AppleXserve
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Final Xserve orders won't reach customers for two months
With the Xserve's end of life arriving in just three days, the Apple Store is listing both the Quad-Core and 8-Core Xserves as shipping in April. So, if you've been wondering whether or not to pull the trigger on an Xserve purchase, now is the time to do so. 160 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB drive modules will still be available until the end of the year. All three of these modules are shipping within a 24-hour period. For more guidance, check out Apple's transition document. Potential customers are being urged to consider the Mac mini server or Mac Pro with Snow Leopard Server instead of Xserve. [Via AppleInsider]
Apple's Xserve hits end of life, order yours before Jan, 31
Farewell, Xserve. While the G5 version was once the server behind one of the world's fastest parallel supercomputers, Apple's powerful but slow-selling line of rack-mount servers has now reached the end of its life cycle and will no longer be offered after January 31, 2011. As an enterprise-oriented config, the Xserve has never received much attention during Apple's splashy product introductions, instead quietly getting speed bumps and bigger drives. The server chassis will not be available for sale after January, but the 160 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB drive modules will still be available for sale until the end of next year. Apple has posted a transition document on its website that recommends either the Mac Mini server or Mac Pro with Snow Leopard Server as alternatives. While rackmount adapters are available for the Mini, it doesn't come close to the performance of the Xserve. The Pro on the other hand has no issues with performance, but requiring 12U of rack space for 2 machines is a huge concern; also the Pro lacks the XServe's redundant power supplies, and cannot support the Lights-Out Management features of the rackmount server. [Apple's transition guide covers the feature comparisons between the two alternatives and the Xserve, but it doesn't say anything to soothe the ire of Xsan customers, who depend on the rackmount server to operate their storage-area networks for high performance video editing or scientific computing. We'll be talking to system integrators and customers later today. –Ed.] If you decide that you need that "just right" option before it goes away, the quad-core Xserve starts at $2,999 while the eight-core variant will run $600 more. Reader Chris Clarke also notes that the maximum memory config on the Mac Pro server models has gone to 32GB for the quad/six core units, and 64GB for the 8/12 core machines. Thanks to Colin for the tip. [Hat tips to Engadget, MacRumors & MacGeneration]
Apple Xserve sales end January 31st, support will continue
As if you needed any further confirmation that Apple is a consumer company first and foremost, the Cupertino team has decided to discontinue sales of its Xserve enterprise server offering. The rack-mountable processing powerhouses will no longer be available for purchase after January, though full support of those already sold is promised, meaning that all warranties and extended service programs will be honored. To soften the blow for those who might still insist on using OS X in their servers, Apple has put together a "transition guide," advising that users switch over to the Mac Pro or ... the Mac mini, both of which come with the option to have Snow Leopard Server pre-installed. Honestly, the Mac mini! [Thanks, Jakob]
New Intel Xserve Quad Xeon available for pre-order, shipping mid-November
Although Apple's new quad core Intel-based Xserve was expected to ship this month, it'll be a few more weeks before they get them out the door. But you can pre-order yours now and there a dizzying array of build-to-order (BTO) options available to keep you busy (and broke) for a while. The quad Xserve uses two 64-bit Dual Core Xeon "Woodcrest" microprocessors and is available in speeds up to 3GHz (dual core). Three drive bays (for SATA or SAS modules), eight DIMM slots, two PCI Express slots, one optical drive, two USB 2.0 ports, two FireWire 800 ports, one DB9 serial port, dual Gigabit Ethernet and a hot-swappable 650 watt PSU option all make for a pretty sweet rack. Don't forget the unlimited-client Mac OS X Server license that comes with it!Base config starts at $2999. Affordable even for the likes of a lowly blogger. Once you start adding those BTO options, however, it quickly climbs to second mortgage or corporate credit card with a high limit territory, which is to be expected for a beast of this nature. Still, it's fun to configure a $75,000 server every now and then, don't you agree?Thanks Evan, Alex and all the others who sent this in!
