Apple is distributing a new pre-release version of its next-generation server operating system software that packs significant boosts to flexibility and stability, but also carries enough problems to put off any expectations of a near-term release. Testers experienced with this latest version said that its changes are more substantial than those of its mainstream sibling and revolve around substantial reworkings of the workgroup import process and Server Admin utilities, amongst other enhancements.
Now, definitely I am gonna buy one of their servers with the upcoming 10.5 version. Apple seems to listen to critics on the server side carefully; and make real advances.
Another think that shocked me recently was the Opensolaris v 5.11.55 which was incredible move from previous builds; it includes a lot of features and new tools which was not available before; I can now say they are as powerful as RHEL 4.4.
So one Apple server and one Sun workstation will be on my next shopping list.
I would think a sun server and macosx desktop still makes more sense?
Edited 2007-01-22 03:26
Just recently bought a new XServe, and I must say it’s one piece of impressive hardware.
My only gripe, they should make the hard drive bays lockable, I’ve managed to bump them a couple of times and take the drives offline.
But apart from that, it’s great hardware.
OS X Server I’ve spent the last few weeks loving it, then hating it, loving it yet again, rinse and repeat.
Few little things here and there, but recoverable none the less.
I am looking forward to 10.5 server a lot, I hope they just fix Print Quotas, which seem to be pretty broken in 10.4.
I have recently moved from SUSE openldap to OS X server and Open Directory. I can honestly say that I have been extremly pleased with os X 10.4 server I will agree that printing needs some work but overall the platform has been amazing.
If you come from a MS-windows network you will really appreciate the platform. since I have been in both Linux and Windows I find it to be etremly easy to use as well as stable. We use a mix of Windows, Linux and Mac desktops and have had seemless interaction.
I will purchase 10.5 on both the client and server as well as a new X-serve if I am lucky and cross my fingers maybe a xraid using ZFS.
Please Apple, make Server Admin as Xraid Admin: in Java.
It will be easier to sell Mac OS X Server if you can use Server Admin from a windows/unix host.