IBM gives workers choice between Macs or PCs, plans to deploy 50,000 Apple MacBooks

Posted:
in General Discussion edited June 2015
Starting on Thursday, IBM workers will be able to choose between a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or a PC when getting a new or updated workstation, according to a company-wide memo.




Each machine will come preloaded with all necessary software, such as VPN and security tools, the company said. The memo remarked that IBM already has about 15,000 active Macs deployed through its bring-your-own-device program, but aims to deploy 50,000 MacBooks by the end of 2015.

That number will allegedly make IBM the world's biggest Mac-supporting company. IBM adds that it plans to share lessons learned from the deployment with Apple, which is helping with the task.

The new policy was first pointed out by several IBM workers on Twitter.

Apple and IBM have been partners since last July, collaborating on a series of enterprise iOS apps and deployments under the MobileFirst banner. IBM is responsible for hardware leasing, device management, security, analytics, mobile integration, and on-site service, while Apple is involved with software development and customer troubleshooting via AppleCare. Ultimately the goal is to have over 100 MobileFirst apps available to enterprise customers.

Today's news signals an even deeper connection between the two companies, which were once rivals given the PC's origins at IBM.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 67
    narcomanarcoma Posts: 37member
    Makes sense.
  • Reply 2 of 67
    hydrogenhydrogen Posts: 314member

     

    (Guy Kawasaki copyright ...)

  • Reply 3 of 67
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    Starting on Thursday, IBM workers will be able to choose between a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or a PC when getting a new or updated workstation, according to a company-wide memo.

    Since when is a notebook a workstation? Isn't a workstation a desktop computer?

  • Reply 4 of 67
    carlosjkcarlosjk Posts: 9member
    IBM won't be the first, more corporation are making the switch..
  • Reply 5 of 67
    misamisa Posts: 827member
    mstone wrote: »
    Since when is a notebook a workstation? Isn't a workstation a desktop computer?

    It depends on which definition you use.

    A "workstation" as in a CAD/CAM machine can also be a laptop, but usually not. A "workstation" as in "a space where you do your work" can also imply a any kind of desktop/laptop/tablet where all the tools (apps) are immediately available "at that station"

    It's a bit of an anachronism, but people still "take their laptop home" because they need to be able to work at home or on the road.
  • Reply 6 of 67
    pfisherpfisher Posts: 758member

    Pretty amazing, considering history.

  • Reply 7 of 67
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Kinda funny when you think about it.
  • Reply 8 of 67
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member

    PC Creator now go with Apple computer too. Nice.

  • Reply 9 of 67
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by pfisher View Post

     

    Pretty amazing, considering history.




    Well, IBM is no longer in the desktop, laptop, tablet business so why not. If anything this validates Apple’s decision not to license OS X. IBM tied its horse to Microsoft licensing and the smaller, quicker clone makers ran them out of the business. The same fate awaited Apple until Steve Jobs returned and shut down the licensing nonsense almost immediately.

  • Reply 10 of 67
    suddenly newtonsuddenly newton Posts: 13,819member
    Welcome to the Apple Store, IBM. Seriously.
  • Reply 11 of 67
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post

     

    Since when is a notebook a workstation? Isn't a workstation a desktop computer?




    You're old-school (as am I).  Yeah, in the old days when laptops were glorified calculators, real work was done on desktop PC's.



    Nowadays, a "Workstation" has evolved to a device that performs one's actual "work", being an Excel document, Photoshop, or CAD work.  It's pretty much a generic terms now I think.



    I suppose for us older folks, a "workstation" is still something like a Mac Pro.

  • Reply 12 of 67
    mrboba1mrboba1 Posts: 276member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post

     

    Since when is a notebook a workstation? Isn't a workstation a desktop computer?


     

    Not any more. For my past 2 jobs, I have gotten notebook computers that dock into dual monitor/keyboard/mouse setups for use at work. I am also therefore able to take the laptop with me to go to meetings, conferences, home, etc. and continue to do the same work.

     

    I am a data analyst, so it's not just used for spreadsheets and Word. I use heavy duty statistical software. You should know that laptops can be just as powerful as desktop systems. Just look at the MacBook Pro vs the iMac.

  • Reply 13 of 67
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member

    For anyone with half a brain and does actual work, the decision (a mac) is a obvious.  Pity the uninformed that choose a Wintel machine.



    Besides, that shiny new Macbook makes a great Windows machine too.  I should know, I've been running Windows on my Macs since it came with Intel CPU's.  So a mac gives you the solid stability and usefulness of OSX, and the ability to run Windows if you feel the need to lower your IQ.

  • Reply 14 of 67
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,243member
    lkrupp wrote: »

    Well, IBM is no longer in the desktop, laptop, tablet business so why not. If anything this validates Apple’s decision not to license OS X. IBM tied its horse to Microsoft licensing and the smaller, quicker clone makers ran them out of the business. The same fate awaited Apple until Steve Jobs returned and shut down the licensing nonsense almost immediately.
    Well said. My first Mac was one of those clones, a Radius. It was a nice little machine for the time and got me hooked on Macs for life. Plus it had the guitar chord startup chime. I wish I still had it.
  • Reply 15 of 67
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,564member
    Neither the article's author nor the commenters have asked this critical question: will these laptops be configured with OS X, Windows, or both, and if both, through Apple's Bootcamp or some other mechanism?
  • Reply 16 of 67
    Just got the email and I'm due for a refresh. Never thought I'd be using a Mac at work for IBM. Their partnership is at least paying off there. I used to have to fight to keep my iPhone.
  • Reply 17 of 67
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    Nobody ever got fired for buying Apple. :D
  • Reply 18 of 67
    macplusplusmacplusplus Posts: 2,112member
    That explains the rationale behind the new ultra-thin Macbook... Such a deal justifies such a model...
  • Reply 19 of 67
    22july2013 wrote: »
    Neither the article's author nor the commenters have asked this critical question: will these laptops be configured with OS X, Windows, or both, and if both, through Apple's Bootcamp or some other mechanism?

    It's Os X -- won't let you dual boot as far as I know. Air or MacBook Pro.

    Certain jobs and programs will still be PC only. IBM has been moving folks over to Linux as well for a while.
  • Reply 20 of 67
    bigpicsbigpics Posts: 1,397member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by pfisher View Post

     

    Pretty amazing, considering history.


     

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by lkrupp View Post

     

    Well, IBM is no longer in the desktop, laptop, tablet business so why not. If anything this validates Apple’s decision not to license OS X. IBM tied its horse to Microsoft licensing and the smaller, quicker clone makers ran them out of the business. The same fate awaited Apple until Steve Jobs returned and shut down the licensing nonsense almost immediately.


     

    IBM and Apple have actually been playing nice in various ways since MS threw IBM into a tailspin it's never fully recovered from... ...and is very much still in.... ....and IBM needs Apple much more than other way round these days... ....so all these recent moves represent "Big Blue" doing its best to pick a little of Apple's "halo effect" as they grasp onto its coattails...



    ...I actually admire the role of both companies (with some exceptions) in the history of computing and hope this works well for both... ...as longer term (if IBM can right itself) there's a lot of potential for both companies....

     

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post

     

    For anyone with half a brain and does actual work, the decision (a mac) is a obvious.  Pity the uninformed that choose a Wintel machine.



    Besides, that shiny new Macbook makes a great Windows machine too.  I should know, I've been running Windows on my Macs since it came with Intel CPU's.  So a mac gives you the solid stability and usefulness of OSX, and the ability to run Windows if you feel the need to lower your IQ.


     

    As a "re-switcher" I installed Win 7 in my MBA in a Boot Camp partition and to my mind it's been a distinctly sub-par Windows experience compared to even my old HP Vista tower.  The trackpad (and the external mouse) are super fidgety... ...there are things I can't adjust etc.



    I also don't want to complexify the stability of my Mac environment with Parallels (and Windows) - the most consumer-oriented version of "converging" the two....  ...so for those tasks I still need Win-specific software for (legacy stuff in my case), I'm planning to buy a separate < $500 Win 10 laptop this fall (after a few months for that to shake out), and "ne'er the twain shall meet" - save via DropBox, SugarSync and online Office....



    Jus' sayin'......

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