Mac Pro with Snow Leopard Server
Mac Pro systems deliver performance and expandability equal to or surpassing Xserve, and offer an excellent server solution for customers looking for the highest levels of performance, storage, and expandability. Now preloaded with Mac OS X Server, the Mac Pro tower form factor can be deployed in an office environment on or under a desk, or in a data center environment on a shelf in a rack with two units per 12U.
Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server
Since its introduction in the fall of 2009, Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server has become Apple’s most popular server system. It brings great capability in a small, efficient form factor that is affordable and can be deployed anywhere. Perfect for small business and workgroups of up to 50 people, a single Mac mini can run the full suite of Mac OS X Server services. A single Mac mini can also be deployed as a single-task server for a larger number of users in a business or education environment.
Depending on the workload and number of users, a single Xserve could be replaced with one or multiple Mac mini server systems.
During the gradual transition from Xserve, Apple will continue to provide warranty service and complimentary technical support for the product. Apple continues to offer Mac OS X Server on the popular Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server solution and the new Mac Pro with Snow Leopard Server solution as alternatives to Xserve.
Apple will continue to take orders for current Xserve models through January 31, 2011. These systems will have Apple’s full standard one-year warranty. The AppleCare Premium Service and Support program for Xserve is available as an option at time of order to extend complimentary technical support and hardware service coverage to three years from the Xserve date of purchase.
Apple will honor and support all Xserve system warranties and extended support programs. Apple intends to offer the current shipping 160GB, 1TB, and 2TB Apple Drive Modules for Xserve through the end of 2011 or while supplies last. Apple will continue to support Xserve customers with service parts for warranty and out-of- warranty service.
Customers can rest assured that Intel-based Xserve systems will continue to provide useful service during and after this transition.
More info, including benchmarks of Mac Pro and Mac mini vs. Xserve, in Apple’s “Xserve Transition Guide” (.pdf) here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Edward W.” for the heads up.]
There absolutely will be a replacement, but I wouldn’t expect an immediate response from Apple (if for no other reason than for Apple to clear out inventory). Apple will probably make an announcement with a partner.
As for MacBill, your rack of xserves are going to be supported, so no need for immediate panic. If you don’t hear anything else on the matter from Apple by December, than a bit of panic may be justified. In the meantime, use this as an excuse to take off early today and have a couple of drinks to kick off the weekend.
The Truth is simply, but uncomfortable. They are not using their own servers in the new data center.
I hate this move Apple, I have clients that will have to redesign their entire data center to accomidate those big towers, and they will never use mac mini’s, give me a break.
RAID, redundant powersupplies, headless configuration, all gone..WTF
Please also keep in mind the recent announcement on the Apple-Unisys partnership for enterprise and govt.
Unisys has a wide line of servers (much better offerings than Apple), all of which can run OSX Server
http://www.unisys.com/unisys/theme/index.jsp?id=1120000970004610072
Apple is in a position to go for market domination in mobile, desktop and living room computing. To do so, they are lowering costs and reducing profits.
My guess is that as they increase market share with more lower margin devices like the iPad, they are looking around their business for place to cut costs and get there profit numbers back up. Xserve is probably expensive to make and market.
I would bet that 90% of the customers who want an Xserve platform only need the performance of a mini.
@krquet
I share your dismay. Apple needs to demonstrate a consistent and long-term dedication to the enterprise in order to be viewed as a viable vendor. Companies invest much more in the software, tools, training, and custom software developments than they do in the server hardware. They are highly reluctant to hitch their wagon to a fickle vendor. Apple seemed to be making inroads into the enterprise with the iPhone and iPad. The Xserve seemed like a natural way to administer those mobile devices.
On the optimistic side, I have seem doomsday reactions to Apple product announcements in the past, only to see something much better and more cost effective replace the discontinued item. Hopefully that will be the case with the Xserve…
@critic
Good call on the Apple-Unisys partnership – that sounds like a viable forward path. Perhaps Apple is finally serious about penetrating the enterprise market in a major way.
i went into 2 different apple stores and none of the sales people knew anything about it.. nor were there any on display with see and play with… when i have to spend thousands of dollars on something i prefer to see it and see it in action.. if apple would have displayed it at the stores and trained sales staff, it might have sold better… i am aware of consumer driven stores vs. industry buyers, however every single person who works as a buyer for industry is a consumer
just my opinion…
I’m somewhat inclined to believe the line of thinking which has Apple licensing Mac OS X Server to run on alternative hardware. Likely to be VERY specific hardware, but I don’t think they’re ready to kill the server variation as the mini server is a very popular product.
Can anyone here recommend 1u server hardware? I hate Dell. I’d consider HP.
I’m considering using OpenBSD on some PC maker’s 1u to replace some of my aging XServes.
really lame
they will start losing their pro users
those of us who switched to Mac because it is stable and great are not happy about this
they need to keep some pro level servers in the mix
using the mac mini or the GIANT Mac Pro in a server environment is really not that great of an idea
the mac mini is ok but not for a large server environment where you want quick and easy access into each server to swap drives, etc
really really lame
shame on you Apple
at least offer a real alternative
you are giving up the server market to Dell basically
This is not a sign that XServes are thru…it is a sign that Pro desktop sales are weak…Apple is stopping its own cannibalization and choosing the best of the two high ends…the mini’s do the job and are cheap and if you need more server space…just grab a ‘couple more cheap.
Also, Apple want to sell Cinema displays, so the XServes have to go. Dell made up for its cheap prices and cheap quality on the consumer end with it’s high end machine prices…and look at them now. Apple is consumer oriented first and doesn’t have to do that.
When the XServe was announced several years back for $3,000 even Oracle was pushing them as a great low end, low cost server for large server farms.
Then the price started escellating and the relative performance versus costs as compared to the rest of the industry went down hill. Currently the XServe is no great value as compared to what you can get elsewhere.
I was really looking forward to a few 12 core 1U servers tied to a SAN all from Apple, all in a compact configuration. That is out of the question now.
Apple has made a lot of dumb moves with servers and killed a lot of systems that had great potential (remember the Network Server running IBM’s AIX — a great start to a Small to Medium Business [SMB] server if Apple had evolved it rather than kill it). The XServes could have been the keystone on which Apple moved into the enterprise environment — much more likeable in my estimation than Dell systems being pushed at me on a weekly basis.
Now the battle for Apple systems in the enterprise (not just for desktops but also for iPhones and iPads) just got 100 times harder. Tying cheap phones and cheap tablets to cheap servers running MS software (note I did not say inexpensive!) because all are supposedly “made to work together” is going to be an even harder thing to discount going forward.
Want to give Windows Phone 7 a large loophole to jump through? You just did that Apple.
I suppose this was inevitable. Apple never actively promoted its Enterprise offerings. They never publicly revealed whose servers were behind the curtain – not those supporting iTMS, not those going into the NC facility – so it was a fair bet they weren’t “eating their own dog food”. We also learned months ago that Apple was abandoning their work on super-computing like that at Va Tech, as such initiatives required long term commitments.
I knew of only one Xserve/Xraid installation in all of a branch of Treasury where I once worked – mine. We used it as a cheap way to store a few TB of data. So much potential and lost opportunity. Sorry Steve – this was a bad call.
So far the news is not announced officially by Apple yet.
Before any negative comment I will wait until Apple is announcing its strategy.
When Apple seems to put efforts in Enterprises penetration,this seems to be an odd move to say the least.
So let’s wait for the full story before getting worried!
Apple’s fool day!
I hate to say that but it’s time to go away from Apple brand. From 1984 I have a mac and I run more than 50 Xserves and I feel Apple is leaving us in the dark. When will be the time Apple will discontinue Macs? Is this move supposed to force us to move to the cloud!
Not the smartest move for sure!
this is why apple will never make it in the business world. sorry, but desktops and mini’s will never replace the server farm.
apple is just a niche, consumer product company now…
There’s probably a sound strategy for this. If the XServes were not being competitive and able to penetrate the market then it is probably a waste of time. Better to focus on areas that they can succeed.
Given the Unisys partnership for the server products Apple could go the licensing route. V.specific application and no chance of cannibalizing other Apple products. If Apple let Unisys build the units and install the server product then they may have more success selling systems.
The idea was good but in practice the server market is run by key players.
Macminicolo, a commercial Mac web hosting company, has been getting along on Mac mini servers for years:
http://www.macminicolo.net/
Although, it looks like some Xserves in one of the pictures of their site.
When Apple switched to Intel processors, the advantage the G5 XServer had in the world’s marketplace disappeared.
First to be killed off was the X-Raid, now comes the XServer.
Next will be the MacPro you watch. Apple hates a open box.
Apple Computer > Apple. Apple is no longer a “computer” company, but a consumer hardware products company.
The next thing on Apple’s agenda is locking OS X and programs to their hardware, they can do this with their new custom A4 processor.
Yep, soon all Apple computers will be simple appliances with iAd monitoring users behavior.
Pro’s are leaving for Windows 7 and the Mac App Store is going to have the same sort of lame, restricted programs as iOS App Store.
Congratulations Steve Jobs, you have out shined even Bill Gates in monopolistic behavior. As a Apple using customer from the early days, I’m ashamed.
People cried the sky is falling when the iMac came out and hand no floppy drive. People loved the Cube but that didn’t last long but it lead to better products. I’m willing to give Apple the benefit of the doubt and wait and see what happens.
Is Apple going to buy Oracle?
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WHY??????
I wouldn’t be too surprised if we hear of a new product from Apple that replaces Xserves.
Xserves were nice, but they are pricey and noisy. I’d like to see a Lego-block approach to servers; one that lets us build up a cluster piece-by-piece, with inexpensive building blocks stitched together with 10Gb ethernet or Infiniband. Storage would be external; minimal SSD for booting, minimal local persistence.
Such a cluster could scale without practical limit; would make more sense than today’s Xserves.
I want dual power supplies, a slim rack mount, not 12Us wasted on just two servers.
I have 4 Xserves, 3 UPS’s, multiple backup systems, switchbox, keyboard, mouse and monitor in a rolling half hight rack.
There is no way this could be done with Towers.
What are you thinking Apple??