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Mac mini and Server OS X

K

kev2012

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 18, 2012
12
0
Hi,

I'm considering buying a Mac mini (standard one) for £499 and then paying the £13 i think it is to install the server OS on it. Will this work or will I have problems?

Only reason i'm thinking of doing this is because of the price difference to buy the mini with the Server OS already on it - its quiet a bit more month and I was wondering if the actual components vary that much i mean i know it has a i7 quad core processor compared to the i5 dual core and i know the server has 2 x 1Tb Hds, however I am considering buying one to use in a lab environment and getting more familiar with Macs as well as learning how to deploy images etc.

If I can use a standard mac mini, this will be great as i don't think I will notice too much performance issues (or i hope not) with running a server on it and deploying images.

Many thanks for your help!
 
dugbug

dugbug

macrumors 68000
Aug 23, 2008
1,868
1,940
Somewhere in Florida
kev2012 said:
Hi,

I'm considering buying a Mac mini (standard one) for £499 and then paying the £13 i think it is to install the server OS on it. Will this work or will I have problems?

Only reason i'm thinking of doing this is because of the price difference to buy the mini with the Server OS already on it - its quiet a bit more month and I was wondering if the actual components vary that much i mean i know it has a i7 quad core processor compared to the i5 dual core and i know the server has 2 x 1Tb Hds, however I am considering buying one to use in a lab environment and getting more familiar with Macs as well as learning how to deploy images etc.

If I can use a standard mac mini, this will be great as i don't think I will notice too much performance issues (or i hope not) with running a server on it and deploying images.

Many thanks for your help!
Click to expand...

You can run server on any of the minis, even a macbook air if you want. Nothing particularly stressing from a server overhead viewpoint. Particularly as just a management box.
 
E

ElectronGuru

macrumors 68000
Sep 5, 2013
1,656
489
Oregon, USA
Yeah, server mini is just the software plus the hardware, which may or may not be unique, depending on configuration. In some cases the identical configuration is hundreds cheaper without the server software. And if you buy the server software from the app store, it's easier to download onto other computers with same account.

The only reasons to buy the server config:

1) you want a configuration that is only available under the server option

2) you are not comfortable changing the configuration yourself after purchase

3) you want full warranty protection of whatever configuration, without making changes
 
K

kev2012

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 18, 2012
12
0
Hi,

Thanks for replies!

Good to know there is nothing unique about the server mac mini compared to the normal one and that i can just buy the server Os and install it!

This sounds like the route i will go as its only for a test lab to learn from so its not going to be doing that much, probably the biggest thing will be getting inventory of hardware/software of a client mac and deploying a OS.

i have a 2009 mac mini to use as the client and the mac i'm going to buy i'll put the server OS on. and effectively play with that setup, its not going to be a big mac lab but it should suffice i hope.

Many thanks again!
 
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