Apple for Enterprise: A Few Key Facts
Despite BlackBerry’s recent release of its Playbook, Apple is expected to continue its dominance of the tablet market, even for enterprise businesses. Apple’s Mac products (desktop and notebook) also continue to gain popularity in the office setting, and many businesses are replacing their desktop PCs and traditional laptops with iMacs and MacBook Pros. Firms are increasingly using technology, including Threat Management Gateways, to grant access to Microsoft Exchange via iPhones and iPads.
I recently attended an Apple demonstration led by a senior Eze Castle Integration engineer. Here are a few interesting facts I learned:
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Microsoft Office Suite for Mac is similar to Windows; however, you will see significant differences in Microsoft Excel due to coding variations.
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Microsoft Outlook only comes with Microsoft Office 2011. Earlier versions will have Entourage as the primary email platform.
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Student versions of Microsoft Office do not work on Exchange.
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There are two different ways to access Windows on a Mac: via virtualization or through a dual boot.
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Data is encrypted when using a Citrix Receiver on any platform, including a Mac.
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Neither Apple Mail nor Entourage support PST files (Outlook does).
If the tablet is more your style and you’re curious to see how Apple’s iPad 2 and BlackBerry’s Playbook match up side-by-side, here’s your chance:
|
Apple iPad 2 |
BlackBerry Playbook |
|
|
Operating System |
Apple iOS 4.3 |
QNX, BlackBerry Tablet OS with symmetric multiprocessing |
|
Processor |
1 GHz dual core Apple A5 |
1GHz dual core Texas instruments |
|
RAM |
512MB |
1GB |
|
Storage |
16GB, 32GB or 64GB internal; no SD expansion slot |
16GB, 32GB or 64GB internal |
|
Display |
9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS display; 1024x768, 132ppi |
7-inch WSVGA, 1024x600 |
|
Battery |
Lithium-ion polymer with 6930 mAh capacity |
Lithium-ion 5400 mAh |
|
Ports |
30-pin Apple connector, 3.5mm headphone jack |
Micro USB, Micro HDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack |
|
Weight |
1.33 pounds (21.28 ounces/601 grams) |
14.4 ounces/425 grams |
|
Dimensions |
9.50(h) x 7.31(w) x 0.34(d) inches |
7.6(h) x 5.1(w) x 0.4(d) inches |
|
Camera |
Backside 720p video recording at 30fps; front-facing VGA |
5MP rear-facing, 3MP front-facing |
|
Sensors |
Accelerometer, aGPS, digital compass, ambient light sensor, three-axis gyroscope |
Accelerometer, GPS, digital compass, 6-axis gyroscope |
|
Keyboard |
Virtual QWERTY |
Virtual QWERTY |
|
Networks |
CDMA or GSM; no LTE |
LTE, WiMAX, and HSPA+ models later in 2011 |
|
Wireless |
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 2.1+EDR |
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 2.1+EDR |
|
Tethering |
No |
Only to a BlackBerry smartphone |
|
Price |
$499-729 |
$499-$699 |
*Source: Tech Republic
Eze Castle Integration is adept at working with both Apple and BlackBerry technology. If you would like more information, please contact us.
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