Now that Apple has released their up-gunned Macbook models, to all appropriate fanfare, I am wondering if they will get a second look from corporate IT as a viable alternative for mobile users.

To be fair, Mossberg's review (linked above) recommends them to consumers and students, and I am not retreating from my own position that Apple has a long way to go before it can be taken as a serious option in most traditional enterprise environments. But let's stuff tradition for a bit and consider utility and sex appeal... qualities which are not mutually exclusive much as some throwbacks would like them to be.

The Macbooks are now sturdier, lighter, have better battery life, brighter screens, and still come with the superlative and safe OS X operating system. If you insist, you can still hobble them with Windows, either installed directly or more likely with some sort of virtualization software. They are simple, both in operation and design... no bent power adapters, busted latch lids, or cracked cases to deal with. Lower support costs, if deployed properly (I can't back that up with data but would be interested if anyone can cite any objective studies that have been done; it's purely anecdotal and based on my own experience). It's true that Apple has consistently configured their support experience to the consumer rather than the corporation (I am having a vision here of your corporate tech support staff lined up at an Apple Store Genius Bar with a stack of malfunctioning Macbooks requiring attention) and it is an emphasis which has largely paid off in the consumer market. But it's inadequate for more traditional enterprise environments. But if you can buy in to the new fragile support model for corporate IT operations, that may not be such an obstacle anymore.

The Pro models, which heretofore were the preferred choice for those privileged few users who are allowed Apple as a viable choice by their enterprise IT shops, have always been relatively expensive (in addition to sharing all the other corporate use penalties of Apple products). The new Macbooks come with an upgraded price tag as well, but it's not as spendy as the Pro models, and now neither the feature sets nor (as inappropriate as this may be as a criteria for judging working laptop selections) the looks are as far apart as they once were. A Macbook has all the horsepower it might need for corporate applications, and it no longer looks like a toy. Will it get a second look from corporate IT? Maybe not. But maybe it should.