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Apr 12, 2001
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Information Week goes into some detail about what's new in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Server.

The list details items that have been publicly posted and are not amongst the "secret" features Steve Jobs claims they are holding back, but does provide an interesting summary of the upcoming server operating system.

The features include iCal Server, Wiki Server, 64-Bit capabilities, File Services, Web Services, QuickTime Services, iChat Server 2, Mail, Xgrid 2, and Open Directory 4.

These features are detailed on Apple's Leopard Server Sneak Peak pages.
 
Our Xserve and Xraid are still running 10.3.9, so I'm long overdue an upgrade, can't wait till leopard server is released
 
I would really like to see if Apple can integrate MS Exchange into iCal/Address Book/Mail. It would really benefit the Exchange users amongst us and certainly make Apple a more viable option to the business world.
 
Anybody catch this at the bottom of the TECH SPECS page?

Requirements
Macintosh server or desktop computer with an Intel or PowerPC G4 or G5 processor
At least 512MB of RAM
At least 10 GB of available disk space.
Built-in FireWire


Wait, ignore this post, these are the system requirements for Tiger Server....
 
Also included in Leopard Server is Spotlight Server.
Use Spotlight Server to find content on servers within your network as easily as doing a Spotlight search on your local computer. Spotlight Server performs lightning-fast searches on mounted network volumes — making it a snap to find that one fugitive file. Ideal for workgroups with shared documents, projects, and file archives, it’s designed to save you time and frustration.​
 
Secret app

The secret application I wonder about is a telephone PBX type functionality coupled with a multi channel ISDN card in a PCI slot. this tied in to the address book would give you a nice little sales edge for when the IPhone arrives.

Why? it means a business can junk all the desktop phones and systems and replace it all with a nice Xserve/IPhone combo:)

Employees use the IPhone all the time were ever they are, as soon as they get to the studio the IPhone uses the Studio network for landline calls and VOIP internet calls, put a baby system at home and you only use the wireless carrier when away from home or the office

But I could be wrong and wishing for to much but I do know that even my mum could sell an XServe on the basis that every one in the company gets an IPhone;-)
 
I read somewhere else that Mac OS X Server 10.5 will implement Time Machine on a network level. If you run an all-Mac shop or workgroup, Retrospect might have just been obsolesced. The devil is in the implementation, though, as always.

It would be a very good idea for Apple to build in an easy to configure VOIP/PBX system based on Asterisk. Wirelessly integrating it with iPhone is a killer concept that Cingular no doubt won't like too much.

The whole point of iCal Server is to provide a good alternative to Exchange on the back-end that works well with a wide variety of front-end products. Building up that kind of ecosystem with other open source and commercial producers is the only way that Exchange's iron grip will be broken. If it interfaces seamlessly with Outlook, I could see a lot of SMBs migrating away from Exchange and Microsoft's usurious CAL fees.

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/8DFEC70D-ED31-46AD-B23A-558AF0473F91.html

You can already set up an Exchange-like server for integrated email, contacts and calendars using Kerio Mail Server 6.1. It's an excellent product that works well with iCal and Address Book, but I think Apple can do even better with contacts and calendaring. Apple would have to improve their mail server a lot to catch up with Kerio and Communigate Pro, however.
 
Top Secret Features

Hi:

Just wondering if there's been any mention of "top secret features" from Apple since WWDC last year.

Is it just something they said once, a year ago and we all seized on it because we want it to be true? Are there continued, repeated references to the "top secret" features coming from Apple? or is it just something that appears in mac rumor forums?
 
Hi:

Just wondering if there's been any mention of "top secret features" from Apple since WWDC last year.

Is it just something they said once, a year ago and we all seized on it because we want it to be true? Are there continued, repeated references to the "top secret" features coming from Apple? or is it just something that appears in mac rumor forums?

how about you read the article......did you ever think of that? .....of how about actually going to Apple's website and reading something?
 
how about you read the article......did you ever think of that? .....of how about actually going to Apple's website and reading something?

I've read both the article and Apple's site. Unless I'm looking in the wrong place, Apple's site makes no mention of secret features.

The Information Week article references "Steve's famous "Top Secret" features" but doesn't say if there's been any more information than that quote from last year's WWDC.

So... I was just asking if anyone's heard of a confirmed report or release from Apple about the "secret features" since that comment at WWDC almost a year ago... that's all.
 
I've read both the article and Apple's site. Unless I'm looking in the wrong place, Apple's site makes no mention of secret features.

The Information Week article references "Steve's famous "Top Secret" features" but doesn't say if there's been any more information than that quote from last year's WWDC.

So... I was just asking if anyone's heard of a confirmed report or release from Apple about the "secret features" since that comment at WWDC almost a year ago... that's all.

nothing has been said since about the "Top Secret Features".....
 
I read somewhere else that Mac OS X Server 10.5 will implement Time Machine on a network level. If you run an all-Mac shop or workgroup, Retrospect might have just been obsolesced. The devil is in the implementation, though, as always.

It would be a very good idea for Apple to build in an easy to configure VOIP/PBX system based on Asterisk. Wirelessly integrating it with iPhone is a killer concept that Cingular no doubt won't like too much.

The whole point of iCal Server is to provide a good alternative to Exchange on the back-end that works well with a wide variety of front-end products. Building up that kind of ecosystem with other open source and commercial producers is the only way that Exchange's iron grip will be broken. If it interfaces seamlessly with Outlook, I could see a lot of SMBs migrating away from Exchange and Microsoft's usurious CAL fees.

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/8DFEC70D-ED31-46AD-B23A-558AF0473F91.html

You can already set up an Exchange-like server for integrated email, contacts and calendars using Kerio Mail Server 6.1. It's an excellent product that works well with iCal and Address Book, but I think Apple can do even better with contacts and calendaring. Apple would have to improve their mail server a lot to catch up with Kerio and Communigate Pro, however.

I just love the idea of Apple gaining market lead by stealth, taking out the ugly desktop phone and hugely expensive phone system and maintenance contracts would be enough to swing most small business owners around to Apple.

The hidden benefit is workers are never away from their phones reducing time wasting messages and so on, the down side is a worker is never away from his or her phone;-)
 
It would be a very good idea for Apple to build in an easy to configure VOIP/PBX system based on Asterisk. Wirelessly integrating it with iPhone is a killer concept that Cingular no doubt won't like too much.

Cingular 8525 already incorporates 802.11, so can't see where it's a big shift.
 
I've read both the article and Apple's site. Unless I'm looking in the wrong place, Apple's site makes no mention of secret features.

The Information Week article references "Steve's famous "Top Secret" features" but doesn't say if there's been any more information than that quote from last year's WWDC.

So... I was just asking if anyone's heard of a confirmed report or release from Apple about the "secret features" since that comment at WWDC almost a year ago... that's all.

If everybody knew what the secret features were they wouldn't be secret now would they ? ;)
 
The secret application I wonder about is a telephone PBX type functionality coupled with a multi channel ISDN card in a PCI slot. this tied in to the address book would give you a nice little sales edge for when the IPhone arrives.
I think that an Apple PBX based entirely on VoIP (and wireless 802.11) would be great. Add iChat integration, address book syncing, perhaps sms. There are various levels of functionality possible at different prices too.

However, I'm not sure that Apple is interested in this market. Certainly it doesn't need to be tied to Leopard - this would surely be quite a separate product wouldn't it?
 
I think that an Apple PBX based entirely on VoIP (and wireless 802.11) would be great. Add iChat integration, address book syncing, perhaps sms. There are various levels of functionality possible at different prices too.

However, I'm not sure that Apple is interested in this market. Certainly it doesn't need to be tied to Leopard - this would surely be quite a separate product wouldn't it?

Thats a good point, my original thought covered the basic functionality being added to the apps supplied with the operating system, as you said it would be nice to have address book and ICal work with the IPhone, the addition of a full blown PBX suit like Asterix is another good point and I agree with you and others that Apple would probably use an outside program rather than do it them selves.

But I do think that having all that work together nicely (the Apple way) in an out of the box server would be a killer business app, its the kind of sales solution a small dealer can add value to very easily.

Viv
 
Hey Apple: Fix the 10.4 Server File Deletion Bug!

I have an idea, Apple, while you're working on server code, why don't you fix the "The operation cannot be completed because an item with the name 'xxx' already exists" then POOF! your original file is deleted bug that's in Server 10.4.

This file deletion issue has been reproduced by countless server users, has been discussed extensively online, and has been ignored by Apple for over a year.

Random file deletion is bad, 'mkay?


:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
So long as it's easy to upgrade and it doesn't break anything I've already got set up then it's all fine by me... I've never upgraded OS X Server before (or any Mac OS) and I'm a little concerned that the harmony I've been existing in lately will go out of the window!
 
But I do think that having all that work together nicely (the Apple way) in an out of the box server would be a killer business app, its the kind of sales solution a small dealer can add value to very easily.
Absolutely.

How about an Airport-Extreme sized box with plugs for 2 regular lines (if you still have them), to which you connect you Apple wired and wireless phones :)
 
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