Forget the PowerMac G4? Is the new Apple Xserve server the future of recording?

pisces7378

New member
I read in this month of Sound on Sound magazine www.sospubs.co.uk that audio engineers have been after Apple for years to hurry up and put out a rack mount PowerMac. Mac has never listened, but may have in advertantly developed the perfect Mac for video and audio apps like professional audio... the new Xserve Mac server. It is a 1U rack mount unit.

www.apple.xserve.com

This thing has of course HUGE potential for sotring a ton of data with 4 bays capabile of holding 4x 120GB HDDs. All of which being bad ass 7200rpm superDrives. Dual 1gHz G4 processors. up to 1.5GB of RAM. USB, FireWire ports... The list of interesting things is as long as my leg. The only draw-back is that there is no possibility for a cool CD burner. Only a CD-ROM drive. But I am sure that people can find a way around that.

What do YOU guys think? They run "OC X Server" and cannot run OS 9.0, but the "server" aspect of the OS X doesn't matter one bit as far as music APPs are concerned.

I am in the market for a Mac and I was just wondering what YOU GUYS think about these things? Apple has already recommended them for Video editing apps, whcih we all know are more compicated than audio apps.

Thanks guys,

Mike
 
Too LOUD???

Screw the fucker into the closet!?!?!?!

Nah only kidding. That is something I didn't think about. You are right. I myself have a ton of ways around a loud machine... but I can totally sympathize with someone that is recording, mixing, mastering, and burning all in the same room.

Keep the opinions coming guys and gals!

Mike
 
I think the only real advantage the Xserve has over Power Macs, is DDR (other than the rack mount, which really just a matter of convenience), and two extra IDE controllers (why would ANYONE try to compete in the server arena with an IDE only solution?). Anyway, rumors are that Power Macs will get a modest speed bump and DDR soon.
 
elevate

yeah I know what you mean. I certainly am not going to dish out the extra $$$ (and it is a considerable amount) just to have a cute flatt little rack mount version. I am in agreeance that the PowerMac will probably be seeing an upgrade in the near future.

I just pray that they don't jack the already astronomical price even higher. I would like to see DDR and a dual 1.5-1.7gHz processor. But only if the price stays the same. Or even better would be if they just lower the price of the present dual 1gHz without DDR. I can buy the RAM myself cheaper from somewhere else. Apple kind of ticks me off with the way they want you to pay so much for added periferals. It would be cheaper to buy the most basic Mac possible, and then "soop-it up" yourself with RAM from a store.

And one of those chrystal flat panel displays??? Give me a fecking break. They are offering a $500 discount on one of those guys if you buy a Mac. And the 17" STILL costs $499. That is what they should cost anyway, BEFORE any discount.
 
I would like to see DDR and a dual 1.5-1.7gHz processor.

I said modest speed bump. ;) If that happened, it would be the biggest processor speed jump ever for Apple.

Those LCD screens that Apple sells are made by somebody else. I think Dell uses the same screens in some of their LCD's. Of course, Dell doesn't offer transparent plastic housings, which apparently cost about $500.
 
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