Apple & Microsoft - integration heaven

Until recently, my experience with Apple Computers was purely academic. I used them for some courses at university to cover desktop publishing, AppleTalk networking, and graphical user interface design. Beyond that, they've remained an enigma. Today I'm a corporate technologist, with in depth knowledge of the Microsoft Windows server operating systems and their associated applications. As such, the general philosophy about Macs has been that they are optimised for the DTP world, and are not much use for modern business.

However, I'm having a difficult time reconciling my Microsoft-centric mindset with the experiences I've had with Mac OS X recently.

I've been using the iMac for about 6 weeks now, and I have to say I really do like the interface. I like it that the menu bar for the current application is always at the top of the screen. I like it that the Dock has all of my favourite applications, and I'm amazed at the form factor and the clarity of the screen.

But, the two things that have impressed me most are;

1. the native connectivity to Active Directory


2. application integration for Mac Mail and Mac Address Book to Microsoft Exchange

While there is a big gap in the Mac iCal integration with Microsoft Exchange Calendar, I've used Snerdware's Groupcal to provide the link.

Ultimately it's a great solution - the users are fed up with Microsoft Entourage, and are happier working around the native Mac applications. I'm happy because the integration is straight-forward, and it's taking the extra step to providing the best end user experience.

Needless to say that once Mac:Office 2008 arrives in January, I will be taking a look to see if Entourage is a more attractive proposition. At the moment though, Apple should be proud of their efforts and of the loyalty their users have for their technology.