Steve Jobs Reassured Customer Concerned for Mac OS X Server's Future

[Winni]

Best 2 letters ever.

Unlikely for Apple to drop enterprise support, now more and more businesses are integrating iOS and Mac support.

Don't get too excited about those two letters. It's not the first time that Steve Jobs flat out lied about something.

Besides, businesses are not using OS X server to integrate iOS and OS X systems. And not one business I've ever heard of - not even Apple! - is using OS X Server on their servers.

Should there ever be a server version of OS X Lion, you can safely assume that it will be the last server version of OS X to ever hit the market. When you don't sell server hardware and when you do not support third party hardware with your software, there is zero reason to develop a server operating system...

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Which segues nicely "The Party" (1968) where a Marceau-styled waiter chides Peter Sellers' character, "MIME is money!"

Two great movies!

Don't get too excited about those two letters. It's not the first time that Steve Jobs flat out lied about something.

Besides, businesses are not using OS X server to integrate iOS and OS X systems. And not one business I've ever heard of - not even Apple! - is using OS X Server on their servers.

Should there ever be a server version of OS X Lion, you can safely assume that it will be the last server version of OS X to ever hit the market. When you don't sell server hardware and when you do not support third party hardware with your software, there is zero reason to develop a server operating system...

Thanks for being the central source on the global business database of hardware used.

In other words, SNL's "It's Pat!"
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I grew up with her. Her younger brother and I went to school.

I wish you were at the helm over there in the OSX Server Camp.

Your Expectations are probably Weird Ideas to the Monkeys Currently running the show

I used to work in AES when we came over from NeXT. I'd love to take it over and relocate a few people I recall who never got it.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Maybe after Lion - iOS and MacOS are merging, and it the OS will be more like iOS. Closed. Then a Server Version makes little sense if you cannot access anything in the system anymore.

 

[iStudentUK]

I know Steve likes short replies, probably as they make good quotes to spread around the internet, but he really comes off as rude!

I know he is very busy, although a lot of the emails probably come from somebody else, but how much effort would it take to put a couple more words in?

"No" -> "No it doesn't mean that, Steve"

Translation-

"No, now f-off pleb" -> "No, don't worry, Steve"

 

[KnightWRX]

Maybe after Lion - iOS and MacOS are merging, and it the OS will be more like iOS. Closed. Then a Server Version makes little sense if you cannot access anything in the system anymore.

First, iOS and MacOS already share the same core. It's only the UI layer is that is different.

Second, MacOS will never be closed.

Then your comment makes little sense.

 

[0815]

gotta love his answers to questions.

Very to the point, no unnecessary information, just pure answer

Just like the design of Apple products, minimalistic, practical, beautiful - no crap added.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

Two great movies!

Hahaha the Party! Will give you a hint to as to where I got my screen name

 

[chirpie]

Which segues nicely "The Party" (1968) where a Marceau-styled waiter chides Peter Sellers' character, "MIME is money!"

I thought that was Billy Crystal in "This is Spinal Tap."

 

[yadmonkey]

gotta love his answers to questions.

Very to the point, no unnecessary information, just pure answer

You can read what you like from it, but if you stick to pure logic, this is not much of an answer at all.

The question was "does this mean..." Steve told him "no", as in "this does not mean..."

In other words, the only thing you can concretely take from this is that the discontinuation of the Xserve (in and of itself) does not indicate the end of OS X Server.

That may be a pure answer, but it's slippery as hell.

Just like the design of Apple products, minimalistic, practical, beautiful - no crap added.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Mac OS X Server existed before the Xserve, and it'll do so for quite a long time to come after the Xserve. The fact of the matter is that the Xserve didn't sell well. You all still have a couple weeks to nab yours, and given how much all of you like/depend on it, I'd highly recommend it.

As for the vacancy, perhaps it showcases that such a product didn't have buyers, or perhaps it shows that other needs (such as cost or features) were not up to par with what buyers wanted. This happened with the PowerMac G4 Cube and then years later, the Mac mini came out and it has sold well. Perhaps, some time in the future, we'll get another product that does what the Xserve did but sells well and fits the needs of many more. Or perhaps Apple will evolve its Server offerings to run on VMs or hell, even non-Apple Xeon hardware. Who knows? Though I'd say it's a safe bet that Mac OS X Server isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

 

[KnightWRX]

Mac OS X Server existed before the Xserve, and it'll do so for quite a long time to come after the Xserve. The fact of the matter is that the Xserve didn't sell well. You all still have a couple weeks to nab yours, and given how much all of you like/depend on it, I'd highly recommend it.

And that is why you don't work in IT. If something is end-of-line'd, you don't "nab yours", you start planning your move away. If that moves also includes dumping a massive amount of iMacs/Mac Pros/MacBooks, then so be it, it's all on Apple's head based on a single product that "didn't" sell.

 

[Yebubbleman]

And that is why you don't work in IT.

I don't? Tell that to the two MacBook Airs I worked on today. I'm sure if they were sentient, they'd strongly disagree with you.

If something is end-of-line'd, you don't "nab yours", you start planning your move away.

No, if people were already planning on upgrading, now is the time to do so. Otherwise, I'll agree with you. Though if the outcries of "how could they kill the Xserve?!" in this forum are representative of the majority of Mac OS X Server customers, then Apple is looking at it in terms of how many units were sold per quarter or per year (which isn't the typical purchasing cycle for things like rack-mounted servers) in which case my comment of "nab yours while you can" is probably representative of their thinking, which only further emphasizes that they, themselves clearly don't know IT, which only further justifies the Xserve's discontinuation. Mac OS X Server never seemed to be ready for the enterprise market and that was exactly the market the Xserve was after. So, again, I say that if the Xserve is something your company needs and/or wants, and you didn't just set a bunch up in the last two years, now's the time to nab one or completely move away from an Xserve based solution.

If that moves also includes dumping a massive amount of iMacs/Mac Pros/MacBooks, then so be it, it's all on Apple's head based on a single product that "didn't" sell.

Frankly, I don't picture a move from Xserves and OS X Server as mandating a move away from the client Macs involved, especially given that they have better support for things like Exchange out of the box than even Windows does. Though admittedly, my IT e-cock isn't as large as yours is.

 

[dmr727]

Though admittedly, my IT e-cock isn't as large as yours is.

Heh! I was just about to post some comment about all the IT dong measuring in this thread, but you beat me to it!

 

[Yebubbleman]

Heh! I was just about to post some comment about all the IT dong measuring in this thread, but you beat me to it!

Every single thread spawned from an article either the front or the second page that I've posted in has pretty much turned into that. It's pretty ridiculous.

 

[calaverasgrande]

one thing that occurs to me among the multiple threads about the xserve EOL. A lot of people cite the lack of power supply redundancy and ILO as reasons that the Mac mini and Mac Pro are not real server offerings. Well, I have personally installed dozens if not hundreds of servers that only have one power supply. It's not uncommon for 1ru server hardware to exist in this format. Ausu supermicro and even dell and hp make servers such as these. Now of course these are not your DC, or primary production server. they are also much cheaper than the xserve! the lack of ilo also isnt a total deal breaker. This just means you dont have out of band system management. I have seen dozens of server rooms set up with no provisions for ILO.
really it's just the lack of 1ru form factor that sucks the most. you could likely fit a couple mac-minis in a 1ru drawer, but those always end up being more like 1 1/2 ru, and that would be a pita to deal with if you had say a dozen servers!

as far as fail over. For what the mini costs compared to an xserve you can easily afford to buy 2 for the price of one. Of course this will require some replication configuration if we are talking about a DC or something similar.

 

[railstop]

The redundant power supply issue is somewhat of an issue, however if a proper failover and backup server is used or applied, then there is really no issue. IT shops apply failover techniques that almost eliminate the need for redundant PS. They incorporate several servers that include a backup to the primary.

I work with over 100 servers (not xserves sadly), roughly half are primary for their duty purpose. Reliance is 100% 24x7.

 

[KnightWRX]

I don't? Tell that to the two MacBook Airs I worked on today. I'm sure if they were sentient, they'd strongly disagree with you.

Wow, 2 MacBook airs uh ? That's not IT, that's computer repair. IT infrastructure is not MacBook Airs sorry and the rest of your comments show you've never done data center work.

No, if people were already planning on upgrading, now is the time to do so.

Nope. If something is EOL'd, you don't upgrade to it or just upgrade it, you migrate from it. Industry best practice ? What's your support going to be like on these EOL'd servers 3 years from now ? None at all ? Sorry, no sell.

At 3 a.m. on January 5th 2013, I want to know my machines are covered by service contracts.

The redundant power supply issue is somewhat of an issue, however if a proper failover and backup server is used or applied, then there is really no issue. IT shops apply failover techniques that almost eliminate the need for redundant PS. They incorporate several servers that include a backup to the primary.

Both my backups and primary servers have redundant power supplies, connected to completely seperate electrical grids. Failing over and failing back requires downtime, it should be kept to a minimum.

Heh! I was just about to post some comment about all the IT dong measuring in this thread, but you beat me to it!

It just gets on IT people's nerve when people come into these threads armed with ignorance and a strong desire to defend Apple's move and basically tell us how to run our datacenters when they've yet to even work on a server in their life.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Wow, 2 MacBook airs uh ? That's not IT, that's computer repair. IT infrastructure is not MacBook Airs sorry and the rest of your comments show you've never done data center work.

Man, you sure do love jumping to conclusions. Again, I admitted that my Server experience is dwarfed by far by yours. Though your comments only show that you're a jerk more interested in making your point shine louder than everyone else's than having a reasonable discussion where your sage wisdom and experience on these matters actually factors into the discussion constructively. No one wants to get into an argument on these forums, not even with you.

Nope. If something is EOL'd, you don't upgrade to it or just upgrade it, you migrate from it. Industry best practice ? What's your support going to be like on these EOL'd servers 3 years from now ? None at all ? Sorry, no sell.

Your support on Xserves purchased today in three years is going to be the exact same as it would've been had they not discontinued the Xserve. Apple never said that they'd discontinue their support as typically offered with new Xserves any sooner than usual. They're just no longer selling new units past the 30th. Speaking of the 30th, if they wanted to, they could've just stopped selling them in November when the announcement was first made. I'd imagine the two month buffer period was so that people STILL wanting to upgrade to them could, and with the same support that they've always offered with Xserves.

At 3 a.m. on January 5th 2013, I want to know my machines are covered by service contracts.

I don't see why they wouldn't be; the announcement was only that they're no longer selling new Xserve units, not that they'd be shutting off support for purchased ones any sooner than usual.

It just gets on IT people's nerve when people come into these threads armed with ignorance and a strong desire to defend Apple's move and basically tell us how to run our datacenters when they've yet to even work on a server in their life.

Welcome to MacRumors.com's forums. It's full of ignorance and you and I have each been on both sides of it. We all have been. If you want people who won't blindly defend a given Apple decision, find a different forum. Also, no one is telling you how to run your datacenter. I'm sure most of us could care so much less. All we're saying is that the Xserve is dead and it probably happened for a good reason as Apple has far more info on how their platform is being used and how they are generating money than anyone here would ever hope to. Sure, the loss of the Xserve might have (as I don't want to presume anything) hurt your datacenter long term, and hearing goons on here tell you that you should get a Mac mini would be legitimately annoying, but Apple clearly did this for a reason. They don't just decide to kill things like the Xserve because they woke up and felt like it.

 

[macEfan]

That's good...the server is so much more convenient for enterprise-level data sharing and network traffic administration. I don't think I'd want to deal with Mac OS X on a large network without the server software available for use.