XServe RAID & Buyers Guide

[dguisinger]

The XServe RAID I don't think has been updated in a while; why is it listed with the XServe on the buyers guide? There is no mention of when the last revision was made or if there are any specific rumors on its upgrade. We are looking at purchasing one, but don't want to commit to a $8,000 box that uses drives slower than everything else Apple makes (other than the Mini and notebooks). Any information out there on a possible S-ATA update?

-Dan

 

[Mechcozmo]

You might want to know that it is nearly impossible to max out a ATA bus like the one in the Xserve RAID. They are each on their own bus so they each have a really high theoretical transfer rate per hard drive.

 

[dguisinger]

You might want to know that it is nearly impossible to max out a ATA bus like the one in the Xserve RAID. They are each on their own bus so they each have a really high theoretical transfer rate per hard drive.

I'm not so much concerned about that as I am having a single part for spare drives or the ability to get replacement drives 3-5 years down the road.

 

[crazzyeddie]

I'm not so much concerned about that as I am having a single part for spare drives or the ability to get replacement drives 3-5 years down the road.

Are you talking about the Apple Drive Module? Thats just a hot-swappable "case" for regular hard drives. You can buy the empty modules and install your own drive in it, unless I'm mistaken.

 

[Mechcozmo]

I'm not so much concerned about that as I am having a single part for spare drives or the ability to get replacement drives 3-5 years down the road.

Apple will still support the Xserve a number of years down the road. And the RAID's modules are just cases with a hard drive in them. Either open the case and replace the drive, or replace the whole doohicky.

 

[Mudbug]

doohicky.

ahhh. The return of 'technical terms.'

 

[Mechcozmo]

ahhh. The return of 'technical terms.'

I was going to talk about the thingamabobber but decided that it was better to use the 'higher-class' language. He IS buying an Xserve, yknow. Those thingamajigs are classy.