The same things that let the Mac integrate so easily with your environment also make users remarkably self-sufficient. Mac OS X can automatically connect users to your network. It instantly discovers printers and other devices and services that use Bonjour technology. And the Mac has all the drivers they’re ever likely to need, preinstalled.
Your To Do List gets shorter thanks to Mac OS X.
Mac OS X can take other tasks off your plate, too. You can set it up to automatically check for Apple updates to system software and applications. And built-in Time Machine software can perform automatic backups that archive copies of the entire system so users can revisit their Mac as it appeared in the past and recover files. Backups can be written to an external hard drive or to Mac OS X Server over your network.
Then there’s the fact that Mac OS X has an incredibly stable UNIX base. This means users don’t have to deal with crashes and will likely never experience downtime due to viruses or malware.
But the single biggest time-saver for you is Mac OS X itself. It’s so simple to use that students and faculty can accomplish far more without constantly calling on you for help.
Mac OS X Server. Take some of the work out of work.
Enable portable user accounts.
With Mac OS X Server (sold separately), MacBook users can have both a local home folder and a network home folder that automatically sync whenever the computer connects to the network. If you’re moving hundreds or thousands of students into a 1 to 1 learning program, portable user accounts are a must-have for success.
Easily build server-based system images.
The whole process is completely intuitive when you use System Image Utility and Automator. Just choose from a library of actions that specify settings, software packages, and installation procedures. Then save the actions as a workflow that builds the image. You can quickly create as many different images as you need, all with custom configurations.
Deploy software across your network.
NetInstall lets you use your server-based disk images to upgrade or restore Mac clients anywhere on your network. Update entire departments — or entire grades — all at once. You save both time and money compared to distributing software on DVD or external drives.
Control software updates.
A built-in software update server lets you control which Apple updates users can download (and when). You can evaluate updates before deploying them, keep all your clients uniform, and even cache updates to eliminate individual downloads and save on bandwidth charges.
Apple Remote Desktop.
Do more. Move less.
Streamline setups and installations.
Apple Remote Desktop 3 (sold separately), lets you set up or update any or all of your Mac computers simultaneously, without getting up from your chair. Just choose a disk image (easily created with System Image Utility) as the startup disk and restart systems remotely. 
Or you can initiate a software installation and let Apple Remote Desktop handle the rest, automatically restarting systems whenever needed. You’ll spend less time updating an entire lab than you used to spend on a single client.
Speed routine administration.
Now you can run applications, log out users, lock screens, and even wake systems and put them to sleep right from your office. And you can set tasks to run during off-hours or whenever mobile users reconnect to the network.
Deliver remote assistance.
Screen-sharing capabilities in Apple Remote Desktop let you observe and support users in real time. You can view or take control of any Mac or any other Virtual Network Computing (VNC)-enabled computer. Troubleshoot, demonstrate tasks, drag and drop files — and if you’re working on something sensitive, you can shield information with Curtain Mode.
ARD is also the perfect tool to help teachers manage Mac classrooms. Learn more
Mac helps you manage costs, too.
If you compare the prices of a Mac and a PC, the Mac might seem more expensive — at first glance. But the Mac comes ready for teaching and learning, with built-in wireless technology, a video camera and mic, accessibility features that would more than double the price of a PC, language support, and the content creation applications that students and educators need most.
You’d have to work with quite a few vendors (and pay for quite a few add-ons) to even begin to give a PC the same functionality. And you’d still be sinking time into compatibility issues, viruses, and crashes.
Now look a year or two ahead. The Mac is so easy to use that your support costs go down. You’re putting fewer resources into routine management. And you’re able to extend your infrastructure without extending your budget, thanks to the unlimited-client edition of Mac OS X Server.
The further ahead you look, the smarter your investment becomes. Because every piece of Apple technology that you add builds on what you already have. It continues to work perfectly together and to leverage open standards instead of proprietary formats that can become obsolete. Those are things you don’t get with a PC. Not at any price. Learn more
