Slashdot Mirror
Apple's Macworld Looking To Corporate Users
coondoggie writes to mention a Network World article about a focus on corporate users at the upcoming MacWorld Expo. Along with the consumer announcements (iTV, iPod stuff), there will be several elements dedicated to introducing IT pros to Apple hardware. From the article: "The show has really evolved. For a long time it was a consumer-oriented show and those of us who are from the enterprise space - there weren't very many of us - would use it as a place to meet and compare notes ... Now Macintosh in the enterprise is becoming more recognized and there are tracks that are specifically for us enterprise people. We don't have to sneak off anymore."
Macs are more expensive. A lot more expensive, when you consider you can buy a basic Windows box that is more than sufficient for most business uses for around $500.
The vast majority of "business apps", especially custom stuff, don't run on MacOS.
Macs don't have anything to really compare with Active Directory, and especially GPOs.
So...why would a business run on Macs? Unless they are a pre-press or video-production house, of course.
You could NOT pay me to admin a Mac computer. I run a G5 for FCP, Apeature, and use the MS email client. Beyond that, I would not use it. Hell no.
I also (use to) maintain Windows networks. Active Directory, even with it's flaws, is so *#%&#% powerful. The tweakery that one can impliment it just awesome.
The Mac is great. It MAY even work in the Corporate world provided it was used for EMAIL, SURFING and EXCEL. Beyond that, I wouldn't touch it. Of course, if you are only using it for those applications, you just paid an additional 20-40% for the same thing a Windows box can do (yet you lose the administration).
The Enterprise world will never touch anything OS X related. It is incompatable with their Enterprise enviornment.
The Medium business class could possibly use it but they don't want to pay for the additional hardware, software (if it exists) or the maintenance cost.
The SMALL business could possibly use Macs. I know some small shops but it's always based on Application or Image. Rarely cost.
Just yesterday I needed to price an Xserve and two client computers for use with a classified advertising system my company had already purchased (Mac only). Budgets are tight for this project because the initial revenue stream is not very large. The server software requires at least 120GB of hard drive space while Apple only offers Xserve SATA drive configurations of either 80GB or 750GB! I also need RAID 1 on this unit which means two drives. THe 2x750GB configuration adds $1000 to the system total and is excessive. I can't even do 3x80GB in a RAID 5 because OSX (as far as I can tell) doesn't support RAID 5 and there is no hardware RAID controller option.
We use a lot of Macs at the office but Apple's so called "Enterprise" options are a joke compared to major vendors such as HP, Dell, IBM or Sun.
Sometimes my arms bend back.
This is what apple needs the mini does not count as you can get in as easy as an desktop, it uses higher cost laptop parts, and it has the pos gma 950 that is very slow with vista and likely will be with 10.5 3d desktop.
Apple needs a head less desktop with desktop parts and the mac pro costs too much for basic desktop uses.
Also APPLE IF YOU RELAY WANT TO GET IN TO CORPORATE MARKET coming with mac osx for all hardware!