IT departments "can’t afford to spend time" with Macs

I smell bullsh*t.

Goal: Total, absolute world domination of Wintel OS

Problem: Mac users, and Virtual PC that allows them to work almost seamlessly in a Windows enviornment

Solution: Buy up Virtual PC, and slowly make it worse and worse so no sane person would want to run it. Announce the demise of Virtual PC because "it's not cost effective" to keep developing Virtual PC, kill the project. Now even the most ardent Mac office will need to get a couple of PCs so they can work with other PC-centric offices.

What's a Mac user to do? Maybe projects such as Darwine? What other alternative emulators do we have?

thanks, I was looking for a laugh. Guess news is getting scarce. VPC isn't needed so that kinda goes out the window. The only point is the excellent subscription based rip-off junk. So, you're IT write the backup software, OS X can already do it. Retrospect works on both platforms. About the only thing that might confuse an IT guy is VPN for macs, but that's not that big of a deal. So your groupware (is this subscription based again) might not work. Big deal, do you think 1/8 of the employees know how to use it? Email is email. Calendars...iCal anyone...too bad IT only guys are a shrinking breed when macs enter the equation.

Here's a simple tip: Set up your system so that it is compatible with multiple platforms. Use those MSCEIGACEMRIPEMOFF credentials to do some 'forward looking' and you can probably figure this out easily.

That article was a joke. Why is it here? Oh...yeah..to laugh about
thanks :)

"I’m not going to spend my time evangelizing Macs to people who probably should be using PCs. I’m too busy."

Why the heck does he need to evangelize? Wasn't he talking about people who ASKED to use Macs in the first place?

Good, keep supporting PC's and call in a Mac Consultant when you need help with the Macs. I deal with companies like this all the time. The IT departments don't want to touch Macs.

"No time to support Macs, I've got 150 PCs I have to roll out this security patch on by the end of the day!"

..."I can't afford to take time away from supporting Windows, which takes 105% of my time."

Lotus Notes?

The support load for a floor full of Macs is literally a quarter of the support load for a floor full of Wintels. How do I know this? I've done it. Separate and mixed environments.

i work as an i.t. admin in a split 50/50 mac and pc shop. i find this article full of shite. has this dork ever heard of windows terminal services for pc-only apps? obviously not. i will agree that virtual pc is a log, but there are other solutions out there. i completely disagree that somehow maintaining macs is cumbersome compared to PC's. if you learn netboot/netrestore, it kills norton ghost dead as far as imaging goes. no spyware. no viruses. simplicity. binding to active directory. binding to e-directory. compatibility with linux and unix apps. i could go on and on. this article is very dumb. i have an xserve that has been running for 180 days without a reboot. i have a windows 2000 server that needs a reboot and a power cycle every 30 days. when i first set up the w2k server up the first time it got netsky'd within the first 20 minutes of being on the network and began randomly rebooting, requiring a safe mode boot. i had to actually burn the windows updates to friggin CD before i could hook up the network connection. go figure. this never ever ever happens to my macs.

In regards to Mr. Dickerson’s article.

I have spent 14 years integrating Macs and PC’s. Not only can it be done, it is easier to do now than ever. But I agree, there is still times that you must run native Windows applications, a great solution, for both Macs and Windows PC’s is either Citrix or Microsoft Terminal Services. Both Citrix and Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection application run native Windows applications within a native Mac OS X application. Organizations get the benefit of a centralized management system for their corporate applications, easy upgrades and support, and an operating system that is not near as prone to virus, security, and spyware issues that the average Windows desktop does.

Unfortunately the majority of IT departments are either understaffed, staffed by under educated IT personnel, or are simply in the business to keep their jobs. A large site running either a Citrix or Terminal Services environment can save substantial costs from a support standpoint.

Knowing how to properly support your environment really comes down to knowing how to problem solve, and actually spend time thinking about a problem, a fantastic reliable solutions is almost always available. Open a book, do some research, ask questions, or get a better, more informed, IT staff. He states “Of course, you can spend a lot of time coming up with creative work-arounds for this kind of pain, but I’m writing this as someone who is responsible for making day-to-day IT operations work with resource and time constraints.” These solutions are far more effective for organizations in the long run, that is if you’re looking out for what’s best for your organization, and not what’s best to keep your job.


Sincerely,

Charles K. Davis

What a TOTAL IDIOT!

Translation: "I'm spending so much time on shitty Windows problems/security patches/viruses/spyware, that I have no time for the computers that take 1/5 of the time to support."

Of course, the corporate morons in corporate IT that this was written for will suck this up like ice cream, and use it as ammo when anyone wants to use a Mac in their company -- "See, this IT professional says so..."