Apple Updates Xserve: 1.33GHz G4s, Faster RAM, Increased Storage Capacity, Lower Price

by , 6:00 PM EST, February 10th, 2003

Apple's popular Xserve 1U server received an update this morning, boasting higher speed G4s, faster DDR RAM, and more storage capacity. The Xserve is now available with one or two 1.33GHz G4s on a 167MHz bus with 2MB of L3 cache per processor, up to 2GB of 333MHz DDR RAM, and up to 720GB of hot-swappable, ATA100 hard drive space. FireWire 800 has also been added. Better yet, Apple dropped the price of both the single and dual processor models by US$200. From Apple:

Apple today upgraded its Xserve 1U rack servers to deliver incredible price performance through dual 1.33 GHz PowerPC G4 processors, up to 2GB of 333 MHz Double Data Rate (DDR) memory and up to 720GB of hot-plug storage, with configurations starting at just $2,799 (US). Building on the success of its predecessor, the new Xserve delivers even greater performance at a more affordable price and is designed to be the perfect complement to Apple's new Xserve RAID storage system.

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Now equipped with dual 1.33 GHz PowerPC G4 processors, 2MB of dedicated L3 cache memory per processor, and up to 2GB of 333 MHz DDR memory, the new Xserve packs phenomenal computational power and a rich feature set into an affordable 1U rack-optimized enclosure. Xserve enhances the power of its processors with a 167 MHz system bus and up to 2GB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM for running demanding applications and working with huge files. Two full-length 64-bit, 66 MHz PCI slots provide up to 533 MB/s throughput and allow easy expansion to external SCSI and Fibre Channel devices including virtually unlimited storage with Apple's new Xserve RAID system. One half-length PCI/AGP slot provides additional PCI expansion or connectivity to a high-performance graphics card. Dual independent Gigabit Ethernet ports and FireWire 800 interfaces offer high-performance connectivity.

Xserve comes with the unlimited client edition of Apple's Mac OS X Server software with built-in file and printer sharing and a robust new journaled file system that enhances availability by providing rapid file system recovery following an unplanned shutdown. Xserve with Mac OS X Server features a number of powerful remote management and monitoring tools that allow administrators to easily set up and manage all key Mac OS X Server network services remotely. Xserve is the ideal server solution for file and print, workgroup management, video streaming, database applications, computational clustering and web and mail serving. When combined with Apple's professional video and film editing software Final Cut Pro, Xserve becomes the ultimate video workstation with flexible storage that can scale as digital media files grow.

Third party developer momentum for Mac OS X Server continues to build with recently announced solutions including Macromedia's JRUN J2EE Application Server and their popular ColdFusion scripting tool; Stalker Communicate Pro's Mail Server; network, file and printer sharing tools from Helios; and a clustered failover solution from HA Tech Solutions.

Xserve connects easily to the newly introduced Xserve RAID storage system using the dual channel 2Gb Apple Fibre Channel PCI Card sold separately at a industry breakthrough price of $499 (US) (SRP). This high-speed industry standard storage interface offers dedicated bandwidth with a throughput of up to 400MB/s. Apple's PCI card comes with two high-speed 2.9-meter copper cables and accepts SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) copper or optical transceivers for use with fiber-optic cables.

You can find more information at Apple's Xserve page. The new Xserve is available now at US$2799 for the single processor model, and US$3799 for the dual processor model. Both prices represent a US$200 price reduction.

The Mac Observer Spin:

This is a fairly small speed bump, but any speed increase in an environment where every last ounce of power matters is a good thing. The addition of faster processors, faster RAM, and FireWire 800 makes an Xserve an even more attractive video production studio, but the price reduction is even more compelling.

In the rackmount market, Apple's prices were already the most competitive. A surprising thing, considering the perception amongst the lemmings that Apple is overpriced, but reality can be a harsh mistress. The price reduction, though less substantial than price reductions in the iMac, PowerMac, and PowerBook lines, makes the Xserve a leaner, meaner server.

We predict that the server market will notice. Apple's server sales, while enormous, have been steadily increasing for each of the last two quarters. Today's updates should help that trend.

Apple