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As we continue with our “back to basics” series of Apple device management, choosing the right devices is certainly an important part of the process. This week, I’ll take a look at the various devices in the Apple hardware line and make recommendations on which ones are ideal for your K-12 and Apple corporate deployments.
About Apple @ Work: Bradley Chambers has been managing a corporate IT network since 2009. Through his experience in deploying and managing firewalls, switches, a mobile device management system, enterprise-class Wi-Fi, 100s of Macs and 100s of iPads, Bradley will highlight the ways in which Apple IT managers deploy Apple devices, create networks to support them, train users, stories from the IT management trenches and ways Apple can improve its products for IT departments.
The best Mac for K-12 and businesses
As of the date of publication, the best Mac for K-12 and corporate deployments is the M1 MacBook Air. In the future, I do not advise schools or companies to purchase non-Apple silicone laptops until there is a specific requirement, such as virtualization, that is not quite ready yet.
MacBook Air
The MacBook Air M1 was the Apple 9to5Mac product of the year in 2020 and, when describing the reason, said the following:
I’ve been a Mac user since 2005, when I bought the PowerBook G4. This was the only PowerPC computer I owned, as the transition to Intel happened a few years later. In my life, I can count on only a handful of technology transitions that look like real advances: Wi-Fi, solid-state drives and Apple Silicon.
In just a few weeks with the M1 laptop, I can say that I never imagined that a laptop’s battery life could achieve these results while remaining so powerful. For those people who wanted Apple to launch a Netbook for ultra portability, they finally made it. Apple Silicon is as important to Apple’s future as any consumer product it has launched in its history.
For most customers, the standard MacBook Air will offer enough power. Unless you have specific reasons to upgrade to 16 GB, I would not advise when buying in bulk. 8 GB of RAM on the Apple Silicon performs very differently than 8 GB of RAM on an Intel laptop.
The main issue will be the storage requirements unique to each organization. Apple offers a special edition in bulk purchase that starts at $ 799 and includes only 128 GB of storage.
For my needs, this will not be enough, but for many organizations that rely on cloud services, 128 GB will be sufficient. You can go for 256 GB for just $ 100 more, and when buying a computer for personal use, this is an easy choice. If you are buying hundreds and potentially thousands of laptops at once, saving $ 100 on each one can be a huge amount of money.
Mac mini
For desktop, I would recommend the Apple Silicon Mac mini, as it is the only desktop Mac with the M1 chip. Until Apple changes the iMac to the Apple Silicon, I would only advise buying the Mac mini. The same advice for RAM and storage also follows here for this computer.
The best iPad for K-12 and business deployments
The iPad line is a much more difficult discussion to have compared to the Mac. With the Mac, it’s Apple Silicon / M1 or nothing, in my opinion. On the iPad, several device options will meet your needs.
‘Normal iPad’
The 10.2 ″ iPad is Apple’s lowest-cost iPad and has a $ 299 discount for schools and businesses for the 32 GB Wi-Fi model. If you need an iPad for mobility (hospital, retail, etc.), this is the perfect iPad. It will probably be supported for another six years with iOS updates. It also includes support for the first generation Apple Pencil.
iPad Air with Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil
The next step from here would be the iPad Air. Since it is almost twice the cost of the 10.2 ″ iPad, I would only recommend this device for K-12 and corporate deployments if it is the only device you are deploying and need support for the second generation Apple Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil. Adding these products certainly increases the cost, but they turn the iPad into a device that rivals the functionality of a Mac.
Do you need AppleCare?
AppleCare is a frequently asked question I get about purchasing from large companies and K-12. For lower cost items, such as a MacBook Air, Mac mini or an iPad, I generally don’t recommend buying AppleCare. When looking at a mass purchase of a hundred basic models of MacBook Airs (which are sold in packs of five), the total amounts to almost $ 77,900, depending on the discount that Apple offers to your organization. I am basing my numbers on the company’s education prices. AppleCare for these computers would cost more than $ 24,000.
Instead of buying AppleCare, an organization could buy another 25 MacBook Airs to keep as a spare for repairs that are not covered by the initial one-year warranty. Statically, most organizations will not see a 25% break rate after the first year. Even if an organization didn’t want to buy extra laptops, they could easily have a repair budget to use if the machines were damaged.
Get ready for the best Apple devices for K-12 and business deployments
When considering the needs of your organization and deciding on the best Apple devices for K-12 and corporate deployments, it is important to consider how each update will affect your budget. As I mentioned before, an additional savings of $ 100 per machine can go a long way in purchasing hundreds of thousands of devices. Remember that you will still need to purchase accessories like extra chargers, cases, etc., so consider this in your budgeting process.
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