Leopard Coverage: OS X Server in Brief
The all-new big cat is in the wild, but it has a rarer Big-Brother that hasn’t received so much publicity. This is the new Leopard Server.
So what’s new? Well, quite a lot really. There are some special features; however, they are installed alongside some tools to make it an extremely easy server to setup.
Apple is calling it ‘The World’s Easiest Server‘ and claiming that no IT department is required. This could be a huge selling point, as most day to day tasks can be done from within one window: Server Preferences. Just like System Preferences in Desktop OS X, you can change users, setup and configure services available on the network, as well as see different information about what the server is doing.
Also new, is iCal Server. This is a new server that allows iCal events to be shared across a network. Although this will work best with iCal, it uses CalDAV, which is an open standard. This is a great feature for any business, as it allows information on “who is where at when” to be shared, allowing easier scheduling of meetings.
There are also some more niche services which come with Leopard Server; these are Wiki Server, and Podcast Producer. These tools will be very useful, especially with collaborative editing with the Wiki Server; however they are likely to have a smaller user base.
A big new feature is Spotlight Server. This makes it easy to find files anywhere on a network. While it may sound like a bit of a security risk, users can only see files which they have permission to see. This is a good new feature, however time will tell as to just how fast it can really perform.
Those are the main new features for OS X 10.5 Server Edition. It seems like a great upgrade, that could bring it into the mainstream; especially when price is considered. OS X Server costs $499 for 10 clients, and $999 for unlimited clients. This is actually a great deal, as Windows Server 2003 is $999 for just 5 clients.
The system requirements are the same as Leopard Desktop Edition, with an 867Mhz G4 or better required, plus 1GB of RAM. However, 20GB of Disk Space is required. Leopard Server is available now, from the online Apple store, or your local brick-and-mortar store. Check out all the features.
The IT guys are going to rag all over the fact that Apple is trying to eliminate their jobs. They’re going to point out how wrong Apple is in saying that a smart child can configure a server.
Those guys are not going to accept the fact that it might make their jobs easier. They are going to fight tooth and nail not to let Leopard Server not get into the Corporate Enterprise.
That’s quite a shame. If just one major corporation would be willing to try Leopard Server with XServes and it lived up to it’s claims, it may make all the difference in boosting Mac sales into the stratosphere.
I totally agree.
IT’s are the main obstacle to OSX. They want to work, and they know that Windows is crap (they live on that)
Obviously no one who’s actually in an IT department has commented here yet…managing OSX systems is just as much of a full time job as taking care of PC-based systems. OSX is not without it’s share of bumps, hassles and user error.
That being said, I run an entirely Mac network, from the servers to the clients, and with Leopard I definitely don’t see my job going out window anytime soon.
Leopard server in the Enterprise level world? Oh it’s definitely doable…but for most system administrators, they’ve spent most of their eduction and career honing their Windows Server skills and certifications. So don’t look for a big jump there.
If you are doing basic file serving and a couple of other menial tasks, yes, you could prob get away without an IT department for the server. But to get the most out of the software and go beyond the standard apps, you’re gonna need us…and if you don’t have an IT department, we’re gonna charge you double to come fix what you mess up…hehe
I think the point Apple is making is that for startup, or even a small established business, OS X Server is one less worry to get you started. Of course as your company grows, you need an IT dept for the more complicated stuff, however for the simple stuff, OS X Server looks like a nice option!
The IT department is not going to go away but it can certainly be weeded out. These days you shouldn’t hire anybody that can only work with Windows since not only is Mac coming up big, also cell phones, smartphones and other devices run several operating systems and not understanding the principles of computing and security won’t help much there.
Windows as well as Mac is fairly simple unless a problem arises. Out of experience I know that keeping a Mac environment is cheaper, more cost effective and less trouble than a Windows environment. I can easily manage 150 Mac clients by myself while a similar environment would require 2 Windows admins, cost more in licensing and server requirements (Exchange gets worse the larger you get)
Leopard Server 10-client is going to be very good for very small shops that can’t afford a full-time IT person and can’t afford the Microsoft extortion that Windows SMB Server is.
I work as the only IT person in an all-Mac shop with some Windows and Linux in it and although I don’t have a whole lot to do, I’m mostly there to insure that if something DOES go wrong, they can fix it in a timely manner. A few client computers not working here will cost this place literally $1000/hour.
upgrade windows vista to mac
haha gotta love Windows…
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