Apple today previewed Mac OS X Server version 10.5 Leopard, the next major release of Apple’s award-winning UNIX server operating system. Leopard Server, scheduled to ship in spring 2007, builds on Apple’s legendary ease of use with new Server Assistant and Server Preference features that make it easy for even non-technical users to setup and manage a server with just a few clicks of a mouse. For the first time, Apple is delivering native 64-bit server applications that take advantage of the increased processing power of 64-bit computing. Other new features include iCal Server, the easiest way to share calendars, schedule meetings and plan events; a wiki server that makes it simple for teams to share and communicate; Spotlight Server, the fastest way to find content on servers; and Podcast Producer, the ideal way to automate Podcast production.
“Leopard Server brings a new level of 64-bit power together with Apple’s legendary ease of use in one server operating system,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, in the press release. “Leopard Server is our best Mac OS X Server release yet and includes many new innovative features, such as iCal Server, a wiki server and Spotlight Server, making it ideal for education, small businesses and large enterprises alike, and a great alternative to Windows and Linux servers.”
Leopard Server enables small businesses and workgroups to take full advantage of the benefits of a server without an IT department. Leopard Server features a new setup interface with built-in Network Health Check, a new Server Preferences administration interface and automatic client setup support that automatically configures Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard clients to use the server for all essential services, including file and printer sharing, Mail, iCal, iChat, Address Book and backup.
The core services in Leopard Server, including Apache 2, MySQL 5, Postfix, Cyrus, iChat Server and QuickTime Streaming Server, are now 64-bit, allowing users to take full advantage of their 64-bit hardware’s performance and processing power, and to work with larger data sets. Since Leopard Server is fully 32-bit compatible, users can run 32-bit and 64-bit applications natively side-by-side.
For the first time, Mac OS X Server will include a calendar server for users and groups to coordinate events, schedule meetings, reserve resources and use time more effectively. iCal Server uses the open CalDAV standard for integration with leading calendar programs, including iCal 3 in Leopard, Mozilla’s Sunbird, OSAF’s Chandler and Microsoft Outlook. Leopard Server also includes a wiki server to make it easy for teams to create and share information through their own shared website and provides web-based access to shared resources such as team calendars, weblogs and Podcasts. Spotlight Server is the fastest way to search and find content on servers within a network. Designed for workgroups with shared documents, projects and file archives, Spotlight Server works with Leopard clients to deliver quick, lightning fast searches of content stored on mounted volumes across the entire network.
With Podcast Producer, anyone can record content, automatically upload it to the server and convert it into a Podcast. Using Xgrid, Podcast Producer can leverage any Mac on the network to encode the video. The Podcast can then be delivered over the Internet or even to multimedia enabled cell phones over high speed wireless networks using QuickTime Streaming Server.
Other new features in Leopard Server include:
• Mail Clustering for higher availability and reliability when used with Xsan, Apple’s clustered file system for storage area networks (Xsan sold separately)
• iChat Server 2 with instant message federation that lets users communicate with GoogleTalk and other XMPP instant messaging systems
• QuickTime Streaming Server 6 with support for 3GPP Release 6 bit rate adaptation for smooth streaming when delivering content to mobile phones regardless of network congestion
• new Adaptive Firewall technology to actively monitor for attacks and proactively block individual hosts from connecting to the server
• Xgrid 2 featuring GridAnywhere for distributed computing in environments without dedicated controllers, and Scoreboard for prioritizing job distribution to the fastest available CPU
More info about Mac OS X Server Leopard here.
Related articles:
Apple previews Mac OS X Leopard featuring Time Machine, Spaces, enhanced Mail & iChat, and more – August 07, 2006
Apple introduces Xserve with Quad 64-bit Intel Xeon Processors – August 07, 2006
Apple unveils new ‘Mac Pro’ featuring quad 64-bit Intel Xeon processors – August 07, 2006
MacDailyNews presents live Steve Jobs’ WWDC Keynote coverage – August 07, 2006
It will still beat VISTA to the store shelves.
HAH! I love how Leop-turd crashed during that pitiful “keynote”. Of course no mention that Jobs will be in jail before the next underpowered MacSlow ships in six months. Ah, well, stupid is as stupid does.
Macs bite.
Leopard Rocks! Totally new feautures! Way to go apple!
I once had a cookie made of kelp while hanging naked upside down from a lothar tree.
Aren’t I clever?
Oh, and I made a poopy.
anyone dissapointed that we didn’t see anymore products from apple? I kept expecting the one last thing routine
Slip-eee-dee-doodah!
To everyone who is “dissapointed” by what was introduced at the keynote; Don’t let the rumor sites get your hopes up. Just cause they say “we’re not just sitting around doing nothing” doesn’t mean they’re working on that iPhone, MacPhone, whatever the heck you wanna call it.
I for one am happy they didn’t come out with a phone. It’s a dumb idea.
And the reason I know for sure that Macs bite is because I ineplicably hang out at Mac News sites and say “Macs Bite”. This proves that I am confident in my os of choice – Windows, of course. And I have nothing to say about all of those features that will be in Leopard that will not be in Vista, even when Vista finally ships, later than Leopard. And I have nothing to say about those things they are keeping secret until Leopard ships. Obviously, the best things. But that’s no big deal, cuz Vista has a thing better than Exposé. It scrolls the windows one at a time, so as you don’t have to see them all at once. And, and, and, we’re gonna have somethin’ called gadgets. Gadgets are super-terrific-neato little applets that provide specialized information. Does Mac OS X have anything like that? Of course not. Cuz like I say, Mac Bites. Gates and Ballmer rule! MS rules! Vista is gonna rock! And I’m super cool! Although I do wish I had a girlfriend. I would like to see what sex feels like.
I was hoping true screen resolution independence would finally be announced. I’ve been hoping for this since my 120 ppi RadiUS monitor.
Why does this OS (and virtually all other OSes too) still assume all monitors are 72 ppi?
Every one of Apple’s monitors is approximately 100 ppi. Thus 72 point type is really only 3/4 of an inch tall rather than an inch tall on the screen.
Where is QE2D and the new finder?
And why can’t the dock look like the one on Apple’s page. See the following link…
http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/spaces.html
It looks to me like Leopard is more about app changes than improvements in the core of the OS.
– Mark
Not that I haven’t had sex.
I have had it loads of times. It’s just I’ve been on my own.
Sometimes I sit on my hand till it goes to sleep, and then it feels like its someone else doing it.
All those are sweet features but remember they said they are keeping the really cool stuff secret still, so Microsoft won’t be able to copy it in Vista. Smart move, although I don’s see how Microsoft could copy something in 6 months and get it on store shelves if all they have done to Vista in the last three years is cut features. I’m still excited about what really cool things they didn’t talk about.
I think the WWDC was somewhat of a dud, but I am very excited about the enhancements of Mail and IChat. I think Mail is moving toward suite integration for future head-to-head war with Microsoft Office. A bell here, a whistle there. Spring 2007 is WAY TO FAR OFF. I hope a public beta is forthcoming soon. At least I know when I’m buying my next iMac.
Do you think Steve showed off Timemachine just to show that Apple can do cascading windows too? Although, Apple’s use of them seems to make better sense. Why have a window switcher when you cannot easily see the contents of the window you are trying to switch to? Expose blows that thing away any day of the week.
Later, I think this is the announcement of Leopard SERVER, not Leopard. I don’t see slippage there.
MacSuck, were you at the Keynote? I wasn’t, but the feeds I saw had no mention of a crash during Steve’s keynote. I’ll assume you are just blowing smoke like the rest of your post unless you can provide a link to the fact that this happened. I think if it really did, the media would be all over it by now.
Bill Gates is selling tens of millions of dollars worth of MSFT shares.
http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/invsub/insider/trans.asp?view=All&Symbol=msft
He knows the jig is up.
@Jimbo
MacNN.com reported an application crash while Jobs was demoing Time Machine.
No word on PPC support in Leopard. All of the cool features seem to be intel chip dependent.
I like having mammoth tarbabies give me a handjob while I stare at pics of my Mom.
Koo-koo-kachoo.
I’d like to know why the rest of the line-up didn’t get the core duo 2 updates ??? Is Apple going back to staying one step behind with their laptops?