Any tips on software/OS x for a deployment in a Windows Environment?

[postaled]

From the sounds of it once summer rolls around we will be deploying approx 1200-1300 Macbooks of some sort. We'll have approximately 75 days to do this.

Right now we use Altiris for our Windows imaging/application deployment, and we don't have a new enough version to support OS X 10.7

We also run active directory for different network drives/home folders and printer scripts/GP printers.

Just wondering what deployment solutions any of you guys might be using.

Also, can you PXE boot and image a machine without physically touching it?(I was told that you had to hold a key down to do this)

 

[TheSlamma]

No PXE, hold down N to use Netboot. Deploy Studio is good for imaging macs, you can do automation with that.

Apple Remote Desktop might help you out for management, it's cheap and allows you to do Systems administration with it.

As far as the Active Directory, that is going to be a tough one. I've read some posts over on the Apple forums about AD binding with the directory utility being difficult. I've done it plenty with 10.4-10.6 and can say meh.. it works.. but I am really hoping that mountain lion has made some strides in this area.