of integration that you can get with a Windows PC. Yes, there are alternatives for the Mac, but those require retraining your IT staff, and translating all of your GPOs into whatever the heck Open Directory uses (I'm not entirely certain, to be honest), assuming all the functionality is there.

Let's just say that's a tough sell for any business. If I thought it would make my job easier, I'd try to sell it anyway. But, the fact is that a lot of people in the workplace are either luddites or bad with tech. They can barely work on the Windows PCs they've been using for the past 30 years (upgrades aside). No IT staff wants to go through that. My primary computer is a Mac. I explain it to people when they ask, but it never makes a dent. They don't want to learn something new.

Their is so much keeping the iPad(the most being iPadOS) from becoming a competitor to something like a Surface Pro or any other hybrid running Windows.

1. The length of time Apple has taken them to throw in bare bone necessitates that a productive OS/Tablet should have.
   
   
2. The only time they have taken advances into turning the iPad to be more productive is in response to threat from other parties. (An iPad Pro to begin with from threat of Surface and other 2-in-ones that Apple said nobody would want n the first place. An Apple Pencil in threat because of the Surface and Microsoft's pen which again the said forever nobody wanted a stylus. The touchbar on the Macbooks in response to touch screens on person PC's which Apple said nobody would ever want to use their finger to touch a screen and proved wrong by touch enabled devices are popular now. They even were the ones to mainstream touch screens with the iPhone and iPad and look how far the are behind.)
   
   
3. No Real File Management.( You can't create a folder at the user level called pictures and have programs be able to use that folder. It's only for Importing and exporting only. You cant open a file in Photos, do a quick retouch of it close it and then open Adobe and continue from there. You would have to import it in from external storage do what you want with it for one program, export it back to external storage, and then import it back in so you can use it on another app.) This seems like a lot of Fun
   
   
4. No real mouse support. (There isnt any real contextual menu. You can't really right click. It allows you to assign a command to the right mouse button, IE. when you click the right mouse button after selecting text a popup saying copy will appear and you can click on it, now when you go to the place where you would like to insert the copied text and right click, the only thing that will appear is the pop up saying copy you can click, you cant paste. Now if you wanted to you could open settings and go to assistance, assign right click to copy, select text and copy, then reopen setting and go to assistance and then assign the right click button for paste, then flip back to the app you were wanting to paste in, right click and then click paste.... I don't see many people being happy with that at all really though.)
   
   
5. No SD Card slot for easy storage expansion.
   I can go on and on but iPadOS nor the iPad Pro is a real threat to Surface devices. What will happen is you will get a lot of ticked off consumers who read headlines like this or see where iPad now has "Mouse" and keyboard support on all the other click bait misinformed article names(Believe me I know because my girlfriend almost feel for it when she read the iPad now can be just like a surface pro after them announcing iPadOS) and going out to purchase expensive hardware to find out that it's worse than a chromebook.
   
   
6. Doesn't have a desktop class browser. (Safari on iPadOS isnt any different than the one running on iOS, it just defaults the view to non mobile websites but doesn't add any desktop features.)

 

[kyjaotkb]

‘Until they have to use excel’ I guess...

 

[Larsvonhier]

Smith chart for free?
Is LTSpice free also?

Xmind is for free, LTSpice also.
Same applies to KiCAD (which the large collider project engineers at CERN use).
Eagle can be use in a educational version and had interesting SAS rental options for pros.

 

[Steve121178]

I do think the future of the enterprise is iPad, not Mac.

The future is the PC, like it's always been.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

I am a creative. I write books, blog posts, some digital art, and also sql/database development work.

I use whatever gets the job done. I tried using an iPad Pro—wrote 40k words for a book on one, in fact. No ftp client, poor coding options.

Switched to Surface Pro 2017 used for $700. I can finally do everything from one device when I travel. That said, it has limitations also.

I honestly can’t believe that people would be so easily defeated by a change in software/hardware. I could still use the iPad Pro if I had to. I wouldn’t lose creativity.

If I went back in time 35 years I would use Amigas, etc. I wouldn’t lose creativity. That lies within.

Edited to add: eh, the more I think about this, I think I was making a decent point. But my brain kept arguing with me (don’t ask). I would now like to add that what I am saying is true. However, past a certain point, workflows and technical prowess of the hardware and software do matter. Old school Wacom is better than NTrig if you do art all day long (I don’t).

Try using Inkarnate’s map editor on an iPad.

Publishing a print book and ebook is potentially easier using Mac only software (or Mac primarily software).

This also matters.

 

[B4U]

Xmind is for free, LTSpice also.
Same applies to KiCAD (which the large collider project engineers at CERN use).
Eagle can be use in a educational version and had interesting SAS rental options for pros.

Then it needs more exposure...

 

[jlc1978]

The future for most typical computer work is serverless and in the cloud. Unless you're doing something specialized or esoteric, your choice of desktop will be your preference, and it will mostly be a gateway to company-controlled environments.

Yup. Back to the days of big iron and terminals.

 

[truthertech]

That study showed a $200 to 540 savings 3 years ago. While that is significant, the actual savings depends on the cost differential between the 2 machines. It would not be hard to find a PC with a price differential high enough to make a Macs TCO unattractive; although admittedly Macs are better built until the price points converge. The problem I see with such TCO comparisons if all you need to deploy is a lower end device to do basic web, email, word processing and spreadsheet use there is really no lower end Mac to compete with the $600 machines. If you buy instead of lease the capital cost difference, over 4 years with interest, makes the savings even less.

I use a Mac, but a Mac may not always be the cheapest TCO solution in all cases.

Yes, there may be some unique cases, but the point is that many people do just a superficial analysis of initial layout for technology, but when you figure life of machine and support costs, you're probably going to actually save money with Apple. Then when you add in employee satisfaction and productivity, etc., you're even farther ahead. Even on consumer level, people often compare Fitbit with Apple Watch. Even assuming they were in same league, which they aren't, the true cost of that Fitbit, with their horrible reliability translating into short life span, you are actually paying less for the Apple Watch in many cases.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

Yes, there may be some unique cases, but the point is that many people do just a superficial analysis of initial layout for technology, but when you figure life of machine and support costs, you're probably going to actually save money with Apple. Then when you add in employee satisfaction and productivity, etc., you're even farther ahead. Even on consumer level, people often compare Fitbit with Apple Watch. Even assuming they were in same league, which they aren't, the true cost of that Fitbit, with their horrible reliability translating into short life span, you are actually paying less for the Apple Watch in many cases.

I hope apple gets back to being worthy of this. A new laptop design would help. Currently, I don't think Apple is more reliable.

 

[Abazigal]

Pretty much in line with my own experiences. Cost more upfront, but they quickly pay for themselves in the form of greater productivity and fewer problems overall.

 

[truthertech]

I hope apple gets back to being worthy of this. A new laptop design would help. Currently, I don't think Apple is more reliable.

You think that because every single issue, no matter if it only impacts a very small percentage of people, is discussed endlessly if it involves Apple. That's the price of being Number 1. But overall reliability is where Apple shines year after year.

https://www.geckoandfly.com/6311/th...p-survey-best-netbook-reliability-comparison/

 

[eltoslightfoot]

You think that because every single issue, no matter if it only impacts a very small percentage of people, is discussed endlessly if it involves Apple. That's the price of being Number 1. But overall reliability is where Apple shines year after year.

https://www.geckoandfly.com/6311/th...p-survey-best-netbook-reliability-comparison/

Right, it just isn't as it used to be. It used to be by a long distance. Now it isn't. I am hopeful though. The new mac pro shows they can admit their mistakes and hopefully they will. The iPad OS is also a step in the right direction.

 

[jlc1978]

Yes, there may be some unique cases, but the point is that many people do just a superficial analysis of initial layout for technology, but when you figure life of machine and support costs, you're probably going to actually save money with Apple. Then when you add in employee satisfaction and productivity, etc., you're even farther ahead. Even on consumer level, people often compare Fitbit with Apple Watch. Even assuming they were in same league, which they aren't, the true cost of that Fitbit, with their horrible reliability translating into short life span, you are actually paying less for the Apple Watch in many cases.

I think we are in overall agreement, especially about accurately calculating TOC. You can't just compare purchase costs, you need to look at support, opportunity costs of the investment, training, software investment, etc. Productivity is hard to gauge, if most of the staff is using basic Office software does the productivity really change on a Mac; especially since they use it for only a fraction of the work day.

In addition, if you don't fire or redeploy TS staff to other areas where you would have had to hire someone, you really haven't saved money since you are still paying them to do less work.

It's not black and white like the survey claims. I find it better to use a Mac but others may get no benefit.

 

[jscooper22]

Mac is better. Unfortunately Apple has told Mac admins and thereby actual business customers -- not "I want to use my I Pad in meetings" but "My MBP is the primary production machine for our office" -- to take a flying leap. So companies aren't bothering to write software (plugins, utilities, tools, etc) unless it can look "cool" being run in a coffee shop by a sole proprietor. But the boring stuff is what makes the other flashing stuff worth the investment much of the time. The result is we need to bring Windows into the workplace, and once you bring one in you may as well make them all that way since the security and issue floodgates are now open anyway. Not to mention if I'm paying for extra anti-virus protection anyway why am I springing for Macs?

 

[TheMacDaddy1]

I would have thought the majority of people "using" computers in a workplace rarely venture beyond Outlook, Word and maybe a bit of Excel/PowerPoint. Is there really going to be that much difference in efficiency between PC and Mac users there?

I'd imagine the differences only become significant where the computer/OS is intrinsic to the job itself, rather than just a productivity platform.

I agree with your points. To me that means buy a business PC (intel video card) and save a lot of money.
[doublepost=1561141518][/doublepost]

I've felt this way for years - dock, spotlight, iMessage, finder, expose, virtual desktops, Magic Mouse, quality of screen, handoff, airdrop, labels, terminal, air playing to an Apple TV, being able to hit spacebar and preview a PDF, song, or video file, full screen apps, app updates, unlocking the Mac with my watch, overall lack of problems, etc. I also generally prefer Safari, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, Logic. I think Protools and Resolve work better on a Mac, though that doesn't seem to be true of Premiere anymore, and I prefer Photoshop and Illustrator on a Mac. It's the little things that all add up.

I'm just so much less productive on a windows machine, I can make certain linux systems work for me but prefer the look and polish of Mac OS.

Only real gripe with the Mac Platform has been the lack of Nvidia support and updates to the MacPro for my Cinema4d usage, but now that the new Mac Pro is on it's way and Octane Render is getting AMD support - I have little to complain about.

It really depends what you do with a computer. I am a network engineer. So any computer will work really. macOS, Windows or Linux. Some is a problem, unless I use a VM or Wine but that has issues, for example I must use Microsoft Visio almost daily. OmniGraffle is very nice but the Network world lives and breathes Visio. Also having a built in Ethernet port vs a dongle is very helpful for me. I use a Lenovo T580 as my daily driver. I have used a Mac in the past but it just more of a pain for various reasons.

I do rock the most of the iOS world (iPhone, iPad, AppleTV, HomePod) I had a watch, gen 3 but I did not like it.

 

[mi7chy]

Only fanboys fall for this fake marketing because you can't be productive on MacOS since it's still lacking professional software like Solidworks, CATIA, Cadence, ANSYS, Siemens NX, Altium, Eagle PCB, Primavera, Revit, Mentor Xpedition and the list goes on.

 

[NickName99]

Apple computers have high resale value as well. Used Windows computers are barely worth selling.

I typically buy a better 15” MacBook Pro every few years. If I get a lightly used one for a great deal with a bit of warranty left on it, then sell my old one, the net cost is pretty low. I just went from a 2015 MacBook Pro to a 2018 one for about $500 total. The dongle situation and flat keyboard are meh, but the CPU and graphics are twice as powerful.

 

[fourthtunz]

Comments like these are hilarious. Making ridiculous comments like "Macs Increase Productivity compared to PC" couldn't be anymore flawed. It's all about Hardware. Hardware will depend more on how fast, and capable your machine is.
Software optimization would play a role on how well the software runs, but not necessarily how well it performs. Anyway, this video shows how cheaper Windows PC's will outperform Macs with Productivity.

Yawn.