Author Archive

Alright first let me say the MacApper podcasts are back. From now on any video or audio we release should automagically appear in iTunes as well as here on the blog, so subscribe now to avoid missing upcoming episodes.

Today we have an interesting interview between our own Michael Hjorleifsson and Pat Lee from VMWare Fusion. Virtualization has become one of the most interesting and progressive areas for computer users of all platforms, and Pat answers some great questions concerning the future of running virtual machines on OS X. VMWare Fusion is arguably the leader in the virtualization space and Pat talks about some of the cool stuff the company has been working on, and what to expect down the road.

Well Leopard is finally here and there are some security features being included that won’t get much attention but add heavily to the strong security stance of OS X. Apple quietly leaked plans to add code-memory randomization to Mac OS X Leopard, a move aimed at making the operating system more resilient to virus, worm and network attacks. The cynics reading this might remember that earlier in the year Microsoft botched its own implementation of the same technology.

With the release of Leopard Server and its sexy new features, administrators shouldn’t overlook one major advancement in the core directory service of Leopard. What’s this, you ask?

Well, it’s a feature that will allow administrators to control who gets on their network, at the wired or access point level. Leopard server also includes a directory integrated radius server, which controls who gets on the wired/wireless network using 802.1x and WPA Enterprise authentication.

So there I was in a chat with several Mac enthusiasts having a lively discussion when I commented about the coverage for the Mac OS X and OS X Server in the business community. I still to this day can not believe how lacking the coverage is. In the chat, I decided to provide a quick history lesson which I will repeat here. While we are used to one company dominating the business desktop/server market, it has not always been that way. It comes as a surprise to many non-Mac users, but Apple actually outshines the other players in this market. Even to Mac users, it may be surprising at how much more Apple’s servers outshine the competitors than they do with their desktops.