Let the battle begin - What can mac do that Windows cannot?

[BenGarrison]

As the title suggests.. Let's get the community to weigh in on this debate. I know this is in the hardware category. But it's not limited to just that!

[thomasmartin]

I think I know my limitations enough not to claim to know what Windows cannot do. But I will ask, how would you do zero touch enrollment on a Windows computer and if it can be done at all, can it be done with Jumpcloud?

[BenGarrison]

it can be done with Autopilot.  I don't think there is any solution aside from Intune that can leverage Autopilot at this time. There are some creative "light touch" workflows but at this time, no Zero-touch with JumpCloud.

[daemoch]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_AMT_versions
I've used this with a very robust SCCM/MDM (now called Endpoint Configuration Manageror Ingnite or something....they keep rebranding it) to do exactly that.

That being said, I like JAMF better.  Its smoother to use, easier to deploy, and since Apple makes everything its easy to go in to any store and just 'buy' any Apple product and have it work; they control all end points of production.

I have NOT tried it with JC though....that could be a neat experiment with a custom AMT solution.  But I think it might be possible.  You still wouldn't be able to use a random off the self PC though like you can Apple.

[TomBridge]

• Directory-agnostic Zero Touch Enrollment
• Directory-agnostic open platform for mobile device management
• Actual, hardware-secure operating system with full tamper-protection, including sealed system volume
• Real live developers who care about human interface guidelines :trollface:

[mcase]

I can think of plenty of items the other way around, but as far as it goes for things macOS can do that Windows cannot, I can think of a few things off the top of my head that Windows might be able to do to some extent, but macOS does better:

macOS sleeps better. Windows' sleep mode has historically been a lot less consistent.

macOS tends to do better with power efficiency (especially with the M1)

macOS' Time Machine backups are more user-friendly than Windows' Backup & Sync

macOS' AirDrop is more user-friendly than setting up network shares in Windows

Uninstalling applications in macOS is generally easier than in Windows

So yeah, at least from my perspective it's not exactly a list of missing features so much as a list of better implemented features.

[SL_ksymonds]

POSIX compliance.

[jaggrey]

Better resale value on the Macs when it's time to refresh the computers!

[BenGarrison]

Or better to sell it to the employees. Kind of a perk

[rlyons]

Macs tend to be great for users. Terrible to admin in an enterprise. Windows is exactly the opposite.

If Linux didn't have driver issues (much better than it used to be though) and a serious case of multiple personality disorder, it would be the best by far; lack of Windows only software not withstanding.

[daemoch]

@rlyons I keep finding myself agreeing with your posts, 99%.

Mac users are a pita or easy, no middle ground.  So its less the machine and more the users IMO.

If I had to pick one, and I couldn't take Linux, I'd actually use Windows.  Mac is too limited; it lacks adaptability/flexibility and there isn't much I cant do with a PC if get to set it up right.  On the other hand, if Apple doesn't approve, there's nothing you can do to compensate (even after hacking it) as they like to modify things all the way down into the hardware design itself to limit capabilities.  That can be good or bad, but from a flexibility perspective its almost always bad to limit potential capabilities.  From a support perspective, its a genius way to eliminate tech-debt, which MS has always struggled with.  But "futureproofing" shouldn't mean making it "proof against being usable in the future" (I say as I type on a 14 year old mid-grade laptop comfortably running windows 10).

[rlyons]

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@BenGarrison wrote:

(I say as I type on a 14 year old mid-grade laptop comfortably running windows 10).

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Me, and my 2012 Sandy Bridge era i7 HP laptop agree with you. Seriously though, I still use an HP Elitebook Workstation 8760w. The PSU is 320w..... I added a 2nd NIC and it's my portable GNS3 test environment.