Campbell: New Apple mini server not a big deal

By Donald Campbell / Columnist

published: Mon, 9 Nov, 2009

Small is big in technology right now, which is why Apple recently announced the creation of a server version of the Apple mini.

Apparently, Apple’s thought process was, “If people want desktops and laptops to be on the small side, why wouldn’t they want to create a home or office network using a miniature server?”

The server boasts the Apple OS X Snow Leopard Server and allows customers to connect Windows and Macintosh computers in an office or home environment to make ordinary server services quickly and easily available.

The mini targets small businesses that wish to revamp their computing infrastructure, but the mini might find itself lost in a limbo of uselessness.

OS X Snow Leopard Server provides additional features to allow quick and easy networking, as well as hosting some services that are vital to the ordinary business.

The mini server can easily be set up to run a web host and host an intranet site, run an e-mail server application that provides in-house e-mail communication and behave as a file server to provide a central file repository in which office computers connect.

The new mini comes with the same dual-core processor and memory available in its $799 non-server mini brother, and instead of having an optical drive, it has two preconfigured 500-GB hard drives.

A server usually becomes necessary when a substantial population of people begins using a network and wishes to collaborate without shouting across a room.

Many organizations distribute server-esque tasks across multiple computers that were never designed to be servers. Apple said it hopes that these organizations will embrace a server revolution and buy mini servers en masse.

Depending on the size of the organization, the mishmash of distributed computing services might be just fine, and a mini might be an unnecessary expense.

Take, for example, a small retail business. Apple mentions this type of business as one of the mini’s major targets on its website.

The proprietor owns several computers connected to cash registers, as well as a general purpose machine located in the back that runs Microsoft Office, contains some financial wizardry software and generally performs all of the everyday computer tasks.

The cash registers easily connect to the general purpose computer to register sales and record other financial transactions as they happen.

The office computer is therefore a server — part time. It’s a nice, clean setup that is relatively simple to maintain.

Apple said it hopes that with the Mac mini server, the owner of that shop will add the server and centralize many of the business’ computing tasks.

The mini server will provide inventory lists, financial records and general file hosting. Because it is small and runs Apple’s user-friendly software, it should be why the mini is chosen over all other entry-level server offerings.

For larger organizations that have the technical support capacity and the finances to handle it, the mini is an attractive idea.
Dedicated servers are generally more reliable, as they are not subject to the errors, crashes and security issues of general purpose machines.

There are some concerns with the mini server, however. The mini might not have a place in the world of servers.

The mini’s major advantages are its size and easy configuration.

Its disadvantages are that for many small businesses, its existence is unnecessary, its price is $999 and it is no more powerful than the $799 ordinary mini.

For organizations that could legitimately benefit from a server, the price of $999 is a little steep for what they get.

Those businesses wish to have a server but have the support to integrate a more hardcore server running Linux or Windows, and they don’t care about machine space requirements.

A $600 or $700 Dell PowerEdge server could more efficiently meet their server needs.

For the remaining, possibly not-so-small businesses, the mini might not be powerful enough.

At a certain level of server requirements, a company would do best to buy a more powerful server. If the company is a loyal Apple customer, it should consider an Xserve.

The Apple mini server could therefore be a legitimate purchase for businesses with moderate computing requirements and deep concern that their servers be no bigger than a box of chocolates.

For the rest of the world, the mini server appears to be easily trounced by the Dell PowerEdges and HP servers available at surprisingly low costs.