Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The new Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server has just been wonderful. We already have about 100 of them running here at Macminicolo as production servers and they've performed great.
A few comments on hardware:
- In this machine you have two 500GB drives. By default, they are two separate drives. When you configure on startup, the default prompt is to have your services running on the drive called "Server HD" and the backups go to the drive "Macintosh HD2." Of course you can change this to however you want, but that is the default.
- You can also put the two drives in RAID 1 or RAID 0. To do this, you'll need to boot from the restore disc that comes with the machine. Since there is no optical drive on the Macmini, you'll either need to use the Remote Disk feature and take advantage of a Mac or PC drive on the network. (This works wonderful) Or you can purchase the SuperDrive for MacBook Air which plugs into the USB drive of the Mac mini and works fine. Personally, I'm not a fan of RAID, but I know others are.
- This machine comes with 4GB of RAM, which is more than enough for most things. You can also upgrade to 8GB of RAM if you'd like to crack it open. This isn't "officially" supported by Apple, but works well.
- Like all other Mac minis before it, this machine is nearly silent. It's wonderful in that sense. It also runs cooler since the optical drive is what produced most of the heat in the last ones.
- For connectivity, you have a FW800 and 5 USB. For a display, you can use mini DisplayPort or mini DVI. (There is a mini-DVI to DVI converter that comes in the box.) And of course, the machine will also run headless without any problem at all.
And now a couple mentions of software info:
- This machine comes with a license of Unlimited Client Snow Leopard Server. That's a wonderful deal since it's $499 if purchased on it's own. This is a full copy with no limitation. You'll have the blue card with the serial in your packet.
-The machine will also run Snow Leopard just fine if you'd rather install it on this machine and use your Snow Leopard Server license somewhere else.
- For the first time on these Mac minis, Applecare also covers basic setup of Snow Leopard Server. (This is a separate, expensive option when buying an Xserve.) You can call AppleCare and they'll help you configure your server. Very useful.
Overall, these new machines are just fantastic. Our customers love them.
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What is Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server? Exactly what you'd expect - a Mac mini specifically designed to be a server with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server preinstalled. Instead of a SuperDrive, there are two 500GB hard drives that give you all the power and storage you need to help your group work more efficiently than ever. Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server is designed to help you communicate, collaborate, and share information. It's perfect for any small business or group - retail shops, doctor and law offices, classrooms, design studios - you name it. Now you can have your own server that supports email on Mac computers, PCs, and iPhone. Sync and share calendars and contact information. Access and swap files securely, and at lightning speed, between Mac computers and PCs. Easily create full-featured wikis and high-quality podcasts. And automatically back up all your important data.NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB DDR3 Shared Video Memory Built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit) Ethernet Audio - Built-in speaker, combined Optical Digital audio input/audio line in, combined optical digital audio output/headphone out Ports -5 x USB 2.0, FireWire 800, mini-DVI output; VGA output (using Optional adapter); Mini DisplayPort Approximate Unit Dimensions -2 (H) x 6.5 (W) x 6.5 (D) Approximate Unit Weight -2.9 Pounds
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