MacworldUK
9/10/2002
Mac OS X migration 'made easier'
By Macworld staff
Macintosh consultancy firm Iscentia and Mac enterprise computing experts systeMacs are teaming up to deliver Mac OS X migration services for UK Mac users.
Project-management solution boxIT allows a company to install Mac OS – including OS X 10.2 – and applications across an entire network of Macs.
Iscentia and systeMac claim boxIT is two to three times faster than Disk Copy or Apple's Network Install, and doesn't require a previous installation of Mac OS X.
Both companies claim this is the first time enterprise-level functionality has been made available to the Mac market.
It's time
Stuart Wilkes, Iscentia managing director, said: "We have been recently polling the professional UK Mac market to determine its plans for Mac OS X adoption. One of the key factors is time: they don’t have enough of it to successfully transition, no matter how great the benefits of this new OS.
"When we first saw systeMac's boxIT we were simply amazed with its level of functionality, its 100 per cent consistent results and its ability to deploy Mac OS X across dozens of Macs in hours rather than days. We knew we had to bring this world class technology to the UK."
Through an agreement with systeMacs, Iscentia will sell boxIT in all its multi-user licence configurations. Iscentia is the first international reseller of boxIT, which previously was sold only in the US.
Ken Easterby, systeMacs founder and president, said: "We’re very pleased that boxIT will now be widely available in the UK. The signing of this agreement is an important step towards boxIT gaining global recognition."
Wilkes will be debuting boxIT to attendees of the Macworld Mac OS X seminar .
boxIT is available immediately through Iscentia and systeMac's Web site at a starting price of £763 for a five-user licence, increasing to £5,640 for the 100-user licence (prices are inclusive of VAT).
MacWorld
5/29/02
Firm's corporate-backup Mac move
By Dennis Sellers
SysteMacs, a Mac enterprise-consulting firm, will showcase anti-virus software and a backup solution, boxIT, in July at Macworld Expo New York.
The product, aimed at enterprise customers, is available now. In fact, SysteMacs patented its solution and trademarked the boxIT name on Monday.
boxIT is a method of making a disk image of a customized Mac with a properly configured operating system and applications. The custom image is copied to an external FireWire, USB or SCSI device. This image can then be deployed to an unlimited number of computers simultaneously. The external device also stores all critical data, including email.
This custom disk image can be deployed on similar Mac systems in an enterprise, and is an “excellent tool” to deploy Mac OS X, according to Ken Easterby, founder and president of SysteMacs. When problems occur, the user or IT support person can restore this image in less than one hour, he added.
The disc image ‘freezes’ an image of a Mac’s operating system, applications, and preferences. It doesn’t freeze data such as word processing files, because such info is “dynamic and constantly changing,” Easterby said.
OS X migration
“The idea is to make one machine ‘look’ like another, and do it more quickly than you can normally do,” Easterby added. “It’s also useful when problems arise on a machine. There’s no troubleshooting at all – boxIT simply restores the computer to a previous state. It also makes a perfect Mac OS X-migration tool.”
boxIT isn’t a cheap product, as it’s a completely custom-built solution. When it’s first implemented, SysteMac does a systems analysis database in FileMaker Pro. After that, the company can give an estimate on what it will cost to deploy. However, Easterby claims that the solution can save a company up to 60 per cent in time and money. Though it’s hard to peg a ‘typical customer’ for the product, he said that boxIT is well suited to enterprises that have over 100 Macs.
Easterby said: “boxIT allows Macintosh computers to have system-software and applications instantly installed from a remote computer – and have unprecedented back-up and restore capabilities.
“This is a common function in the PC world, but hasn’t been done with Macs. It was a big gap in the curve between PCs and Macs, and we wanted to fill the need.”
The 15-year-old SysteMacs has developed proprietary software designed to help Macs penetrate deeper into large businesses.
MacCentral.com
boxIT aimed at Macs in the enterprise market
By Dennis Sellers
May 28, 2002 9:25 am
systeMacs , a 15-year-old Mac enterprise consulting firm that has developed proprietary software that's designed to help Macs penetrate deeper into large businesses, will showcase boxIT in July at Macworld New York.
The product for enterprise customers is available now. In fact, SysteMacs patented its solution and trademarked the boxIT name on Monday.
boxIT is a methodology of making a disk image of a customized Mac with properly configured operating system and applications. The custom image is copied to an external FireWire, USB or SCSI device. This image can be deployed to an unlimited number of user computers simultaneously.
The external device also stores all critical data including e-mail. This image can be deployed on similar Mac systems in an enterprise and is an "excellent tool" to deploy Mac OS X, according to Ken Easterby, founder and president of SysteMacs. When problems occur, the user or IT support person can restore this image in less than one hour, he added.
"boxIT allows Macintosh computers to have system software and applications instantly installed from a remote computer, and for unprecedented backup and restore capabilities," Easterby said. "This is a common function in the PC world, but hasn't been done with Macs. This was a big gap in the curve between PCs and Macs, and we wanted to fill the need. boxIT is the only solution available that empowers Mac users and IT Professionals to effectively manage their own Mac systems, saving them money which would normally be spent on consultant fees."
The disc image "freezes" an image in time of a Mac's operating system, applications, and preferences. It doesn't "freeze" data such as word processing files because such info is "dynamic and constantly changing," Easterby said. However, with boxIT, anti-virus software and a backup solution you have a "100 percent, bulletproof system," he said.
"The idea is to make one machine 'look' like another and do it more quickly than you can normally do," Easterby added. "It's also useful when problems arise on a machine. There's no troubleshooting at all; boxIT simply restores the computer to a previous state. It also makes a perfect Mac OS X migration tool."
Instead of trying to diagnose software problems the working image replaces the damaged state of the computer. In other words, it's "proactive" rather than "reactive" support, Easterby said. What's more, the image can be updated, tested and deployed to one or hundreds or computers with consistent results, he added.
boxIT isn't a cheap product, as it's a completely custom built solution. When it's first implemented, SysteMac does a systems analysis database in FileMaker Pro. After that, they can give an estimate on what it will cost to deploy. However, Easterby claims that the solution can save a company up to 60 percent in time and money. Though it's hard to peg a "typical customer" for the product, he said that boxIT is well suited to enterprises that have over 100 Macs.
"We look at it as the more machines you have, the more money we can save you," Easterby said.
macdirectory.com
Exclusive: boxIT Networking Solutions
Beth Lock
It's rare these days to meet people who have the enthusiasm of Ken Easterby. Ken is the President and founder of systeMacs, a consulting business that supplies IT solutions to Macintosh-based companies. Ken was described to me as guys who "live, breath and eat Macintosh.: Over the past years he has developed a new product unique to the Macintosh market called boxIT. I had the pleasure of talking with Ken about boxIT, and after one hour I was as enthusiastic as he is about it.
Networking solutions for Macintosh computers require a dedicated IT support staff, which can be difficult for a company to justify economically. Statistically, only about 5% of the networked businesses have Macintosh computers. It is the perception of most IT professionals that Apple computers are more costly for businesses to maintain due to the simple fact that there was no complete backup/image/restore solution on the Mac side as there is on the PC side. boxIT is a methodology of making a disk image of a customized Mac with properly configured operating system and applications. The custom image is cop9ied to an external FireWire, USB, or SCSI device. When problems occur, the user can restore this image or IT support person in less than an hour. An additional benefit is that the external device can be deployed on similar Mac systems in an enterprise and is an excellent tool to deploy Mac OS X.
I asked Ken what his motivation was to develop boxIT. He replied, "We were sick and tired of hearing people say that the Mac can't do something. We were tired of hearing them say it costs more to implement and maintain a Mac." Ken began working on boxIT as an adjunct to his consulting business. "In networks for business, the Mac was more expensive because there was no solution similar to PC networking. Our service is more than break/fix, we manage technology and people to accomplish goals."
Ken has serviced and created solutions for the business environment since 1986, and have partnered with companies such as FileMaker Pro, Dantz, Asante, and Apple Computer. I asked what these partnerships entailed. Ken gave Dantz as a good example. "Dantz has a certified products program. You have to prove you know their application and how it interacts with other computers. It's OK to have real world experience, but it's nice to be blessed by companies that are already established, to have certification with well-established companies." Ken has this real world experience, and have worked "with every single vertical market there is."
Many IT professionals have trained in a specific market, but the solution boxIT and systeMacs provide can transfer to any market. Ken stated, "Biotech needs to be set up in sophisticated ways, for example, as opposed to working in educational arena where they might be interested in setting up a filtered internet for students, or in government where tight security standards must be met."
So how does boxIT work? Ken Explained, "On machine A, we install, configure, and make it perfect, then we freeze the image and put on a hard drive. We take everything, OS, applications, printer drivers, etc. This image on the portable hard drive can run an unlimited number of machines, and all machines will perform to exactly the same corporate standard. If a machine goes down, it can be restored in less than 20 minutes. We empower the client to implement the solution themselves. It services as a complete repair solution, and can be used for new machines. We make a complete backup solution using existing hardware and technology. The clients are so excited because they save money. We sometimes get resistance from IT people, but then they realize this product makes them look good."
Well, are the clients excited? I spoke with one of them, Leslie McEvoy, Vice President of Research of Corgentech, Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company. Corgentech is focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of a new class of therapeutics called transcription factor decoys, which treat human disease by regulating gene expression. Leslie said, " This is an incredibly great solution for us. We rely heavily on data analysis and can't afford to have research scientists lose data and time. We are now enabled to efficiently build or rebuild workstations. Time is money, and that's the key. No matter what happens, we can be back up in 20 minutes per workstation or half a day for the entire network."
I asked Leslie about the process involved in setting up boxIt for Corgentech. She answered, "These guys are great. We have no standard workstations. They designed a global approach that allowed efficient customizing for each workstation. It was extremely efficient and a terrific solution. We've already seen the benefits.: And the length of time it took? "The biggest part was the analysis. The looked at the computers and all systems. Once they had a handle on what we had and what we needed, they designed it in a very short period of time and deployed it in one day. The who project took about three weeks."
Leslie met Ken when Corgentech lost data to a server transfer, which took a couple of weeks to restore from the tape backup. During the repair, they shoed her the boxIt solution. "We couldn't afford not to do it," she said. "Corgentech is a growing company; we have two phase three clinical trials going on right now and an active research department. We went with the boxIT solution partly for rapid recovery from disaster but more importantly to effectively support our growing research department staff. With boxIT, we're making sure we have a perfectly configured ready-to-go workstation for new employees to help allow them to hit the ground running."
Leslie's final words on boxIT were, "This is a great team to work with. They are very customer oriented and have good follow-up. It's a pleasure to help promote these guys."
How can a company from Mountain View, California provide the boxIT solution to a client in another city? Ken explained that it is all part of their four phase support system. "The first phase is the consultation, determining the clients needs. The second phase is the initial set up. Third phase is integration of services, and the fourth level is the service level agreement. We take on partners in remote locations. The support partners must pass a test to ensure their qualifications. They also have to interface well with he client. Then they stay on as a permanent support arm." At this point in time, Ken caries out the first three phases themselves. "Our infrastructure is all web-based. We are able to show the customer a solution. We can put on seminars, QuickTime videos, or video conferencing. Once the customer has a committed interest, we physically visit the location."
But what if boxIT fails in the field? "If boxIT fails, we have back-up documentation for each system we build and can reconfigure it and send off for next day delivery."
The boxIT solution ranges in price, depending on the needs of the client. Ken explained, "The client can save initially because solutions are unique and efficient. The boxIT solution is a solution that lasts for the entire life cycle of the computer as a whole. We can prove this with our propriety FileMaker Pro database to show the client an average savings of 60%. It's a performance analysis based on billable hours."
The day I interviewed Ken, Apple Computer announced Xserve. I asked him what his thoughts were on that. "I love the idea of the new Xserve. Apple needed to provide a solution that is appropriate for business." This led me to asking Ken what he would do if he were CEO of Apple Computer. "I'd pay attention to more support on the back end. If you don't have talented people to deploy solutions, the solutions won't work. Apple needs to maintain a healthy pool of talented support services."
boxIT is available now for any company of any size running Macintosh computers. Ken has experience with all operating systems, including Sun and Unix, and can integrate the boxIT solution into any network. They can also design a boxIT solution for a single Mac, which could be useful, for example, to any person with critical data who can't afford the time to rebuild.
I asked Ken if he had any final words he'd like to say about boxIT. He replied, "We want to raise the bar of professionalism, and we are that bar. I still get excited about the possibilities."
All OS X - Macintosh News and Products
Posted July 08, 2002
systeMacs has released boxIT , a utility "which can copy an image of a completely configured Macintosh computer onto another Macintosh computer in 15 minutes:"
With boxIT, a disk image of a customized Mac with a properly configured operating system and applications is copied to an external FireWire, USB or SCSI device. This image can be deployed to an unlimited number of user computers simultaneously.
AppleLinks.com
Software Product boxIT Solution Secures Macs in the Enterprise
Monday, July 8, 2002
Applelinks Contributing Editor Charles W. Moore
systeMacs, the Mac enterprise computing experts, has announced the release of boxIT, a new software product that allows Macintosh computers to have system software and applications instantly installed from a remote computer, in addition to unprecedented backup and restore functionality for Macs.
With boxIT, a disk image of a customized Mac with a properly configured operating system and applications is copied to an external FireWire, USB or SCSI device. This image can be deployed to an unlimited number of user computers simultaneously. When problems occur, the user or IT support person can restore this image in less than one hour. These capabilities have never before been available to Macintosh users.
“systeMacs has been working as consultants with enterprise-level Macintosh users since 1986, and this is a product many of our clients needed,” said Ken Easterby, president and co-founder of systeMacs. “boxIT adds a functionality to Mac-based networks that previously was only available in the PC world. It not only cuts total cost of ownership (TCO), but it will help our clients maintain their mission-critical applications.”
Using boxIT, system software and applications can be installed on a Mac or multiple Macs, in less than one hour. Under normal conditions, this process can take from three to five hours per computer. It is expected that boxIT will initially be used by many companies to deploy Mac OS X.
systeMacs clients expect significant cost savings from boxIT not only due to a drastic decrease in time spent installing new users and upgrading existing ones, but also due to a much faster disaster recovery process. boxIT has already been beta tested with several systeMacs clients and has been met with enthusiastic reviews.
“Using the boxIT solution, I was able to restore my failed OS X E-commerce web server in 15 minutes,” said Urundi Sanchez, CEO of LiteCode Technologies. “Without the custom image from systeMacs it would have taken me 10 hours or more to rebuild my server. boxIT saved me thousands of dollars, and I would recommend it to anyone who owns Macs.”
Founded in 1986, systeMacs was established to provide complete information technology solutions for companies that use Apple Macintosh systems. Today, systeMacs is a premium provider of unique technology and project management solutions.
Macvillage.net
Macintosh Given a Lift in Enterprise Computing
New Software Product for Macs Offers Faster Deployment, Disaster Recovery Capabilities Previously Seen Only In PC World
MOUNTAIN VIEW, California. –July 9, 2002– systeMacs, the Mac enterprise computing experts, today announced the release of boxIT, a new software product that allows Macintosh computers to have system software and applications instantly installed from a remote computer, in addition to unprecedented backup and restore functionality for Macs.
With boxIT, a disk image of a customized Mac with a properly configured operating system and applications is copied to an external FireWire, USB or SCSI device. This image can be deployed to an unlimited number of user computers simultaneously. When problems occur, the user or IT support person can restore this image in less than one hour. These capabilities have never before been available to Macintosh users.
"systeMacs has been working as consultants with enterprise-level Macintosh users since 1986, and this is a product many of our clients needed," said Ken Easterby, president and co-founder of systeMacs. "boxIT adds a functionality to Mac-based networks that previously was only available in the PC world. It not only cuts total cost of ownership (TCO), but it will help our clients maintain their mission-critical applications."
Using boxIT, system software and applications can be installed on a Mac – or multiple Macs -- in less than one hour. Under normal conditions, this process can take from three to five hours per computer. It is expected that boxIT will initially be used by many companies to deploy Mac OS X.
systeMacs clients expect significant cost savings from boxIT not only due to a drastic decrease in time spent installing new users and upgrading existing ones, but also due to a much faster disaster recovery process. boxIT has already been beta tested with several systeMacs clients and has been met with enthusiastic reviews.
"Using the boxIT solution, I was able to restore my failed OS X E-commerce web server in 15 minutes," said Urundi Sanchez, CEO of LiteCode Technologies. "Without the custom image from systeMacs it would have taken me 10 hours or more to rebuild my server. boxIT saved me thousands of dollars, and I would recommend it to anyone who owns Macs."
About systeMacs
Founded in 1986, systeMacs was established to provide complete information technology solutions for companies that use Apple Macintosh systems. Today, systeMacs is a premium provider of unique technology and project management solutions.
MacMonkies.com
MOUNTAIN VIEW, California -July 9, 2002- systeMacs, the Mac enterprise computing experts, today announced the release of boxIT, a new softwareproduct that allows Macintosh computers to have system software and applications instantly installed from a remote computer, in addition to unprecedented backup and restore functionality for Macs.
With boxIT, a disk image of a customized Mac with a properly configured operating system and applications is copied to an external FireWire, USB or SCSI device. This image can be deployed to an unlimited number of user computers simultaneously. When problems occur, the user or IT support person can restore this image in less than one hour. These capabilities have never before been available to Macintosh users.
"systeMacs has been working as consultants with enterprise-level
Macintosh users since 1986, and this is a product many of our clients needed," said Ken Easterby, president and co-founder of systeMacs.
"boxIT adds a functionality to Mac-based networks that previously was only available in the PC world. It not only cuts total cost of ownership (TCO), but it will help our clients maintain their mission-critical
applications."
Using boxIT, system software and applications can be installed on a Mac
or multiple Macs, in less than one hour! Under normal conditions, this
process can take from three to five hours per computer. It is expected
that boxIT will initially be used by many companies to deploy Mac OS X.
systeMacs clients expect significant cost savings from boxIT not only
due to a drastic decrease in time spent installing new users and upgrading existing ones, but also due to a much faster disaster recovery process. boxIT has already been beta tested with several systeMacs clients and has been met with enthusiastic reviews.
"Using the boxIT solution, I was able to restore my failed OS X
E-commerce web server in 15 minutes," said Urundi Sanchez, CEO of
LiteCode Technologies. "Without the custom image from systeMacs it would have taken me 10 hours or more to rebuild my server. boxIT saved me thousands of dollars, and I would recommend it to anyone who owns Macs."
About systeMacs
Founded in 1986, systeMacs was established to provide complete
information technology solutions for companies that use Apple Macintosh systems. Today, systeMacs is a premium provider of unique technology and project management solutions.
Macworld
Silicon Valley Business Journal
Apple's ads not likely to win over PC lovers, analysts say
Robert Mullins
Ken Easterby is the Maytag repairman of computer consultants. A pretty lonely guy.
His 15-year-old Mountain View company, SysteMacs, advises enterprise customers on how to install and maintain networks of Apple Macintosh computers in their offices.
Over those years, Apple's market share slid from the low 20 percent range to today's single digits, prompting Mr. Easterby to think he'd bet on the wrong brand.
"You betcha," he says. "I was wondering, `I may have to do something else for a living.' "
Apple Computer Inc., of Cupertino, relishes its outsider, contrarian, niche image. It is the defiant alternative to the cookie-cutter "Wintel" world of nearly every other desktop or laptop computer out there.
But lately, Apple has signaled that it isn't content to be the outcast. It launched an ad campaign June 10 to convince owners of personal computers running the Windows operating system on Intel chips to switch to Macs. In one ad, a new Apple convert describes her previous PC as a "horrid little machine."
Apple also has taken steps to woo enterprise customers -- large-volume computer purchasers such as businesses or schools -- with the launch of a new network server and new technology to let Apples and PCs talk together more easily on a network. Industry observers, while endorsing Apple's move, doubt it will make a difference. Apple is just not likely to be a significant presence in the enterprise market, they say.
"We are still authorized to resell Apple, but I don't know that we have sold any this year. We don't have any demand for them really," says Phil Mogavero, chief executive officer of Data Systems Worldwide Inc., an information technology consulting and outsourcing firm outside Los Angeles.
While Apple has made laudable efforts to boost enterprise sales, it still suffers some of the same obstacles to wider acceptance it long has suffered, he and other experts say: Apples are generally more expensive than PCs; much of the software that businesses want to use runs on PCs but not on Macs; and having a mix of PCs and Macs in a network requires an IT manager proficient in both PC and Mac systems -- a rarity.
Apple also is subject to the same economic winds buffeting other companies. Apple announced June 18 that it expects revenue for the fiscal third quarter to be off 10 percent from previous forecasts. It now expects revenue of $1.4 billion to $1.45 billion in the quarter ending June 30, attributing the decline from $1.6 billion to softer sales in the consumer and creative markets such as advertising and publishing.
But Apple is undaunted. On May 14, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the Xserve rack-mounted server, priced at $3,000 or $4,000, depending on the specifications.
Onstage, Mr. Jobs poked fun at his company's weak presence in the enterprise market.
"When you think about the enterprise and Apple you are more likely to think of this," he said, as a photo of the Starship Enterprise from the TV show "Star Trek" appeared onscreen behind him -- "than anything else."
"But while we are not on every desktop in every Fortune 500 company, we are [somewhere] in most Fortune 500 companies," Mr. Jobs says.
To the list of markets in which Apple Macs have long been associated -- publishing, graphic design and education -- he added law firms and biotechnology research companies.
Linking a network of Apple computers to an Apple server may help the company win some new small-business customers, says Brett Miller, an analyst who follows Apple stock at A.G. Edwards & Son, a St. Louis investment firm.
"They have an opportunity, but the question is will anyone take them seriously" in larger enterprises, Mr. Miller says. "That remains to be seen."
One of the biotech companies using Macs is Corgentech Inc., of Palo Alto. About a third of the 50 workstations in Corgentech's offices are Macs, all in its research department, says Leslie McEvoy, vice president of research, who has a doctorate in molecular and cell biology.
Researchers are accustomed to using Macs because they can create rich graphics that best illustrate the research that has been done, Ms. McEvoy says.
But other departments at Corgentech would have no use for Macs for tasks such as word processing and spreadsheets that can easily be done on less expensive PCs.
"Are you going to have your administrative assistants switch over to Macs? It's kind of silly," Ms. McEvoy says.
She also says it was hard for Corgentech to find IT support personnel qualified to run both PC and Mac systems.
But some of the barriers to wider Mac acceptance are coming down.
At the xServe launch event in Cupertino, Mr. Jobs also touted Rendezvous, a proposed new industry standard for helping other computers and peripheral equipment -- printers, servers and the like -- communicate with one another on a network.
Rendezvous will help Macs "play more nicely" with one another and with PCs, says Los Angeles consultant Mr. Mogavero.
Corgentech, the biotech firm, hired consultant SysteMacs to streamline the process of installing new Macs on its network. On July 2, SysteMacs is officially launching BoxIT, a process for simplifying installation of operating systems and additional software on Macs, says company co-founder Mr. Easterby.
The operating system and extra applications are combined into one software "image" on an external drive that is installed on a computer through a FireWire connection. The installation will take one hour per computer, versus the three to five hours it takes now, says Mr. Easterby.
"boxIT will overcome one of the obstacles to enterprise acceptance of Macs," he says.
But even a Mac true believer like Mr. Easterby has a love-hate relationship with Apple. While he thinks enterprises can make better use of Macs than they do now, Mr. Easterby is frustrated by Apple's fumbled efforts to exploit sales opportunities.
"The lack of fanfare bringing the Xserve to the market is indicative of the fact that it should have been brought [to market] a long time before," he says.
He also laments that the company has not provided Apple consultants such as his firm with adequate training and support to sell its new products.
Apple declined to provide an executive to be interviewed for this story, instead referring to Mr. Jobs' previous public comments.
Still, Macolytes such as Mr. Easterby love to sell Apple in spite of its faults.
"I get very excited about what I do for a living," he says. "The day I don't get excited is the day I become a pizza chef."
Silicon Valley Business Journal #2
Apple considering switch to Intel's chips, analyst claims
Robert Mullins
Apple Computer Inc. may switch to Intel chips to power a future generation of its desktop computers, rather than the Motorola PowerPC chip it uses now, according to a stock analyst who follows the Cupertino company.
Apple refused to comment on the report from Andrew Neff, a financial analyst at Bear Stearns, a New York City investment firm, who says Apple CEO Steve Jobs made "the strongest statement we have heard from the company they might do this," at a July 17 meeting with analysts in New York City.
At the meeting, which coincided with Apple's Macworld Expo trade show in New York, Mr. Jobs was asked by analysts whether Apple's Unix-based OS X operating system would ever be converted to run in an Intel environment. Mr. Jobs said that Apple wants to first convert users of its older OS 9 operating system to the newer OS X. Then, the company would have options to address running OS X on Intel chips, according to a research report by Mr. Neff.
"We like options," he quoted Mr. Jobs as saying.
Apple spokeswoman Lynn Fox declined to validate Mr. Neff's speculation.
"The words were `exploring options.' That could be many, many, many things," says Ms. Fox. "We don't talk about future product developments."
The PowerPC chips that run Apple computers have been developed through an alliance of Apple, IBM Corp., of Armonk, N.Y., and Motorola Inc., of Schaumburg, Ill. With chips costing $295 apiece, according to News Factor Network, and Apple selling more than 800,000 units for the quarter ended June 30, Motorola could lose millions of dollars in annual sales.
Intel Corp., of Santa Clara, already supplies chips for computers made by Hewlett-Packard, Dell, and other brands that are paired with the Windows operating system from Microsoft Corp., of Redmond, Wash. Most personal computers running the Windows operating system use either Intel chips or chips from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. of Sunnyvale.
Mr. Neff cautions that even if Apple were to convert its operating system to run on Intel chips, the move would be perhaps a year off.
"Apple has always said ... `we are very happy with the PowerPC chip,' but this is the first time [Mr. Jobs] has opened the door," Mr. Neff told the Business Journal. "If you sit back and look at it, it makes sense [to convert to Intel]. Apple has great design and a great brand, but if you ask people what is the one thing that has kept them from buying Macintosh, it's probably the processor."
Chips, or microprocessors, are the computer components that execute commands of the computer operator, such as opening or closing files. An operating system (such as Windows XP or Apple OS X) is software that allows the computer user to interface with the machine.
Industry analysts say there is a perception -- whether it's based on fact or not -- that Intel's chips are faster than Motorola's in some computers.
"In the raw kind of speed numbers, the PowerPC chips, for various reasons, run really fast but they don't look like they run really fast," says Stephen Baker, director of research at NPDTechworld, a research organization based in Reston, Va. "[Motorola chips] run at 1 gigahertz and Intel is talking about being at 3 gigahertz by the end of the year."
Apple suffers from a "megahertz myth," adds Ken Easterby, owner of Systemacs, a Mountain View-based consulting firm for Apple enterprise customers.
"People equate a higher megahertz number with a faster computer, which is simply not the case," Mr. Easterby says.
But marketing is the art of affecting a potential customer's perception of a brand, he says, so Apple may want to switch to Intel architecture to address those perceptions, he says. "I think maybe the move to an Intel chip might be positive for Apple."
Representatives from Intel and Motorola did not return calls for comment.
Apple also may save money using Intel as its chip supplier because Intel has the higher production volume necessary to offer a lower unit cost than Motorola. In the price-sensitive personal computer market, in which Apple has less than a 5 percent market share, Apple needs a strategy to raise its competitive profile, says Mr. Easterby.
There are a number of logistical and design issues Apple would have to confront if it were to run OS X on an Intel rather than PowerPC chip, says Mr. Neff, but it does have the balance sheet to deal with those issues.
Apple reported July 17, in releasing its fiscal third-quarter financial results, that it has $4.3 billion in cash.
"So they have some flexibility," Mr. Neff says.
Robert Mullins is a member of the Business Journal's technology team.
Los Gatos Town Crier
Image-making boxIT may help Mac sales
By Kami Nguyen
After 15 years of working at a Macintosh consulting firm, Ken Easterby was determined to change the negative view of Macs in the business world.
"Apple was having a hard time selling its product and system," said Easterby, president of SysteMac, a company located in Mountain View. "The media was lashing out because Apple hasn't found any way to make it less expensive."
A few months ago, Easterby did find a way to make it less expensive for businesses that use Macs in the workplace. The boxIT, an image-making system, has served clients in Canada and the United States, including Corgentech Inc., in Palo Alto.
The product has been in use for three or four months and is now being introduced to the public.
The function of the boxIT, Easterby said, is to create an image of a computer, including already installed programs and applications, to transfer that image to another computer in less time than the full installation process would take.
"If you had an assistant who wants to have the exact same computer (programs or applications), instead of putting in CDs and floppy disks, which will take hours, they can use boxIT and do it in under an hour," he said.
The boxIT is programmed to make an image of a computer by copying its complete functions and existing programs, and storing it on an external hard drive called a Fire Wire.
This information can then be transferred to one or 100 computers in about 15 minutes, Easterby said.
The boxIT is not only a good way for businesses to save money, it is also a good backup system if a computer were to crash, he said.
The cost for the boxIT varies from company to company, depending on how much work needs to be done.
Easterby said companies have said they have cut their spending money in half.
The system also allows companies that don't have Mac professionals assisting them, or have more of a PC-based knowledge, to configure and work with Macs without too much assistance.
If a company were to run into a software problem, instead of looking for the problem the company could just reinstall the computer's hard drive. Although documents can also be stored and retrieved on the boxIT, they change so rapidly that most companies might not choose to do so.
For companies looking to use the boxIT, the first step is for consultants to make an on-site visit to the company to do a systems analysis and to document the system and the serial number of the programs to create an image.
The need for such a money-saving tool came in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. "After Sept. 11, the economy took a nose dive," Easterby said. "Businesses didn't want to spend a lot of money."
For more information, call SysteMacs at 968-0549 or logon to www.systeMacs.com.
Palo Alto Daily News
Palo Alto Daily News #2
