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.]
Long term Apple is betting on the cloud. (Whose servers will they use? Apple won’t want to waste space in their new and expanding server farm with Mac Pros. Maybe they will reserve some Xserves for the expansion).
Question: will corporations ever see hosted cloud services as secure enough for their proprietary info? I don’t know enough about cloud security to get a sense for this. Anyone…?
The MacPro is next to be killed for the following reasons.
1: Since 3D games have moved to consoles like the X-Box and PS3, most consumers don’t need a expensive powerful computer anymore with self-upgradeable graphic cards.
2: The new frontier is now mobile, mobile apps, mobile laptops etc. bringing the power of the computer with you, everywhere.
3: “Pro’s” don’t make up hardly squat of Apple’s business anymore, ordinary ignorant computer appliance loving consumers do.
4: Apple cr*pping on Adobe, Adobe no longer fits into Apple’s future plans. Desktop publishing and graphics pro’s on Adobe software will move to Windows 7.
5: Apple will eventually exit the “Pro” program market and transform those programs into a iLife X, for extra abilities and sell them through the MacAppStore complete with DRM.
6: “Cloud processing” Apple is going to use their new NC server farm to allow more complex programs requiring heavy duty processing to offload that to the servers. This way a person can carry a light(er) iPad and still run processor intensive programs like Aperture (renamed iPhoto X) and store massive files on line.
That’s all my crystal ball has to say right now.
” in a data center environment on a shelf in a rack with two units per 12U.” but Xserve only took 1U each.
HUGE!
“Is Apple going to buy Oracle? “
Probably not. Even for Apple, Oracle is an expensive acquisition ($150 Billion market cap). Most of Oracle’s business also doesn’t really fit with Apple’s direction.
However, they would be another potential fir for licensing onto Sun x86 servers. Anyone know if OSX can run on SPARC?
Also, Steve and Larry Ellison are good friends.
I’m sure Apple is going to release something more powerful than Xserve.
Horrible call!! I guess Apple is truly just a consumer company. Too bad as I, professionally, am seeing traction for them in the enterprise.
… situation. The mini option offers less of just about everything – less CPU, less RAM, less storage, less throughput – but offers it in a convenient, QUIET, package at a bargain price. And they’d be building the box anyway so engineering costs are lower. The Pro option offers more of some things – more CPU, more storage – in a less convenient, quiet package. And they’d be building the box anyway.
The Xserve is a better server-room option than either, but is limited to server-room applications. And nothing else shares the box.
This will be used by every single ‘IT win blows guy’ to tell their bosses not to use apple since they can stop, start and kill any investment in a heartbeat. There might be good reasons for doing this, but it would really help to see their future plans on servers so that corporate keeps pulling the wallet.
… “” in a data center environment on a shelf in a rack with two units per 12U.” but Xserve only took 1U each.
HUGE!”
Let’s do the math.
8 Nehalem cores vs 8 Westmere cores at a $100 cost. 3GB RAM vs 6GB RAM. Drive Bay 1 comes with 160GB vs 1TB. 3 Drive bays vs 4. I’d say the Mac Pro wins all those contests. Plus, you can get 24 of those faster cores in those 12u … not quite the same, I know, but think of the heat you are not having to dissipate!
… “” in a data center environment on a shelf in a rack with two units per 12U.” but Xserve only took 1U each.
HUGE!”
Let’s do the math.
8 Nehalem cores vs 8 Westmere cores at a $100 cost. 3GB RAM vs 6GB RAM. Drive Bay 1 comes with 160GB vs 1TB. 3 Drive bays vs 4. I’d say the Mac Pro wins all those contests. Plus, you can get 24 of those faster cores in those 12u … not quite the same, I know, but think of the heat you are not having to dissipate!
This is a bad move by Apple. The Mac Mini and the Mac Pro are not suitable replacements for the XServe. I know that the FBI and a lot of State Law Enforcement organizations have been using XServes in they computer forensics departments not to mention the department of defense.
Just a short sighted move and really a setback for Apple. When the company is gaining mindshare in the consumer segment they should be using that to their advantage in enterprise. Instead they remove a credible hardware option for business and have NO CREDIBLE REPLACEMENT.
The question I have is if Xserve production will be “passed” to a third party similar to ActiveStorage “continuing” production of the Xserve RAID. The same team that was involved in the RAID project at Apple started ActiveStorage following the unit’s discontinuation.
As a user of almost 50 XServes, this is a disaster!
Mac Pros are not an option. Can only get 6 of those in a server rack at the colo. Will be forced to move over to a few linux boxes (not so bad) but ultimately windows boxes which is horrific.
The cost of licenses for side grade products we use will be high. We will also have to find some new alternatives for services with no sidegrade option.
This will cost a crapload in both time and cash. Not to mention the headaches of switching over to new hardware and systems on servers that support thousands of users a day.
This is so NOT GOOD!
Companies have been moving to virtualized servers. OS X Server can run in VMs. Perhaps Apple will just change their licensing with VMWare to allow server to run on other hardware.
Jim
Few!! We just had four video server farms with xSan installed. I bet had this news come a bit earlier, it would have killed the project then and there. Now we’re good for some four years and can see what happens. Still, it sucks IMHO :-(.
Two words – Stupid Move
@chuklz
Good question sir.
That sucks, I’ve spec’ed a job with these, and I have 3 more similar projects in the pipeline. I might be able to get by with a combo of Mini’s and Pro’s, but I’ll have to crunch some numbers first.
Oddly enough, I’ve looked at BTO Pro’s as servers before, but the numbers never worked. At least they made a reasonably priced Pro Server, before, it was very expensive to do the same set up BTO.
I’ve got two, one has an XRaid. Two UPS and an LTO Auto changer all in an Xtreme Mac half height rack. How can one deploy OSX server with big bulky Mac Pros? And no the minis won’t do what we need.
This sucks.
What was all the babble recently of Apple making inroads into the enterprise? Sheeesh
Apple cloud forming?
I’m sure this has something to do with Light Peak or USB 3.0(?) newer, faster, modular devices (?). Maybe Light Peak is near completion and will be in the next Unisys-partnered device to totally blow away the competition. Aside from these, I’m sure there’s a damn good reason for this move.
The end of the first paragraph here in the History section says, “At the same demonstration, Intel maintained that it expected hardware manufacturing to begin around the end of 2010.”: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_Peak
Coincidence?
I can see the writing on the wall for Apple…
Time to slowly convert back to the Windows world despite majoring in digital arts. I see no future left in pros and artists with Apple. Just a consumer company hellbent on milking your wallet dry.
I never understood why Apple even bothered with the X-Serve and it makes perfect sense for Apple to shed a product line that doesn’t add to the company’s overall value chain. Apple is a provider of client products. Apple is a consumer electronics company that also provides content. That’s where their focus needs to be.
Apple’s internal IT and data center needs are provided by a hodge-podge of IBM/AIX, Sun/Solaris, Red Hat Linux, customized UNIX, Oracle, SAP, even Windows, etc. These are systems that would cost tens of millions of dollars. Just do a search of Apple’s job listings that Apple is trying to fill on the IT side and there is hardly any mention of the X-Serve or the Mac OS X Server at all. It’s mainly heavy duty enterprise backend stuff dominated by IBM, Linux, SAP and Oracle/Sun.
Apple’s push into the enterprise is for the adoption of the iPhone, iPad and, to a degree, Macs, but it’s mainly about mobile. Apple hired Unisys to help large enterprises integrate the mobile devices into their IT infrastructure. Again, it’s about the client side, not the server backend. Apple is not going to compete with the likes IBM, HP, Fujitsu, NEC, Dell and Sun, etc on this end. What is the point? It’s just not Apple’s area of expertise.
What value would Apple add on the server side when cheap generic Wintel or Linux machines can do much more for much less? Industrial design, the look and feel, the user experience and the ecosystem mean nothing in this space. Let’s remember what happened to Sun. The server machines have become commoditized. That’s why the likes of IBM, HP and Dell are focusing on software, storage, networking equipment, and services like consultation and systems integration. They can’t grow or rely on the increasingly thin margins of the server hardware. And unlike on the consumer client side of things, Apple has absolutely nothing to add to the value chain there.
Xserve hardware has not been moving.
Something else is on the horizon.
Stay tuned.
@alexkhan2000 – spoken like some who knows absolutely nothing about Apple Server Technology. You said it yourself, you don’t understand why Apple even bothered with the Xserve. That statement right there disqualifies you from offering any kind of insightful commentary on this topic.