Apple in the Enterprise

Level: Switcher / Basic to intermediate This series of posts aims to quickly get new Mac OS X users up to speed with the various straightforward methods of sharing files, resources, and screens over a simple network with other Macs and Windows PCs. For very temporary, quick file-sharing, a USB flash / thumb, external hard drive or SSD is ideal. ... Read More »

The technology industry keeps you humble. As a technology consultant, I’ve spent considerable time assisting businesses needing to eliminate virus infections, remove malicious worms, and tighten security. And, despite my family’s penchant for demanding obscure Minecraft modifications and European manga, we’ve remained virus free. Yet, just last week my Mac browser was briefly hijacked when I accidentally typed a URL. ... Read More »

Despite all the Apple versus Microsoft, OS X versus Windows, iOS versus Android and similar debates about who does it better, productivity always comes down to actually getting things done. Task management software improves critical tracking projects, managing tasks, and maintaining typical to do lists. Here are five of the best task management apps for Mac business users. Reminders Apple ... Read More »

Backup operations are among the most critical actions any computer user performs. Whether a business user is backing up an iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook Pro or Mac Pro, and regardless whether the system is used in the office or is located in a server room or data center, it’s important the data is regularly backed up. Hard disks fail. RAID ... Read More »

A new Mac Pro model is imminent. Apple’s flagship computer, once renowned for its powerful performance capacity, hasn’t been updated since June 2012 when the model’s refreshed hardware specifications (surprisingly lacking 10K RPM SATA disks, USB 3.0 connectivity and Thunderbolt support) left many unimpressed. The direction in which Apple moves the Mac Pro platform will necessarily dictate how many Mac ... Read More »

Approximately every decade a new software tool seemingly changes the way I work. Enable earned the crown, on an old IBM 8088, in the 80s. WordPerfect was indispensable on my 486 in the 90s. Microsoft Office proved a necessity on my PowerBook in the 00s. And now Scapple, a program you’ve likely never heard of, owns that honor on my ... Read More »

Level: Basic to intermediate In this post we will look at three general scenarios and the best associated method for sharing files between Macs over a local network: AirDrop, Guest, and User Account sharing. You may want to review or refer to my last post, “Mac sharing Part 1: How to get connected.” AirDrop For users of MacOS X 10.7 ... Read More »

So far in the Mac Sharing series, we’ve covered: Mac sharing Part 1: How to get connected (the basics between Macs) Mac sharing Part 2: File-sharing scenarios (slightly more advanced tips for Macs) Do you have both Windows PCs and Macs in your network? Hook them up to rapidly share their files in either or both directions. Level: Switcher / ... Read More »

The larger an organization grows, the more difficult software license tracking, hardware asset management, antivirus enforcement, and individual systems monitoring become. Enterprise-class, Mac-compatible remote monitoring and management (RMM) platforms provide larger organizations with a powerful utility to centralize workstation, mobile device, and server administration; management; monitoring; and reporting. Numerous options exist A wide variety of Mac-compatible management tools exist. Continuum ... Read More »

With the advances in technology, faster data access (SSD), and slimming hardware footprints, legacy technologies are typically the first cuts made to get these devices thinner and lighter while making them more powerful and efficient. Installing OS X has never really been a particularly difficult task, but try doing that on a MacBook Air or a system with a broken ... Read More »