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Every now and then, I have to step outside my usual ecosystem to deploy a Windows PC for a specific role/task. I recently had to set up a new Dell laptop, and the entire experience was a harsh reminder of how good we have it in the Apple IT world. Deploying this new PC made me appreciate everything Apple has built into macOS and the entire setup process from beginning to end.
About Apple @ Work: Bradley Chambers has been an Apple IT admin since 2009. Through his experience deploying and managing firewalls, switches, a mobile device management system, enterprise grade WiFi, 1000s of Macs, and 1000s of iPads, Bradley will highlight ways in which Apple IT managers deploy Apple devices, build networks to support them, train users, share stories from the trenches of IT management, and ways Apple could improve its products for IT departments.
Local logins are broken on Windows 11
Google is the absolute backbone of my identity system. Because I have so few PCs in my active inventory, I really wanted to set this new machine up with a simple local login. If you have recently deployed Windows, you know this is practically impossible without some very random workarounds. The setup assistant fights you at every single step, hiding the local account options behind the command line in a desperate attempt to force a Microsoft account login, either personal or enterprise. There are some known workarounds that seem to work for a while, etc.
I’ve read all the reasons Microsoft is doing this in terms of computer security and unlocking your computer, etc., but at no point does Apple force you to log in to iCloud to use a Mac. They ask, but they make it easy to decline.
Once I finally got to the desktop, the update process was incredibly broken. When I pull a new Mac out of the box, Apple’s macOS updates are seamless and generally done in one go. The operating system and firmware are handled in one unified place. On this laptop, Dell provides its own firmware updater for hardware, while Windows updates are pushed through a completely separate settings panel. It is overly confusing, the entire mechanism feels brittle, and it takes absolutely forever to finish. It also took multiple rounds of updates as well.
A LinkedIn app, really?
Then there is the sheer amount of junk Windows still brings into the ecosystem. This is a machine meant for business, yet the Start menu is immediately cluttered with the built-in Xbox app, a LinkedIn “app”, and a news feed right on the taskbar. macOS gives IT a clean slate that respects the user and the organization. About the only thing Apple does today is put a weather widget on the desktop that is easy to turn off.
Wrap up
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