Apple exec posts, retracts enterprise information

I hope this means Apple will change their license policy and offer their server and XSAN solutions through VMware. We would gladly pay 1000,- more for a OSX server license if thats what it takes to run on a blade system with VMware. This would directly put OSX server on track in the enterprise business. VMware tooling makes snapshots possible, upscaling processors etc. etc. All the stuff you want to have in a enterprise environment.

Well, Apple published a server transition guide and Mac mini performed 25-35% as well as an Xserve but I think it's interesting to look at the system configs for those stats.

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

8-core Xserve with 24GB RAM (~$5000) vs. A 2-core mini with 8GB of RAM ($1400). And that's the $400 memory upgrade through Apple, getting your own memory is cheaper.

So again, if huge enterprises were using Xserves maybe they'll be disheartened but many people can get good performance from a Mac mini.

First off, I'm sure Apple was having a hard time selling XServe machines.

Second, there is a large market for small businesses that need an easy server and can't afford admins. Mac OS X Server and a Mac Pro or Mac Mini will be great for them.

Third, people have been moving to virtualization because the hardware was running idle so they wanted to put a heavier load on each machine. Mac Mini is small and can probably handle a lot of server needs. It's half the performance of an XServe, but 1/3 the price, really small, and when in need....XGrid.

Universities and others use clusters of Mac servers to create low cost super computers.
http://www.apple.com/server/macosx/technology/xgrid.html

I haven't played with XGrid myself but having more processors and resources in a distributed system should be more performant than just having one beefy server. Strength in numbers. Of course I don't know how much work has to be done to take advantage of XGrid.

When the Mini was ignored for months on end the rumors raged about it's demise. Instead the Mini was redesigned and now the Mini server package is one of Apples top selling items.

The Xserve reached it's end because it wasn't a profitable item. Given Apples emphasis on consumer products, and their tremendous success with them, it only makes sense that they're regrouping and reconsidering the server/enterprise market. Apple has never really chased that market, why should they be aggressive about it now. That also doesn't mean they're abandoning it.

The Mac Pro and the MBP have waited while resources were redirected to the consumer products. Clearly they're putting their money where they make money. Again, that doesn't mean they're abandoning the pro market.

Every enterprise Apple user must be FUMING mad right now, and this is why so few companies trust Apple as a vendor for medium/large scale IT. They change with the winds doing whatever best suits THEM, not their customers.

As Apple continues to abandon its pro products, the next shoe to drop will be Final Cut Suite, which might as well already be dead given how far and few between the refreshes have become.