Apple @ Work is an exclusive presentation from MosyleApple’s only unified platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates into a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage and protect Apple devices at work. More than 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to keep millions of Apple devices up and running effortlessly and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TEST today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.
From time to time, I have to go outside my usual ecosystem to deploy a Windows PC for a specific function/task. I recently had to set up a new Dell laptop and the whole experience was a harsh reminder of how good we have it in the Apple IT world. Deploying this new PC made me appreciate everything Apple has built into macOS and the entire setup process.
About Apple@Work: Bradley Chambers has been an Apple IT administrator since 2009. Through his experience deploying and managing firewalls, switches, a mobile device management system, enterprise-grade WiFi, thousands of Macs, and thousands of iPads, Bradley will highlight the ways Apple IT administrators deploy Apple devices, build networks to support them, train users, share stories from the trenches of IT management, and ways Apple could improve its products for IT departments.
Local logins not working in Windows 11
Google is the absolute backbone of my identity system. Because I have so few PCs in my active inventory, I really wanted to set up this new machine with a simple local login. If you’ve deployed Windows recently, you’ll know that this is virtually impossible with some workarounds. The setup assistant fights you at every step, hiding local account options behind the command line in a desperate attempt to force you to sign in to a Microsoft account, whether personal or business. There are some workarounds that seem to work for a while, etc.
I’ve read all the reasons why Microsoft is doing this in terms of security for unlocking your computer, etc., but at no point does Apple essentially force you to sign in to iCloud to use a Mac. They ask, but they make it easy to refuse.
A fragmented update process
Once I finally got to the desktop, the update process was incredibly disruptive. When I take a new Mac out of the box, Apple system updates are seamless and usually done in one go. The operating system and firmware are managed in a unified place. On this laptop, Dell provides its own firmware updater for hardware, while Windows updates are sent through a completely separate settings panel. It’s too confusing, the whole mechanism feels fragile, and it takes forever to finish.
A LinkedIn app, really?
Then there’s the huge amount of junk that Windows still contributes to the ecosystem. This is a machine designed for business, yet the Start menu is immediately filled with the built-in Xbox app, a LinkedIn “app,” and a distracting news feed right on the taskbar. macOS gives IT a clean slate that respects the user and the organization. The only thing Apple does today is put a weather widget on the desktop that’s easy to disable.
Wrap
We occasionally complain about the quirks and bugs of Apple Business Manager and device management vendors, but we truly have a superior experience. Apple allows us to hand a sealed box to an employee, have them connect to the Internet, and securely enroll the device to our exact specifications without installing third-party apps or games by default. There is no “garbage” in the default version of macOS.
Getting back into the PC world was all the proof I needed that Apple is on the right path. I know that if you’re deploying the number of PCs I do with Macs, then it would have created a better, more scalable process, but on the other hand, if you’re deploying thousands of PCs and just a handful of Macs (even unmanaged ones), it’s not as complicated as Windows 11 today.
Apple @ Work is an exclusive presentation from MosyleApple’s only unified platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates into a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage and protect Apple devices at work. More than 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to keep millions of Apple devices up and running effortlessly and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TEST today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.
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