Apple Store: Xserve, 750GB, Apple Care

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif

Beyond the release of the Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro, customers have noted some other minor updates to the Apple Store:

- Apple's Intel Xserve is now available for pre-order and shipping is expected by mid-November.
- New packaging for Apple's Apple Care Protection Plan
- The addition of a 750GB hard drive option for the 24" iMac.

Apple's MacBook remains untouched since its initial release in May. Rumors of MacBook updates have been intermingled with the MacBook Pro rumors, with expectations of updates before the holidays.

[~Shard~]

Cool! The 750 GB HDD option on the iMac is pretty sweet. For a AIO like the iMac, it's nice to see Apple equipping it with options like this (and the 3 GB of RAM) which will extend its longevity.

Also, nice to see the Xserve is finally available for ordering, I know our lab guys have wanted to pick one up for the longest time.

[whatever]

Apple has also added a 750GB hard disk for the Mac Pro for $399.00 and the 500GB now sells for $199.00 in bay 1. For bays 2 - 4 the prices are $599 and $399.

[Chaszmyr]

Xserve lags so far behind the Mac Pro in release, costs much more, has little to make it better and just as much to make it worse. I would love to have an Xserve, but I don't understand why anyone would buy one.

[ghall]

Originally Posted by Chaszmyr

Xserve lags so far behind the Mac Pro in release, costs much more, has little to make it better and just as much to make it worse. I would love to have an Xserve, but I don't understand why anyone would buy one.

It's for buisnesses. It whouldn't be very practical for an individual. It whould be cool, but damn expensive to maintain for just one person.

[TESEV]

The 750 HD option is on the Mac Pro as well as the 24" iMac. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they changed the layout on several of their store pages too.

[jholzner]

Originally Posted by Chaszmyr

Xserve lags so far behind the Mac Pro in release, costs much more, has little to make it better and just as much to make it worse. I would love to have an Xserve, but I don't understand why anyone would buy one.

I believe, for a server, it offers much more. I think it has redundant power supplies, lights-out operation and includes Mac OS X server. Since you obviously don't need those things (since you see no value in them) I don't know why you would want one.

[dkoralek]

Originally Posted by TESEV

The 750 HD option is on the Mac Pro as well as the 24" iMac. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they changed the layout on several of their store pages too.

They changed some of the prices slightly (at least the academic versions). But what I can't figure out is that I configured a MacPro changing to 2 gig ram, bluetooth and wifi, wireless keyboard and mouse and somehow saved $2. what an odd amount.

cheers.

[twoodcc]

that's nice. 750GB in an imac is cool. glad to see the xserve is coming along

[raymondso]

Hopefully, the next update will be C2D MacBook

[mark88]

I just bought two of those Seagate 750GB drives, so far so good. Won't be long before we get the 1TB drive.

[vendettabass]

I guess this is when the C2D macbook rumors begin!!

[BenRoethig]

Originally Posted by Chaszmyr

Xserve lags so far behind the Mac Pro in release, costs much more, has little to make it better and just as much to make it worse. I would love to have an Xserve, but I don't understand why anyone would buy one.

It's a called a server. It's for serving networks.

Anyway, the updated scheme for the Apple Store looks nice.

[easlerjj]

If you go all out with an Xserve config (including a 7 TB RAID) the price tag comes just shy of $100,000.

[~Shard~]

Originally Posted by vendettabass

I guess this is when the C2D macbook rumors begin!!

Um, you're actually a little late for that party - those rumors started a couple months ago...

[enygma]

Originally Posted by jholzner

I believe, for a server, it offers much more. I think it has redundant power supplies, lights-out operation and includes Mac OS X server. Since you obviously don't need those things (since you see no value in them) I don't know why you would want one.

Keep in mind, other than OS X server, things like that redundant power supply are cost extra options.

For someone like me, I was thinking of purchasing 2 of these things, however, cost really is a factor for me here. My primary application is a render node for computer graphics. Problem is, for the price the XServe costs with 2GB memory and a 2.66GHz dual processor system, I can get a Boxx render node system with the a 3.0GHz configuration and OpenSUSE 10.1 for for less. As much as I would like this system, I'll have to pass for now until I am ready to put together a SAN.

EDIT: Heck, for the configuration I really want, it is over $1000 more for the XServe as opposed to the Boxx rendernode.

[nicksoper]

As much as I'd like a new macbook or iMac with a 750gb hard disk, I think I'm going to stick with what I've got until 802.11n and HD/Blueray burners are standardised on the mac.

I'd personally like to see a smaller macbook revision, for ultra traveling, possibly with extra securty for the traveler....

[kjs862]

They also added a chat room while you configuring a system that lets you chat with a apple rep. Really neat.

[Maccus Aurelius]

this definitely makes the imac more appealing to me. I was thinking of getting a macbook pro and replacing my existing macbook, but an imac with that much storage built in is very tempting. I've seen 750GB hard drives available on OWC for a while now, so it's about time apple made it available.

[Squonk]

Originally Posted by vendettabass

I guess this is when the C2D macbook rumors begin!!

Nah - those rumors have been around the block, and back!!! And there has been much said in the forums about this too. *sigh*

[Maccus Aurelius]

I'm not sure how many people would want a smaller macbook. Some people I've shown my MB to say they don't care for the small screen, which always seemed like plenty to me. apple may be working on a small ultraportable, but for now the only real change we'll see for a while is C2D. Also, the smaller you go, the less room there is for an optical drive.

[timdorr]

Originally Posted by jholzner

I believe, for a server, it offers much more. I think it has redundant power supplies, lights-out operation and includes Mac OS X server. Since you obviously don't need those things (since you see no value in them) I don't know why you would want one.

However, it's still way overpriced compared to other server manufacturers providing the same thing. Dell's pricing on their website is cheaper and you can probably get about 1/4 off of that by going through a rep. I'd be curious to know if Apple offers the same kind of sales techniques to get a better deal, or if what you see is what you get?

As it is, our local server builder can make a machine for about half the price with the equivalent components. Apple's marking up these machines way too high IMHO.

[slffl]

750GB They keep making it harder and harder to decide between a 24" imac and 17" MBP!

[AppliedVisual]

Originally Posted by ghall

It's for buisnesses. It whouldn't be very practical for an individual. It whould be cool, but damn expensive to maintain for just one person.

At Apple's prices, it's hard to understand how any business can justify switching to Xserve. Sorry, but I can buy several Dells with the same CPUs and RAM for what Apple is charging. This is unbelieveable. I canb buy SuperMicro or Tyan 1U barebones and assemble all the remaining CPUs/components myself and set it up in about 2 to 3 hours and probably still come out 1/5th the price of the Xserve. This just makes absolutely no sense at all.

[ImAlwaysRight]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

Rumors of MacBook updates have been intermingled with the MacBook Pro rumors, with expectations of updates before the holidays.

Nope. No C2D in the MacBook until 2007. Why? Distinguish product lines between MB vs. MBP with different chips. Also economics. With only CD in MacBooks, Apple makes more $$$ per MB.