I think that if you look at just iOS devices this can be said. With the ability to manage these devices with Apple's own tools or third-party software makes that possible. It's probably the only segment in Apple that's really made a point of trying to integrate with Enterprise environments. Basically, when they made Exchange work well in iOS and the developers came to the platform and delivered all the other tools people wanted it gained traction. However, even in this realm the issues dealing with iTunes accounts, purchasing applications and redeeming codes, is still not ideal. Volume Purchasing Programs are quite helpful and a step in the right direction.
As for the Mac side of things it's a little more depressing, and apparent that helping IT people integrate Macs into the Enterprise has gone down hill. Many people built significant systems around the XServe platform and those people had the bottom dropped out on them, much like Final Cut Pro shops. An OS loaded named "Server" does not make a Mini a server, not by a long shot. Fortunately many things people use to run on Mac Servers are available on other platforms, but not all services.
As for OS X, with Lion and the Mac App Store the Enterprise side is again the afterthought, the second class citizen. The Mac App Store, although a very good thing for consumer just causes the same nightmares the the App Store does in terms of bonding a purchase to an iTunes account. Updates to software, like iPhoto, now embedded into Lion require updates via Mac App Store. What if you block the Mac App Store so your Enterprise users don't try to use their own personal accounts and violate the Terms of Service? Fortunately with Mac management suites you can get around some of this, but just pray DRM isn't a part of the App so you don't have to touch individual systems.
I would also be happy if Apple would make Active Directory binding work the way it had for a long time, right now it's just a POS. 10.7.2 got it working somewhat. Kind of sucks if you buy new Macs in your Enterprise and are forced to the new OS when key components aren't working to attach it to AD, or accessing network file storage. That sounds pretty Enterprise friendly doesn't it? Good luck trying to tell people they can't buy their hardware they want if you're not in a position to do so.
And finally the Mac hardware. I absolutely love the iMac, the MacBook Pro, and the MacBook Air. They are very good pieces of hardware, but at a fairly hefty price. The mini has it's purpose, but I'm not a fan. Many times the form has always gone over function for even basic things. Sure the iMac is a great box, but there are places that want to reuse their monitors through two rotations of hardware perhaps, they last longer. They just want to attach a lower cost box to their display they already have. iMacs don't work well in teaching stations in classrooms or other similar installations. The mini isn't the answer, a Mac Pro is certainly not the answer (and I'll be glad when it's gone). All I want is a small form factor Mac that has the same component options as the iMac with Core i7 processors, memory, storage, and video. I want it to have some of the common ports on the FRONT of the box like USB, headphones. In shared environments like student labs they don't know ports are hidden on the ends of the keyboard and turn around the iMacs to see the ports on the back...pulling out or damaging other cables in the process. They just want to plug their thumb drive in, their headphones in and go. Is that really asking too much? It must be. It's not PRETTY enough for Ive I imagine. Need to open Activity Monitor to see if your hard drive is even doing anything...blinky indicator lights are bad, too.
I imagine another issue I'm going to be posed with there is do you make that damn thing out of aluminum so it's highly recyclable? I'm thinking there are other materials you can use that won't make it a boat anchor (Mac Pro, G5) and artificially inflate the price. A Mac is a beautiful thing, but a really expensive system to run Windows on or have connect to a virtual environment to run Windows apps where MOST of the business applications still reside. The availability of applications to Mac OS X is getting better, but still has a long way to go.
You'll never get a roadmap out of Apple, and IT doesn't like surprises.
I could really care less about optical drives, I rarely use them these days, but I think it would be OK to put in a blu-ray player like people have constantly been asking for over the years. The person who said it is a "bag of hurt" is no longer with use in body (you will be missed Steve). And although digital downloads are the way to go, optical media is still going to be a reality for quite some time until EVERYONE has reliable and affordable broadband to their door.
If you're a company that's fortunate enough to not depend on any software that needs Windows and can have a purely Mac environment, it can probably work too, but I'm just not sure how the higher costs for hardware make it any more economical for TCO. The OS has holes and requires very similar management practices and protections that Windows does.
Make the OS work properly in the Enterprise and App management centrally controlled, maybe tied to AD accounts instead of iTunes accounts. Make the price point more attractive with functional hardware that fits the space and needs better; function not form. Increase the market share of Macs in the Enterprise. After that, the software vendors will follow suit. Maybe someday, but not in my lifetime as a system administrator. I'm likely to start pushing to eliminate Macs from our Enterprise because of the overhead trying to make them work imposes on us every time "just one more thing" comes up, and the next version of "most advanced operating system" comes around.
No one EVER said Apple has to give up how they do things for the consumer, but with a little effort they could do great things in the Enterprise side as well. The company has enough resources to pull off both segments if they really wanted to.
Damn...
who knows nothing about supporting corporate IT. A computer is suitable for business use if it gets the job done AND is supportable, can be monitored and secured; services all end users demand from their IT department. Apple does not currently make this easy, but they are getting there. Don't talk until you put yourself into the shoes of a help desk person who has to support a unjustifiably indignant end user who insists on using his unsupported Mac with enterprise applications and can't understand why he can't run them.
