Netboot over ethernet.. :D
Beyond that, no thunderbolt now is a great reason for us not to buy them.

@rderewianko

Didn't even think of Ethernet over USB!

If you're not a fan of netbooting, OS X kit with Casper Imaging on a USB drive, boot to drive, image internal drive.

Netbooting is the way to go for me. I just happen to forget that Ethenet over USB existed :/. @adamcodega

You're going to be needing to buy some of these for the low low price of $79.00 each.

Is it too soon to hope for target disk mode over usb-c?

Seems Apple DEP friendly. Perhaps some one will make a cheap USB-C to ethernet adapter.

I feel as if any adapter you buy for it needs an extra USB-C port to have the ability to charge at the same time. I always connect my devices to power when imaging, don't like the idea of having to do it while on battery.

These things would be disastrous in my environment. And they've dropped Thunderbolt entirely? What happens to those who have bought those Thunderbolt Pegasus drives with their Macs?

Anyone actually imaged machines using usb-ethernet dongles? It is sooo slow i actually got better results on old macbook airs using WiFi!

@Aaron As I was told by someone else in answer to a similar question. "Then this is not the machine for you" lol

Agreed that these are not the machines for us (IT folk) The problem is it will be the machine for the CEO when he/she decides they want one in gold, and then it will be our collective problem on how to actually get it imaged.
My vote? Don't image it. Find a way to just deploy packages and setting to it and be done with it.

Of course, you also have to hope it doesn't croak and need to be re-imaged, because then you'll have a little problem on your hands.
And I agree with @Matt.Sim My biggest concern if I did have to re-image one would be making sure that sucker is fully charged before beginning. I hate the thought of imaging on battery power alone. :/

Considering USB C is supposed to pair with USB 3.1, it should be twice as fast as the current 3.0 standard.
A pure USB C 3.1 Ethernet adaptor could theoretically be pretty darn good (of course it probably wont be and Apple will charge a fortune for their branded one).

What would be a really cool solution (not that I think it will get made or is even technically possible) is to have a USB-C to Ethernet with POE support, so that you can supply power and data over the same wire. Not sure if the switch can supply enough power for it but it would be a slick imaging solution for these.

I'm very skeptical towards these machines in general. In Sweden they are more expensive than the MacBook Airs.

I just hope the 13" macbook air, with thunderbolt/usb/power separate, somehow sticks around for years to come.

It's hard to imagine Apple offering 11"/13" airs, the 12" Macbook, and then the 13"/15" MBPros. Seems like too many SKUs for them for the long haul.

"Imaging" new machines (as in erase the drive and put the OS back on it) is no longer necessary nor efficient with the tools we all have at hand. Of course that won't satisfy everyone, I know I know.

Boot it, enroll it, and let your policies and profiles configure to your standard.

Nuke and Pave: yeah that's a problem. Time will tell if we can bring it up in target mode (not everyone can or want's to get into managing Netboot).

While it's more time consuming, doing an internet restore of the OS, re-enroll and policy configure will get you there.

I agree with @dpertschi. For our staff we actually just have the service desk boot the device, enroll from the web then launch a Self Service policy to lay on the apps and config.

It is a heck of a lot easier then getting/keeping netboot working.

I wouldn't be surprised if a third party (coughBelkincough) makes some kind of dock or something.

And to piggyback on what @mm2270 mentioned above, it's pretty easy to customize a QuickAdd package to run additional policies, including custom triggers. So maybe rather than traditional imaging folks can use a QuickAdd pkg to do the work.

usb-c to usb-c cable exists, i am guessing you can do what you do today...
[my link text]http://store.apple.com/us/product/MJ1M2AM/A/usb-c-to-usb-adapter?fnode=51
[my link text]http://store.apple.com/us/product/MJWT2AM/A/usb-c-charge-cable-2m?fnode=51
[my link text]http://store.apple.com/us/product/MJ262LL/A/apple-29w-usb-c-power-adapter?fnode=51
[my link text]http://store.apple.com/us/product/MJ1K2AM/A/usb-c-digital-av-multiport-adapter?fnode=51
[my link text]http://store.apple.com/us/product/MJ1L2AM/A/usb-c-vga-multiport-adapter?fnode=51

The connector is USB-C, but the bus is USB 3.0. So, it's not going to be like using a 5 year old USB 1.1 5400rpm hard drive or anything.

Not ideal, but not a total nightmare.

Apple also have USB-C to USB adaptors ($19), but their USB to Ethernet adaptor is still listed as 2.0... which is not ideal. Looks like a local USB 3.0 boot drive is the way to go for now.

Yeah USB drive is definitely the route we'll take if we have to deploy these. As much as I like the idea of thin imaging, in practice we haven't been able to make it fast enough to warrant using it. Its usually 3-4 times slower than imaging, which is fine for small numbers, but when your rolling out several hundred, it can add days to your imaging time. That and its doesn't help much when you need to do a refresh.

You know we'll get Apple MFi Adaptors. In any event, probably thin imaging for a new one and adaptor to ethernet or USB for netboot or target mode imaging. We've all been around the Apple block a few times and this is an old song and dance. Regardless, it will not be like the first iBook (Clamshell, with no FW no SCSI and only 1 USB 1.1 Port). That said, you CAN always netboot over wireless. It's not pretty and it's probably even slower than the USB to ethernet adaptors.

Personally, if we get a powered ethernet adaptor for the USB C I will be completely thrilled. One wire instead of two for mass imaging would be pure awesome!

FWIW I'm seeing this new MacBook as a specific use case for specific environments. It doesn't suit traditional imaging. Although I'm sure there will be a bunch of type-c adaptors available soon, it really is intended as a light use, wifi only device. If the user is looking for thunderbolt storage or to deploy images etc to it, it might be better to look at a different model.

Since this is all up for debate based on things we can't back up 100% I'll throw a further opinion into the ring

As soon as they gave it their gold treatment and new keyboard they seared it into the minds of every corporate CEO that likes fashionable tech. You're 100% about their "WiFi" commitment but that was the consumer side of the argument, not their statement to IT. Apple made their way into enterprise on the Halo and that's what they're continuing to push. As for us in the IT world. Apple has ALWAYS considered an adaptor suitable for backwards compatibility. That said, perhaps this will be highly differentiated and stay that way. Maybe this is the way forward for all MBAirs. Personally I wonder about the new processor (CoreM I have no experience with). Otherwise, this (with the exception of USB-C) seems like the natural progression of the MacBook Air.