On Apr 30, 2010, at 16:53 , Adam Maas wrote:
If you were in a 100+ machine network and had all Mac's, you'd be out a job because the damned network wouldn't work or you'd be stuck with a Microsoft, Sun or IBM backend. MS owns the office space today because they sell network infrastructure software as well as the desktop OS. Apple sells the Desktop OS and a slightly enhanced version as a 'Server' OS which isn't any more than a standard *nix server. You'd still need your Windows Servers on the backend to run Exchange (or suddenly all your users lose their integrated scheduling and mail and pushing to their blackberry's, and the clustering which makes said services reliable on any platform) and you need a viable authentication system, which means either Sun or Active Directory since Apple doesn't offer anything which scales, and some sort of solution for pushing software updates at controlled times (no SMS) and all the other network management tools which OS X Server lacks (because it's not designed for large-scale network deployments, but rather small 10-50 user networks).
That is true today, most likely because Apple is content to be where they are as far as scaling goes. Given the percentages of installed base it makes no sense for Apple to try to build on large enterprise structures. PCs have won that battle. The hardware has been developed and the software written to support it. 20 years ago, that was not the case. Apple had poured a great deal of money into trying to compete with Unix and Micro$oft. They had the tools and and connectivity to install Macs (and Apples) into school systems and universities that demanded hundreds or thousands of seats with servers, connections to the mainframes, and Internet access.
But M$ got more installed at lower costs in more schools faster, and though they whimpered about it, Apple caved and changed their model, and it's needed development to the small network, the individual, and personal mobility. The tools for large scale got left behind, though I know some school systems still do use all Macintosh. I haven't run one since the mid 90s, so I don't know how they do it.
I still subscribe to a Mac Managers "List" that generates a few questions a day, and maybe a couple of summaries a week. It sure ain't what it used to be. 15 years ago it was a'hoppin' with posts, and I was one of the few who went to SF each year to pay homage to Cupertino, and party with the anointed Apple Techs. They had their probable final party this year (sans moi) because the bar that had hosted it for the past ten was closing. <mac-m...@lists.mac-mgrs.org>
Today's example: "I have an Intel iMac running OS X 10.5.8 which intermittently. but regularly has problems maintaining its SMB connection to a Windows 2003 Small Business Server (SBS) shared folder. None of the other Macs in the office have this problem and most of the Macs are the exact same model of iMac running OS X 10.5.8…"
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