XServe Unpacking

[arn]

PowerPage is mirroring Chris Barrus's homepage showing pictures unpacking his brand new XServe.

Soon after the Xserves were announced I ordered a dual-processor, dual-120GB hard drive, 1GB RAM Xserve to replace our aggregation of desktop machines (one G4 tower with AppleShare IP, one G4 tower with OS X Server, and a beige G3 just running basic file sharing) that made up our department file servers. I figured that the Xserves would ship soon after the release of Jaguar Server (whether it's 10.2, 10.5 or whatever), so I was prepared to wait. No big deal. I'd only just seen one for real the week before when a demo unit was shown off on campus.

Anyway, I damn near fell out of my chair when the UCI Computer Store called me (this was at 3pm on Friday, July 5th) to tell me our Xserve was in. A couple of microseconds later I was down there and had it in my hands.

 

[szark]

VERY cool.

I've been trying to convince one of my friends to try one out at his job, but he doesn't want to crawl out of his PeeCee world.

Wish I could afford one...

 

[groovebuster]

Real Benchmarks?

So give us some real world benchmarks of that machine... something we all are drooling about!

groovebuster

 

[MacAztec]

Dude...

That machine is so damn loud! Good thing its a server!

 

[kettle]

smell o vision

Tell us about the smell

oh please
will you will you will you

tell me that brand new apple feeling still hits the spot.

 

[OSeXy!]

If one Xserve is that loud, I wonder what a dozen or two would be like. Funny that the first thing he notices is how loud it is, rather than how fast... Perhaps the noise is just to make it sound like an 'authentic server' to reassure PC techies.

 

[klmay65]

It's a server not a desktop Mac

Remember this is a server that should be in a server room. Not a desktop Mac that goes in your bedroom.

There are two huge fans inside, that generate the noise mentioned. I worked at Apple while these were being developed. I stood in the middle of testing racks with over 100 XServes running at once. It sounded like and Airport.

 

[Eliot]

Re: It's a server not a desktop Mac

Originally posted by klmay65


I worked at Apple while these were being developed. I stood in the middle of testing racks with over 100 XServes running at once. It sounded like and Airport. [/B]

Anything you'd like to share with us about your times there?

 

[drastik]

all that noise may say something about new case designs, though. If the MEtal Casing on the xserve doesn't cut down or possibly amplifies sound, they won't use it in a desktop.

Very cool, I wish I were unpacking one right now.

 

[beno]

Re: It's a server not a desktop Mac

Originally posted by klmay65
... It sounded like and Airport.

I suppose you mean airport, because an Airport is a perfectly quiet little piece of plastic...

 

[klmay65]

You say tomato...

Airport, airport...

I worked in the Elk Grove manufacturing plant for 7 1/2 years (until the layoff on the 2nd).
I loved working there and working with all of the different products.
I was impressed with the XServe from the start. Even during pre-production, the hardware was very stable. I just hope they can get the processor speeds up soon. The highest we ever tested in production was the dual 1000 MHz (1 GHz). I would hope that Cupertino is testing higher speeds, but we never saw them.


KenMo

 

[King Cobra]

An Xserve with no Keyboard, Mouse, etc.? And it's as loud as a peecee?

Why?

BTW, if you want to measure the decibel level of a certain number of products that give off the same intensity of sound, use this formula:

I = 10 log (a•10^(n/10))

You want to find I. "a" represents the number of objects giving off a certain decibel level, "n". If the Xserve gave off 30 decibels of intensity and you had 100 of them, you would have 50 decibels. This is a variation of an Algebra 2 formula.

But, enough of the Math lesson. I wonder if this Xserve hosts 1.4GHz dual processors. If it does, then I wonder if IF the new PowerMacs also have 1.4GHz DPs, then they may be just as loud. I also wonder if the Xserve is also going to cost "mucho dinero" (lots of cash). I wouldn't be surprised if it does.

 

[blakespot]

Re: smell o vision

Originally posted by kettle
Tell us about the smell

oh please
will you will you will you

tell me that brand new apple feeling still hits the spot.

The smell of a new Apple is indeed sublime. My Apple IIgs back in '87 was the first new Apple that _really_ hit me with the whole new smell feel, though it was there for the //c and IIe that came before it. More affecting than new car smell (which I am also experiencing right now).


blakespot

 

[Mac DV]

Awesome-

I am so happy that there are folks out there willing to walk us through their experience like this. I was recently at the apple store in Palo Alto and I really just wanted to se an Xserve, but they didn't have one "yet".
I really wonder if these things have already or are going to catch on at major production/post production houses. Every one I've ever been in had a ton of macs around, and a ton of racks, but deck racks. I am curious if the xserve is one of the computers that Apple is making for their pro audio/video people that they had that big conference with to see what those people needed from apple, or is there something else just around the corner?
Nice work Chris.


Mac DV out-


P.S. That thing is loud, are all multi proc. servers like that?

 

[tjwett]

loud...

>"I am so happy that there are folks out there willing to walk us through their experience like this. I was recently at the apple store in Palo Alto and I really just wanted to se an Xserve, but they didn't have one "yet".
I really wonder if these things have already or are going to catch on at major production/post production houses. Every one I've ever been in had a ton of macs around, and a ton of racks, but deck racks. I am curious if the xserve is one of the computers that Apple is making for their pro audio/video people that they had that big conference with to see what those people needed from apple, or is there something else just around the corner?"


that thing is loud! did you guys hear the mp3 of it shutting down? i was thinking of getting one for audio production. i guess it would have to sit in another soundproof room which would be a pain. might be more trouble than it's worth. and yeah, servers are usually pretty loud.

 

[gropo]

Originally posted by King Cobra
I wonder if this Xserve hosts 1.4GHz dual processors. If it does, then I wonder if IF the new PowerMacs also have 1.4GHz DPs, then they may be just as loud.

Keep in mind that the Xserve has 2 blowers, 1 for the CPU('s) and 1 for the PCI cards. Despite this, one wonders if the high-velocity CPU blower is a bit of overkill for the Dual-1Ghz, and was designed originally for much hotter, faster PowerPC's... Just a thought.

 

[iH8Quark]

That MP3 is going stright to the top of the charts.

 

[King Cobra]

tjwett, I tried saving the mp3 file, but I got an error, displaying that the host didn't exist, or some ****. Could you email me it? rf9h@loa.com

>Despite this, one wonders if the high-velocity CPU blower is a bit of overkill for the Dual-1Ghz, and was designed originally for much hotter, faster PowerPC's...
If that is so, then I am wondering how loud even faster computers with chips, such as G5 1.6GHz, etc. would be. If the Xserve is already loud enough, then either Apple needs to make better air flow with their products, quieter, but more powerful, fans should be implanted, or Motorola needs a bite in the ash to get them going with some less heat-producing chips.

 

[tjwett]

King Cobra...

i just sent you the mp3. enjoy!

 

[Sayer]

But its a dry heat

The entire computer gives off heat, not just the CPUs or PCI cards.

Until someone invents room temp. superconductors all of the electronics will have resistance and with electricity pumping though anything with resistance the excess enegery is dissipated as heat.

Plus you can have up to four fat HDs running almost constantly in a box under 2" thick. More heat there.

I don't think anyone benches servers using Whispermarks any more than you'd judge an off road vehicle with Fuzzy Bunny index points.

I guess people are really disappointed that they can't stick one of the Xserves under their desk at home to serve their Star Wars fansite over their parents Cable modem.

 

[Nipsy]

Re: But its a dry heat

Originally posted by Sayer

I guess people are really disappointed that they can't stick one of the Xserves under their desk at home to serve their Star Wars fansite over their parents Cable modem.

As much as I agree with what your saying, I use alot of rack equipment at my desk (well, in my desk, the right half of which is a rack), and I was hoping to incorporate an 2 Xserves, one as my primary workstation, and one as my dev server. I have a 2 Compaq SCSI Drive racks (it's okay folks, the Macs don't know the drives are in a Compaq chassis), which are reasonably loud, but tolerable. I was hoping the Xserve would enhace the 'gentle hum'.

I suppose I'll have to find one and listen to it...

 

[King Cobra]

>i just sent you the mp3. enjoy!
Here's how I enjoyed it. I opened the file in Quicktime and played it, while simultaneously playing a remix song with iTunes, and I couldn't understand the lyrics, which are usually somewhat clear. I listened through my iPod earplugs. The whole thing sounded terrible. That's damn loud.

The loudest of my three computers is my iMac 233. This Xserve sounds about twice or three times as loud.

 

[tjwett]

Originally posted by King Cobra

Here's how I enjoyed it. I opened the file in Quicktime and played it, while simultaneously playing a remix song with iTunes, and I couldn't understand the lyrics, which are usually somewhat clear. I listened through my iPod earplugs. The whole thing sounded terrible. That's damn loud.

The loudest of my three computers is my iMac 233. This Xserve sounds about twice or three times as loud.

yeah and the recording is good too. you can tell the mic is not right up against it or anything. you can hear the room ambience and other sounds. it's just that friggin' loud. i guess it needs to be.

 

[jg3]

ooh la la...

"It's like a techie strip show!"

 

[iN8]

Sweet car

Originally posted by blakespot

The smell of a new Apple is indeed sublime. My Apple IIgs back in '87 was the first new Apple that _really_ hit me with the whole new smell feel, though it was there for the //c and IIe that came before it. More affecting than new car smell (which I am also experiencing right now).


blakespot

I love those Scoobies. Is it a WRX?