Using Snow Leopard Server as a general OS?

[clasqm]

OK, I am going to buy a Mac Mini. But not the regular one: I want the one with a terabyte of storage and no optical drive. On the rare occasion that I need to read a CD or DVD I can always plug in a USB drive.

Here's the catch: the Mini Server ships with OSX Snow Leopard Server, which I've never worked with. And apparently you can't put regular Snow Leopard on it because the graphics h/w needs different drivers. The questions are:

1. Can I ignore the server stuff and just run SL Server as a general-purpose OS?

2. Will SL Server run mac OSX software with compatibility, let's say, back to Leopard? For example, could I grab iLife 06 from my old Leopard install disks and have it work? (Yes, I am cheap, but I don't see anything Apple has done to iLife since then to be an improvement. YMMV)

I imagine that there could be systems utilities that "hook" deep into the OS that won't work. But as far as I can tell, anything that doesn't require a system password to install should be OK?

If you have experience working with this version of OSX, I'd appreciate your thoughts.

 

[Synaesthesia]

Yes, however it's really not worth spending the extra for the Snow Leopard Server if your'e not gonna use it a server. Rather get the normal Mac Mini or an iMac. Put in an SSD if you want to spend more, or get some external storage for it. Otherwise you're just wasting your money on something you don't need.

 

[bleh69]

Yes. What he said ---^

 

[clasqm]

Thanks for the advice, guys. However, according to the prices and specs on the digicape site ...

Mac mini 2.4GHz
R7899
2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB memory
320GB hard drive1

Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server
R11500
2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB memory
Dual 500GB 7200-rpm hard drives

So for R3601 I get
- a faster processor
- twice the memory
- three times the storage.
In a single neat package, no wires trailing to an external drive. Seems like a good deal to me. YMMV.

 

[ponder]

So for R3601 I get
Seems like a good deal to me.

Just from the difference in price I could buy a Core2Quad, Core i3 (or Core i5 for slightly more) with way better specs than that. Never mind the original purchase prices. Some people have more money than brains.

 

[Synaesthesia]

Thanks for the advice, guys. However, according to the prices and specs on the digicape site ...

Mac mini 2.4GHz
R7899
2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB memory
320GB hard drive1

Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server
R11500
2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB memory
Dual 500GB 7200-rpm hard drives

So for R3601 I get
- a faster processor
- twice the memory
- three times the storage.
In a single neat package, no wires trailing to an external drive. Seems like a good deal to me. YMMV.

A 500gb hard drive (2.5") is only R600 or so. 2gb RAM is R500 or so. The processor difference is negligible. For R13000 you can get an iMac which is way faster (hard drive, CPU and graphics), and has a 21.5" IPS screen which is worth like R6000 at least, not to mention a wireless Keyboard & Mouse, camera, speakers all built in.

 

[clasqm]

So there we were, debating whether I should get the BMW 1-series or spring for the 3-series, when some guy who probably never drove either of them further than around the block piped up: "Hey for the difference in price I could buy a Tata Indica!"

And he was right. It is a good thing that there are cheap, reasonable good alternatives for people who don't really care about cars.

Thank you for playing.

 

[bwana]

Just from the difference in price I could buy a Core2Quad, Core i3 (or Core i5 for slightly more) with way better specs than that. Never mind the original purchase prices. Some people have more money than brains.

What a ridiculous claim to make

 

[ponder]

What a ridiculous claim to make

If someone want's to shell out R11.5k for an under powered machine then so be it. I should probably have kept that thought to myself and spoken out loudly behind the screen instead of typing it.

@clasqm,
Apologies, enjoy your Mac Mini.

 

[clasqm]

A 500gb hard drive (2.5") is only R600 or so.

True. But did you miss the part where I said that I didn't want a system with loose bits and cables all over the place? This is Apple gear we are talking about. Design and appearance count for something, or we should all be taking Ponder's advice ... Oh yes, I forgot to mention the 2 x 500GB drives are 7200rpm. the 1 x 320 is 5400.

2gb RAM is R500 or so.

Again, correct. Except that you would have to buy 4 GB and throw away the 2GB in the standard mini (or see if you can get a pittance for it on bidorbuy ... puh-leaze). Two RAM slots, both already filled.

The processor difference is negligible.

Every bit helps. But you're right, it is the least important aspect here.

For R13000 you can get an iMac which is way faster (hard drive, CPU and graphics), and has a 21.5" IPS screen which is worth like R6000 at least, not to mention a wireless Keyboard & Mouse, camera, speakers all built in.

OK, you must be buying Apple's wildly overpriced monitors, I mean ten grand for a 24" monitor on the ZAStore, are these people insane? Go to Incredible Corruption's website and they will sell you a 26" Samsung screen for under R2000. I eagerly wait to be convinced that Apple's screens are five times better - here I would actually agree with ol' Ponder. Or try a Dell E2310H - that's a 23" monitor for R2700. But for real bang for the buck, attach two smaller monitors.

But you do make a good point here. the iMac does have a bunch of stuff built in. A tendency to overheat is one of them, unfortunately. Mine ran perfectly for four years, but now the dust bunnies are heating it up and making the screen display weird artefacts. I have to use SMBFancontrol to keep the fans running flat out otherwise it will heat up to the point of shutting itself down within half an hour. So yes, I am down on the all-in-one design. When it works it is great, when it stops working it leaves you with an well-integrated boat anchor. If I win the lotto I will buy a Mac Pro, but otherwise, the mini it is.

By the way, it doesn't seem like anyone around here can answer my original question from actual experience?

 

[Synaesthesia]

You can totally run the Mac Mini Server if you want to, I just think it's poor value, if you're not going to use it as a server. R11K is simply too much.

I understand you don't want cables everywhere. The Drobo is an excellent solution for lots of storage.

Yes the new iMac's screen really is worth at least twice as much as regular screens. It's IPS, which means great colour rendition and stability. You can't compare that to TN. Look at them for yourself. I think the overheating issue has been solved. That did suck, my sister also had that issue with the older iMac.

 

[ponder]

By the way, it doesn't seem like anyone around here can answer my original question from actual experience?

No but I can tell you they are identical in desktop applications & operation. The server version has extra services/daemons for all the server related stuff with a nice gui front end. If you do not intend using those services/daemons just make sure they are disabled as they will obviously eat more memory & cpu cycles making things slower. There are a couple of articles/reviews out there on using the server version as a desktop but they all say things are identical and don't even bother going into it as there is no point.