Time for a little crystal ball gazing! Let’s fast forward 12 months and see what we’ll be writing about here at the Enterprise Desktop Blog… Now that Apple has effectively conceded the OS war by porting Safari to Windows, it's time for savvy IT decision makers to start planning for an iVista future. Once Apple has migrated its base away from the soon-to-be-orphaned OS X, it'll fall on corporate IT to successfull Time for a little crystal ball gazing! Let’s fast forward 12 months and see what we’ll be writing about here at the Enterprise Desktop Blog…Now that Apple has effectively conceded the OS war by porting Safari to Windows, it’s time for savvy IT decision makers to start planning for an iVista future. Once Apple has migrated its base away from the soon-to-be-orphaned OS X, it’ll fall on corporate IT to successfully lure these new iVista-equipped Apple systems into the enterprise fold. So to celebrate the new-found spirit of Apple/Microsoft cooperation, I offer the following tips to help smooth the migration:1. Spot(light) the Differences – While iVista may look like Windows Vista you can be sure that Apple has done much to “improve” upon the default environment. Obvious changes, like substituting Safari for Internet Explorer and iTunes for Windows Media Player, are easy to spot. Less obvious, but no less sinister, are the various “custom” UI modifications of common Windows accessories. So, if you find yourself looking at a copy of Notepad with the Minimize/Maximize buttons on the wrong side of the window frame, just chock it up to those disgruntled former OS X engineers now “doing time” on the iVista team. 2. Proper Eye Care/Injury Prevention – In the dimly-lit corporate world of dull-gray and black-on-beige system cases, the sudden appearance of a shiny white or silver Apple machine can cause serious injury, even blindness. Protect yourself by donning appropriate eye gear (e.g. polarized sunglasses, a welder’s mask, etc.) before interacting with the offending device. For a permanent fix, I recommend Krylon Classic Gray #3551 – just remember to tape-over any open ports (yes, the Mac has them – look harder) or fan outlets before spraying.3. When in Doubt, Wipe it Out! – Of course, there may be situations in which retaining the Apple-supplied iVista image simply isn’t realistic, or even safe. For example, studies have shown that the Apple-modified iBoot Screen – the one with the Steve Jobs bobble-head chasing the iVista boot progress indicator – can cause seizures in people who are epileptic or who wear Foster Grant “Daytona Drivers” while simultaneously sipping green tea with lemon. In these situations, I recommend a complete hard disk wipe/reinstall using genuine Microsoft Windows Vista. And thanks to the Internet, those pesky Apple-specific device drivers – the ones that simply cannot be legally acquired outside of a factory-installed iVista image – are now widely available (though due to legal threats the download links are constantly changing – Google “iWannaHackMyMac” for the latest crop of URLs). With patience, perseverance – and a little luck – you, too, can navigate the rocky seas of the iVista transition. Software DevelopmentSmall and Medium Business