Xserve to be discontinued

[bbloke]

Did anyone else notice Apple's move away from the Xserve?

http://images.apple.com/xserve/pdf/L422277A_Xserve_Guide.pdf

Apple will not be developing a future version of the Xserve; customers will be able to buy one only up to the end of January, 2011. After that they will be told to buy a Mac Pro or Mac mini running Mac OS X Server.

 

[Satcomer]

I think this is a move my Apple to admit they are not going to make inroads into large enterprises. So the Mac Mini Server for small businesses (that is MUCH cheaper) and large enterprises can use the Mac Mini server as sub-servers in remote office locations letting the heaving Domain lifting to Windows/Linux servers.

In my travels around important places that Linux is making inroads into Large Domain servers for the simple fact of licenses cost.

My feeling is the Mac Mini server is almost perfect for small businesses with it unlimited client license and ease of use.

 

[etgadsby]

I work for a small liberal arts college and the Xserve and Mac OS X Server are important to our work. If you feel similarly please visit:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/bringbackxserve/

Sign the petition if you want to and forward to other interested parties. Thanks!

 

[fryke]

While I don't think such petitions help much, I too feel it's not the best of Apple's moves currently. But...

The whole thing feels like only one shoe having dropped. I don't think Xserves _ever_ were bestsellers. They served a point, though. If you _wanted_ them, they were available. There are several ways Apple could go here:

1.) Allow Mac OS X Server to be run in VMs on a third party's servers. Could be Dell, HP, whoever's machines. Apple wouldn't need to bother with the hardware. MOSXS can easily be run in VMs. Parallels already shows this on Macs, currently.

2.) Let Mac OS X Server be installed on _any_ Blade server or partner with HP or Dell for it. It's certainly not impossible, although I don't give this much chance.

3.) Something entirely different that no-one's thought of just yet. There's been rumours (and patent findings) lately about networked computing that could - if used smartly - make servers obsolete.

However: I think Apple's made it _very_ clear that the Xserve won't make a comeback and that it won't be replaced by "something going with a different name but would still be a rackmounted server".

 

[nixgeek]

While I don't think such petitions help much, I too feel it's not the best of Apple's moves currently. But...

The whole thing feels like only one shoe having dropped. I don't think Xserves _ever_ were bestsellers. They served a point, though. If you _wanted_ them, they were available. There are several ways Apple could go here:

1.) Allow Mac OS X Server to be run in VMs on a third party's servers. Could be Dell, HP, whoever's machines. Apple wouldn't need to bother with the hardware. MOSXS can easily be run in VMs. Parallels already shows this on Macs, currently.

2.) Let Mac OS X Server be installed on _any_ Blade server or partner with HP or Dell for it. It's certainly not impossible, although I don't give this much chance.

3.) Something entirely different that no-one's thought of just yet. There's been rumours (and patent findings) lately about networked computing that could - if used smartly - make servers obsolete.

However: I think Apple's made it _very_ clear that the Xserve won't make a comeback and that it won't be replaced by "something going with a different name but would still be a rackmounted server".

I agree with you completely on all of this. It does feel like the punchline missing from the joke, if you will. And, as you said, OS X Server is allowed to run in a VM. VirtualBox has the ability to do that as well. Curious to see what it would be if it's number 3 (sorry for the rhyming ).