At a Glance
Expert's Rating
Pros
- Powerful, compact 1U server
- Robust hardware RAID allows up to 2TB of protected internal storage
Cons
- Embedded controller requires convoluted deployment for secure remote access
- Expensive hardware RAID
- Lights-out controller ships unconfigured
- More expensive to power and cool than G5 or G4 models
Our Verdict
Apple’s Xserve server Mac is powered by a four-core 2.8GHz Xeon processor by default, with build-to-order options for two four-core 2.8GHz Xeons or two four-core 3.0GHz Xeons.
The quad-core Xeon-based Apple Xserve is a superbly modern 1U server with powerful options for storage and remote access. As with any server, deployments should be carefully planned–the embedded LOM may necessitate an additional Ethernet card under some circumstances, and anyone upgrading from a PowerPC-based model should study their power and cooling infrastructure before upgrading.