I would think a Mac Mini would be ideal in the professional environment, as it is small, powerful for its size, and allows the reuse of the monitor.
It isn't that is the whole problem with Apple, they don't have a proper mid range solution for the desktop. Who know maybe they will wise up with the next Mini rev, but it is hardly a cost effective solution for business.
Of course, it depends on the business, but a sound investment in some non-Apple, non-glare screens would eliminate the largest complaint of the "creative professional" judging from these comments. We have to use HP machines at work, which have countless hard drive failures and mainboard issues. Also, they cost more than you would think more, probably for the service contract and a large supply of replacement drives and boards.
Herd mentality! Business seem to believe that they have to have a service contract so organization like HP seem obligated to supply them with very expensive service contracts. it is a bit of a joke really.
I could see software as an issue depending on the business, but if you had to, I guess you could have Windows installed. I hear a lot of people dismissing the Mac Mini as a toy for the home, but it has come a long way.
Yes it has! It will go even further with Ivy Bridge and then Haswell. But unless Apple changes it's attitude it will always be a castrated machine relative to the technology iPod the day.
For more powerful tasks, a Mac Pro is the way to go, as they often last for long periods of time, and again allows the reuse of the monitor.
Way too expensive! Apple needs a desktop machine in the $1100 to $1500 range!
As Apple does not make the hard drives, I hardly think you can blame them for the failures. As for Apple pushing the cloud, last I checked, you are not forced to back up to the cloud so it should be a non-issue.
This is a point that many don't grasp, hard drive failures are seldom the computer manufactures fault. All of the drive companies have failed miserably with regards to quality control of late. I'm pretty certain this is one of Apples motivation for SSDs and the Anobit buy.
While I agree with your sentiment, I do not with the words chosen.
Even if it's a moderate percentage, Apple is a big company. If they moved a lot of units at the beginning, a problem like that can become very apparent. This isn't the first Mac to exhibit such a problem, but I've never previously heard of it on new units. It was something you'd normally see closer to middle age when it appeared.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
I weep for the labs where such intelligent people can be so misguided. Good to know that Apple is reducing all forms of glare, though.
If they're too foolish or naïve to think of an iMac or Mac Mini as a desktop solution, should this even be an issue?
It's important to realize that light goes somewhere. It's reflected in some way, transmitted, or lost as heat energy. While I had considered the concept of glass with better transmissive properties, internal reflection isn't really ideal either. The matte coatings add somewhat of a micro faceted layer to break up the reflective pattern. In Apple's case they seem to be using a polarization layer of some kind. The rMBP is a significant improvement in this regard. It cuts visible reflectivity down to a level where it's tolerable under controlled lighting. Something like that in a larger display with an available hood would be great. It's also a solution that has been employed before. Some of the older 24" panels used polarizers, although they were fitted differently (judging from the ifixit teardown). I think they went away to cut costs. 24" displays cost far more at the time.
quote from mode: Now that they are re-assessing - almost all of them talked about the direction of Lion and the cloud - and frankly, just don't trust it.
They would rather rely on their own internal back-up systems.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wizard69
Interesting observations!
This is an issue that is largely overblown. Nobody is forced to iCloud.
iCloud IS NOT a back up system. This tells me immediately that your customers are woefully mis informed.
Most likely due to iCloud. You see the problem there.
The quote system seems to be dorked now, and no multi-quote. Anyway....
mode's customers may not be super-knowledgeable about the details, but I can totally understand a fear (or more like "lack of trust") of hooking their business into iCloud -- in any way, shape or form. I will not allow it at my business, but I'm savvy enough technically to *ensure* that there are no communications going on behind the scenes. If you're talking about a relatively non-technical person running a business, you could easily see why people could have concern. Now, as for why they would feel windows (with their fucking "activation" nonsense, etc.) is any better, but much of what I see in the real world is about perceptions as much as about reality. Businesses, more than individuals, want total control over their data. On that count, I don't blame them.
As for whether iCloud is a back-up system, I agree with your statement technically, but back-up is part of the picture for many people when they move to the cloud, and I think there are LOTS of people who do use cloud services as a back-up solution. I completely disagree with those who feel it's adequate on its own, but that's another story.
Comments
This is a point that many don't grasp, hard drive failures are seldom the computer manufactures fault. All of the drive companies have failed miserably with regards to quality control of late. I'm pretty certain this is one of Apples motivation for SSDs and the Anobit buy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
While I agree with your sentiment, I do not with the words chosen.
Even if it's a moderate percentage, Apple is a big company. If they moved a lot of units at the beginning, a problem like that can become very apparent. This isn't the first Mac to exhibit such a problem, but I've never previously heard of it on new units. It was something you'd normally see closer to middle age when it appeared.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
I weep for the labs where such intelligent people can be so misguided. Good to know that Apple is reducing all forms of glare, though.
If they're too foolish or naïve to think of an iMac or Mac Mini as a desktop solution, should this even be an issue?
It's important to realize that light goes somewhere. It's reflected in some way, transmitted, or lost as heat energy. While I had considered the concept of glass with better transmissive properties, internal reflection isn't really ideal either. The matte coatings add somewhat of a micro faceted layer to break up the reflective pattern. In Apple's case they seem to be using a polarization layer of some kind. The rMBP is a significant improvement in this regard. It cuts visible reflectivity down to a level where it's tolerable under controlled lighting. Something like that in a larger display with an available hood would be great. It's also a solution that has been employed before. Some of the older 24" panels used polarizers, although they were fitted differently (judging from the ifixit teardown). I think they went away to cut costs. 24" displays cost far more at the time.
Now that they are re-assessing - almost all of them talked about the direction of Lion and the cloud - and frankly, just don't trust it.
They would rather rely on their own internal back-up systems.
Interesting observations!
This is an issue that is largely overblown. Nobody is forced to iCloud.
iCloud IS NOT a back up system. This tells me immediately that your customers are woefully mis informed.
Most likely due to iCloud. You see the problem there.
The quote system seems to be dorked now, and no multi-quote. Anyway....mode's customers may not be super-knowledgeable about the details, but I can totally understand a fear (or more like "lack of trust") of hooking their business into iCloud -- in any way, shape or form. I will not allow it at my business, but I'm savvy enough technically to *ensure* that there are no communications going on behind the scenes. If you're talking about a relatively non-technical person running a business, you could easily see why people could have concern. Now, as for why they would feel windows (with their fucking "activation" nonsense, etc.) is any better, but much of what I see in the real world is about perceptions as much as about reality. Businesses, more than individuals, want total control over their data. On that count, I don't blame them.
As for whether iCloud is a back-up system, I agree with your statement technically, but back-up is part of the picture for many people when they move to the cloud, and I think there are LOTS of people who do use cloud services as a back-up solution. I completely disagree with those who feel it's adequate on its own, but that's another story.