This is the MacOS Thread.
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Roll call!
Who's using Macs? Macs in Enterprise environments?
I've been supporting Macs in my IT career since 1996 - it's been an interesting road to see the changes that have come from Apple during that time. In the early part of the 2000s, I started to see a trend whereupon Apple was moving away from the professional market and more closely into consumer sales. Many of my users at that time were also concerned about it as well - these were graphic designers, editorial staffers, and video production folks for the most part. Though the new Mac Pros are interesting, I think they are a bit spendy. Most environments can do common tasks on MacOS using a basic Mac mini with beefed up RAM.For those of you who touch Macs in your day-to-day support, what are your thoughts in the changes in Apple computers over the past 10 years or so?
To me it looks like they're trying to incorporate more iOS features into the regular desktop OS. It's interesting, though I'm not so sure how much is bling and how much will prove to be useful. -
@Katie said:
Roll call!
Who's using Macs? Macs in Enterprise environments?
I've been supporting Macs in my IT career since 1996 - it's been an interesting road to see the changes that have come from Apple during that time. In the early part of the 2000s, I started to see a trend whereupon Apple was moving away from the professional market and more closely into consumer sales. Many of my users at that time were also concerned about it as well - these were graphic designers, editorial staffers, and video production folks for the most part. Though the new Mac Pros are interesting, I think they are a bit spendy. Most environments can do common tasks on MacOS using a basic Mac mini with beefed up RAM.For those of you who touch Macs in your day-to-day support, what are your thoughts in the changes in Apple computers over the past 10 years or so?
To me it looks like they're trying to incorporate more iOS features into the regular desktop OS. It's interesting, though I'm not so sure how much is bling and how much will prove to be useful.From what I've seen the interface has remained fairly consistent over the years, as opposed to Windows. In this way, that's good. They are solid machines. However, I think they are more of a novelty for MOST people. Some people really do work better and more efficiently on Macs. But for the cost of a Mac most people can get a new PC and upgrade at least twice. Personally, if it was a Mac or nothing, I'd find an old computer and load Linux.
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My last Mac was circa 2005. Hoping for a new Mac Mini this year. Have not supported many.
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I feel like it takes so long to task switch between supporting PC's and supporting Macs, although, to be fair, I would say that it's the same "loading" time for my brain to switch between Windows XP and WIndows 8.1 as it is to switch between any Windows OS and any Mac OS.
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I've never supported Macs officially, and barely unofficially.
Several of my docs have said they are interested in Macs in our office. This lead them to purchasing Macs at home. Now those docs are telling me that they barely use their Macs - yes they are pretty, but they can't be bothered with the time it takes to really get to understand how to use it, so they fall back on their old Windows machines to get their work done.
This on top of the fact that most of the software they currently use works best if not only on Windows (and more frightening only on IE).
I've dropped a few hints in my office that I can't support an iPad because I don't own one and haven't played with one enough to even know how to turn it on, but they have yet to pick up the hint.
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From the business side of things I recently went with a Mac due to price point (I got the older model of a MacBook Pro at a very awesome price). I have to say I am enjoying getting to know it and work on it. For everything I do on the business side of things it works great day to day now to be fair a good portion of what I do is cloud based. In the process I have learned how to do some things on it and have been able to help a couple customers out with some very basic things.
Now I will also admit I installed Parallels on it as well and that works great and allows me my window 8.1 environment on it while traveling, which admittedly I use for watching youtube, outlook calendaring and watching Netflix
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Netflix and YouTube don't work on the Mac?
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Youtube has an app but it is flaky, Netflix nope gotta watch that on the windows side. When you are stuck in a hotel room in little China in NYC you are not venturing out on your own much after dark gotta have something to do
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You can install Chrome on the Mac side of things but that is very slow...
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Something just doesn't add up there. I can't believe you're having problems with YouTube and Netflix on the Mac side. Something must be wrong with the install.. corrupt files etc...either that or Macs just aren't as good as they claim.
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Netflix must be because of continuing Silverlight issues.
YouTube is HTML5 and should just work.
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I will have my Mac Minion take a look then to see why it's not just working.
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I do not have any problems with Netflix or YouTube on my Mac.
I am running Mavericks and use Firefox v.27Some performance issues can be linked to bad Third-party RAM. When this is the case, there are specific issues that appear, such as kernel panics or system freezing while applications still appear to run. Apple-branded RAM is made by Crucial and is guaranteed to work. It's also a little more spendy, though there's no telling if it can fail over time - which I've also seen. (talking 3-4 years here)
Of the less expensive third-party RAM I've worked with, I think Kensington is the best. -
@scottalanmiller said:
Netflix must be because of continuing Silverlight issues.
YouTube is HTML5 and should just work.
When did they move to HTML5? I feel like I should have seen something about that. I still, consistently, see people who have Windows 7 and IE10 or 11 on there and don't have Flash who can't watch YouTube videos. Are you sure?
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@ajstringham said:
@scottalanmiller said:
Netflix must be because of continuing Silverlight issues.
YouTube is HTML5 and should just work.
When did they move to HTML5? I feel like I should have seen something about that. I still, consistently, see people who have Windows 7 and IE10 or 11 on there and don't have Flash who can't watch YouTube videos. Are you sure?
Since I don't install flash, yes
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@scottalanmiller said:
@ajstringham said:
@scottalanmiller said:
Netflix must be because of continuing Silverlight issues.
YouTube is HTML5 and should just work.
When did they move to HTML5? I feel like I should have seen something about that. I still, consistently, see people who have Windows 7 and IE10 or 11 on there and don't have Flash who can't watch YouTube videos. Are you sure?
Since I don't install flash, yes
Hmm. Okay. Odd.
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@ajstringham said:
@scottalanmiller said:
@ajstringham said:
@scottalanmiller said:
Netflix must be because of continuing Silverlight issues.
YouTube is HTML5 and should just work.
When did they move to HTML5? I feel like I should have seen something about that. I still, consistently, see people who have Windows 7 and IE10 or 11 on there and don't have Flash who can't watch YouTube videos. Are you sure?
Since I don't install flash, yes
Hmm. Okay. Odd.
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@Katie Been using a Mac since the 128k.
Apple is maintaining the primary trend on focusing on consumers.
Upfront price has never been their strong suit. Overall value is there. Notably, many people encountered have bought Macs to not have Windows problems (virus, frequent updates, forcing off OSes, etc). Having been in higher ed and assorted design firms, Macs fit in the culture.
In recent times, Mac has been more about being in the Apple ecosystemΒβiPad, iPhone, Apple TV, etc. "Ecosystem" is mainly as it is the software, hardware, and peripherals. Can get nifty and smart benefits when drinking their purple kool-aid. Never have been "all in", so haven't been bit by their sudden changes in directions too much.
Have a good relationship with the local Apple rep and the Apple system engineer. No, they don't know what is coming next, either. Can be useful to get perspective on the "tips & tricks".
Mac Pro shows a nod to the pro users for design, video, audio, and associated fields. "Spendy" doesn't quite reach the appropriate expletive to describe the Mac Pro's price. The thunderbolt is one of the nifty things it is meant to exploit. It is not meant to use network resources, such as NAS or iSCSI (grr).
Thunderbolt, like firewire before it, is great & smart technology. Typical consumer won't understand the difference, and be easily swayed by lower price USB2/3 devices. Meanwhile, they miss slick options as daisy chaining monitors. Heck, am baffled at how many Mac users don't know what Time Machine is, and for the ones which have an idea that don't use it. Back to "target disk mode"? Might as well try to explain craps or the workings of the stock market.
OS X server has dropped to $19, and ARD has dropped to $79 ... odd, but use it. They have Configurator and the iPhone Configuration Utility, which can be used for interested results without added cost. (Probably still want a grown up MDM.) Updates to the iTunes VPP is helpful, if late. These bits point to limited support for limited deployments.
The non-repairability trend of the MacBook Retinas and other hardware is not a popular move. Certainly a hot button item, even among the Mac faithful.
As always, "usefulness" depends on the user, their needs, and their receptivity.
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@scottalanmiller said:
Netflix must be because of continuing Silverlight issues.
YouTube is HTML5 and should just work.
Last I knew, not 100% of YouTube was HTML5 yet, but I have not checked into it in like 6-12 months. Netflix really needs to get off Silverlight.
@minion-queen Netflix works just fine on my MacBook Pro. There is a Silverlight package for Mac that you have to get.
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@Minion-Queen said:
You can install Chrome on the Mac side of things but that is very slow...
I find Safari to be slow and Chrome seems to work better for me. I find my entire MBP to be slo at times, though I blame parallels for that. I do not think Parallels plays as nicely as it could. I really need to buy a drive for TimeMachine use and create an image to restore form then wipe this thing and start over just to see if I have screwed something up.
