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My 'idea'

Do you like the idea of iServe?

  • Yes

    Votes: 8 53.3%

  • No

    Votes: 7 46.7%

  • I already own an xServe.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    15
Ensign Paris

Ensign Paris

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Hi

I have had an idea, the XServe is very powerful and probably too powerful to be used for a small scale website, but whose owner would like there own site, my idea is called iserve, it is basicly a small version with a G3 processor, 256mb RAM and 2 5gb HDs (Raid Mirroring) the device has 2 100bs-t Ethernet ports that would allow it to connect to the net and the device would be configured via a web browser from a mac / windows box. Also a battery that would last about 3 hours (incase of power cuts)
Size - H=4" Width=4.8" Depth 0.78"
Supports: Apache web server (PHP, CGI etc...)

It would be possible to fit many of these in a rack system, perfect for co-locating.

Possible extras - Firewire Port and Airport/Bluetooth to get files on to the HD. FTP/Web Dav Support.

Anyone think this is a good idea? Let me know what you think (the design would be similar to iPod, see attachment.

Ensign
 

Attachments

  • iserve.jpg
    iserve.jpg
    6.9 KB · Views: 261
yeah, its from the iPod site with a few PShop mods, I am thinking of doing the front and the port section later.

Ensign
 
The only issue is getting a connection to the internet that's fast enough to handle what it is that you want to host. I have a cable modem at home and downloads are fine, but uploading? Damn slow - the cable company specifically cut it back because people were using it for servers and crushing the system.

So, even though its a good idea, unless you have an iConnect plan it won't be all that practical.

D
 
bad idea...

though some of us would like it...there isn't enough market for such a product...the people that will agree with you that it is a good idea are those who frequently come to macrumors...and that's not even an 100th of the total mac users in the world
 
Actually you can take an old iMac and place the mother board in a 1U rack mount, there is you iServer. You just have to create a nice enclosure.

If you want you can add a rack mountable UPS device for power failure.

The entire think won't cost more than $500

Check this out:
http://imac.pointinspace.com/
 
Re: My 'idea'

Originally posted by Ensign Paris
, my idea is called iserve, it is basicly a small version with a G3 processor, 256mb RAM and 2 5gb HDs (Raid Mirroring) the device has 2 100bs-t Ethernet ports that would allow it to connect to the net and the device would be configured via a web browser from a mac / windows box. Also a battery that would last about 3 hours (incase of power cuts)
Size - H=4" Width=4.8" Depth 0.78"
Supports: Apache web server (PHP, CGI etc...)
........

Anyone think this is a good idea? Let me know what you think (the design would be similar to iPod, see attachment.
Click to expand...

First, there's not much reason to make it so small.... since it's going to be sitting on a rack or whatnot...

the 5gb toshiba drives aren't designed for long term use like this. They will die pretty quickly I think.

Once you start talking about putting something in a rack for colocation... your market just jumped out of the "i-product" range. My mother is not going to want to colocate a webserver.

If anything... Apple _should_ do is make "iApache" for OS X which would be a very simple OS X Apache interface. This could replace the "free" iTools - in that people with cable modems etc... could host their own images on their own Mac. They could also provide basic DNS/webredirection servers....

that way, free homepages... but not costing Apple as much. 🙂 And something your parents might actually want to use.

arn
 
id have to agree with arn. the problem with the idea isnt so much a problem with iserve, but in your implementation of it. the hardware specs you suggest just arent realistic. i see that you are just trying to make it cheap but i think you cut corners in places you cant.

a software iserve as arn suggests would be better (just needs to be a front end for what we already have). or perhaps just more realistic specs.

as dukestreet said the biggest problem with hosting your own site is your connection. most dsl and cable companies in the US cap the upstream at 128k, and most foreign isps have transfer caps. so if you want more you end up paying for sdsl (which is costly), t1 (more costly), colocation (huge expense), or not hosting yourself (dont need iserve). most people who could afford an adequate connection will be able to afford an xserve, so there is no reason to offer them an inexpensive alternative.

if broadband prices come down and bandwidth
for upstream increases then an iserve would be a good product (once you clean up your specs), but as long as bandwidth is so expensive people will just have to find other hosting solutions.
 
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