An eWeek article on Apple’s potential plans for an Intel-based Xserve leave a lot to the imagination. While Apple servers bearing Intel processors are widely expected to be released this year, there is no word from Apple or even from less-trusted sources as to when the Xserve might be refreshed or what the specifications might look like. Given that the iBook and Power Mac models are probably the next in line to be fitted with Intel innards, the Xserve will most likely be the last Apple computer to witness the migration to an Intel CPU.

With many folks holding off on Xserve purchases until an Intel-powered model is released, one wonders how long it will be before those folks decide to stop waiting and opt for less expensive boxes running FreeBSD or Linux. Hopefully, the new Xserve will be released soon enough and with a strong enough value proposition to prevent such defections.

Posted at 6:27 PM PDT with these tags: mac, hardware, xserve

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As expected, Apple has announced an updated line of Power Mac G5 workstations. While the $2,999 model with two liquid-cooled 2.5 GHz processors grabs most of the headlines, the most significant portion of the announcement is the return to dual-processor workstations across the board. The dual 1.8 GHz “low-end” Power Mac, for example, is plenty fast and can be had for $1,999.

Posted at 2:26 PM PDT with these tags: mac, hardware

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Following up on earlier look at the new Xserve G5, ComputerWorld recently published a new article on the Xserve RAID. As the article notes in its conclusion, not everyone needs an Xserve RAID, but it’s a terrific solution for those that do.

Posted at 7:27 AM PST with these tags: mac, hardware

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The Xserve InfoZone, MacSpeedZone’s excellent list of resources for the Xserve and Xserve RAID, has recently been updated. A solid and well-maintained collection of links, the Xserve InfoZone is worth checking out from time to time.

Posted at 7:10 AM PST with these tags: mac, hardware

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In Apple Sows G5 Seeds Into Server Market, Doug Brooks talks about the value proposition offered by Apple’s new G5 Xserve. Apple’s Product Manager for Server Hardware, Mr. Brooks attributes the Xserve’s popularity to cross-platform appeal and a lower total cost of ownership.

Posted at 4:54 PM PST with these tags: mac, hardware

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Due to ship in February, the new Xserve G5 will be offered in with single and dual 2.0GHz G5 processors in its usual 1U form factor. Other features include ECC memory, an optical drive, up to 750GB of storage, and an unlimited client license for Mac OS X Server. The single-processor configuration is $2,999, the dual-processor model is $3,999, and a “compute node” costs $2,999. Apple also updated the Xserve RAID system to support 3.5 terabytes of online storage, an increase of 30 percent over the previous model. Finally, Xserve RAID Admin Tools has reached version 1.2, providing a number of useful enhancements. For more information on the Xserve G5, Apple also provides a Tech Overview in PDF format.

Posted at 4:50 PM PST with these tags: mac, hardware

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The Xserve, Power Mac G5, and Mac OS X software are causing an increasing number of IT managers to consider deploying Mac-based server solutions. BusinessWeek ran this story a few months ago, but it’s worth reading if you missed it the first time around.

Posted at 11:55 PM PST with these tags: mac, hardware, enterprise

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It appears as if the Xserve Manuals section of Apple’s Knowledge Base has been updated. While it’s not clear what has changed in which manuals, some manuals seem to have been modified and several translations appear new. It would be great if Apple offered a change log for each of their manuals, as that would eliminate a lot of second-guessing.

Posted at 11:39 PM PDT with these tags: mac, hardware

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Apple’s Overview of Xserve for a Small Business LAN offers just that, covering security, expandability, logging, backing up, databases, and administration. The first in a suite of articles, this overview will be followed by additional articles to fill in the details on using Xserve on a small business LAN for these functions.

Posted at 3:00 AM PDT with these tags: mac, hardware, network

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InfoWorld took an in-depth look at Apple’s latest Xserve and Xserve RAID offerings, coming away impressed with their design, scalability, and software/hardware integration. Given how long it’s been since enterprise customers even considered buying Apple server hardware, InfoWorld’s glowing review is a welcome sign: Apple’s increased investment in developing best-of-breed server solutions is starting to pay off.

Posted at 8:01 PM PDT with these tags: mac, hardware

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