What you need to know
- A page from Apple lists 11 reasons that Macs are good for business.
- One of the listed reasons is that Macs can run Microsoft 365 and other popular apps.
- The page doesn't list any of Apple's alternatives to the Microsoft Office apps.
Apple wants people to know that "Mac means business," so the company has a webpage highlighting 11 reasons that its computers are good for professionals. Many of the reasons are expected, such as Apple's impressive M1 chips, the long battery life of its laptops, and the security of macOS. In fact, Apple likes its M1 chips so much that it lists them as reasons number one and two, which really makes this a list of 10 reasons. One of the items stands out with a hint of irony.
If you scroll down the page to reason number eight, Apple explains that "All the business apps you need run beautifully on Mac — from Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace to SAP and Dropbox." The inclusion of Microsoft 365 is funny since those apps are available on every major platform. Of course, they're also made by Microsoft, one of Apple's biggest rivals.
There are multiple ways to take the inclusion of Microsoft 365. The cynical angle would be to point out that Apple doesn't highlight its own apps. The page doesn't even mention Apple Sheets or any of Apple's alternatives to the Office apps.
A more reasonable point would be that Microsoft's cross-platform strategy is clearly working. Microsoft 365 is the industry standard, so Apple needs to make sure that people know that Microsoft's apps work on Apple hardware.
Microsoft shifted strategy years ago to focus on having its services available to everyone regardless of the type of device they use. Microsoft is often the first to adopt features on Apple hardware. Another Apple at Work page also highlights Microsoft's efforts, showing Excel and PowerPoint running in Split View on the iPad.
