Apple Releases AppleShare IP 6.1
[10:25 AM] Apple has released an update to AppleShare IP to bring the server software up to version 6.1. The new version is not only OS 8.5 compliant, Apple asserts it is optimized for OS 8.5. Apple is touting its OS 8.5 networking as being faster than Windows NT, as well as the ability to use Sherlock to perform server file searches. as with previous versions of AppleShare IP, 6.1 fully supports a mixed platform network and offers the easiest to use administration that is now handled by a single interface. Perhaps the most important feature is built-in remote administration, a feature that is imperative for many businesses and IT administrators. Other features include:
- Built-in firewall security
- Native support for Windows clients through the SMB file-sharing protocol
- Website multi-hosting -- support up to 50 websites from a single server
- All services managed through one integrated interface
- Support for IMAP, SMTP, POP and APOP protocols
- Remote administration of the message database from any IMAP client
Pricing starts at US$499 and the product will be available on November 23.
The Mac Observer Spin: Apple needs to be careful about its performance comparisons between the platforms. Apple is claiming that AppleShare IP 6.1 is faster than Windows NT at file transfers, although Vice President of World Wide Marketing Phil Schiller more specifically says it is "up to 3 times faster than Windows NT." That inclusion of "up to" may be important because although it is certainly true that AppleShare IP can handle large files much faster than Windows NT, there has been conflicting tests that show that it may lag slightly behind in transferring smaller files. This will not be a big deal to many people, but Apple has already taken flack for asserting that the iMac was faster than a Pentium II 400 MHz when in reality only the processor is faster. Most real-world tests have shown that the iMac is remarkably fast in comparison to the Pentium II, but that it still gets beaten in those real world tests. Should Apple get called on its wording for a second time, it could be a PR disaster. In the meanwhile, AppleShare IP 6.1 looks to be an incredible software package that Mac managers will find absolutely necessary.
