When Mac OS X “Lion” debuts this summer, it will include something that, up to now, has cost Mac IT departments $499 extra: Mac OS X Server. The Loop has confirmed with Apple that Lion Server indeed will be included with the core operating system.
[ad#Google Adsense 300×250 in story]”Lion Server is now part of Mac OS X Lion,” says Apple on a new splash page outlining many of the features of the forthcoming operating system.
With Mac OS X Server heretofore mainly the domain of IT staff, Apple is taking a seemingly more democratic approach with Lion Server. “It’s easy to set up your Mac as a server and take advantage of the many services Lion Server has to offer,” reads the text.
Features of the new Lion Server include easier Mac server setup, providing local and remote administration for users and groups, push notifications, Time Machine backups, Virtual Private Network (VPN) settings, and more. The new software will also enable users to manage profiles for Macs, iPhones, iPads and iPod touch devices; includes Wiki Server 3 collaboration software; and wireless file sharing on the iPad using WebDAV and applications such as Apple’s iWork suite – Keynote, Numbers and Pages.
Apple on Thursday introduced a “Developer Preview” release of Mac OS X Lion, to assist registered Apple developers that are making apps for the new operating system.
More news that fits in with my speculation from http://www.loopinsight.com/2011/02/14/about-this-new-mobileme-service/#comment-146602935.
Why use the cloud when all you need is more bandwith to do it all yourself and keep your data yours?
I’ll definitely be waiting a while before putting this on my Xserve. I have a scsi card and a Tandberg StorageLoader for tape backup and who knows how that and the Xserve itself will work with Lion. I hope it all works, it has a lot of life left in it being a 2.26 quad core Xenon processor.
it should be interesting to see where this goes and how it is implemented
Any word on pricing for exisiting users? Snow Leopard was a “Upgrade” with “upgrade pricing” I assume 10.7 is going to be a new full version where in the past full versions had cost 129 $.
Love it!
I wonder if it’ll carry the “can install on a Virtual Machine” ability with it now that it’ll be part of the client OS.
Are we sure this means “included” at no cost?
netkas.org mentioned vmware as a way to run it on PC so i guess it will
Here’s a thought. Mac Minis (say maybe 8 or so), Thunderbolt, OS X Server 10.7, xGrid, and Grand Central Dispatch.
Although written two days ago and does not incorporate the details reveal today, it’s still food for thought.
http://www.cringely.com/2011/02/attack-of-the-minis/
Mac OS X Lion will require decent hardware acceleration to even be useable, so I doubt it will hold up well in a virtual machine. (strictly speculation, though)