[FX.php List] Economical Mac Server setup

[Bob Patin]

Oops, wrong company name; I meant Mac of All Trades...

Same thing, only different... :)

http://www.macofalltrades.com/Apple_Desktops_s/2.htmcom


On Feb 10, 2009, at 7:29 PM, Jonathan Schwartz wrote:

> Bob,
>
> Were the heck are you lookin?
>
> These folks make software.
>
> http://www.smileonmymac.com/
>
> And my 2¢ on the server issue....
>
> I use Mac Minis with 7200RPM server grade hard drives because I host  
> at a colo. It cost ~$30/month to host.  I have multiple machines to  
> deal with load and possibility of downtime.  Most of the time, they  
> sit thee, asking for more work. ;-)
>
> J
>
> At 6:43 PM -0600 2/10/09, Bob Patin wrote:
>> Karl,
>>
>> Respectfully speaking, I think you're not considering the most  
>> important aspects of hosting databases:
>>
>> 1. Drive speed - I already talked about that, but I'll reiterate  
>> that drive speed is an important part of serving databases;
>>
>> 2. Reliability - Here's a good comparison -- on Smile On My Mac's  
>> site right now they have a G5 dual-2.0Ghz for $699; they also have  
>> an Intel Mac Mini 1.66 for $499; granted, an Intel Mac would be a  
>> better choice, all things equal, but having used both extensively,  
>> I would trust a G5 tower much more than I'll ever trust a Mac Mini.  
>> I have 6 here, so I do have lots of experience with Mac Minis;  
>> incidentally, I have 4 G5 towers too.
>>
>> I just don't see a $200 savings being the determining factor when  
>> choosing a production machine, when one catastrophic failure can  
>> cause you to permanently lose a client.
>>
>> 3. If your client were to visit your facility, and you showed him  
>> the Mac Mini on which his precious databases were running, would he  
>> feel reassured? Probably not. On the other hand, you show him a G5  
>> tower--would he feel reassured? Most likely. Granted, the G5 is not  
>> cutting-edge by any means, but I use it as an example of what I  
>> consider to be the lowest acceptable machine for production use.
>>
>> Here's one last consideration: on Smile on my Mac's site (I use  
>> them as an example because they sell a ton of used Macs and are  
>> very reliable), you can make these choices:
>>
>> G5 2.0 dual - $699
>> G5 1.6 single - $449
>> Mac Mini 1.66 Intel - $499
>>
>> What would I choose, if money were really tight? The 2nd option.
>>
>> I agree that you need to balance your needs, but needs should be  
>> prioritized:
>>
>> 1. Reliability - this MUST be first in the list
>> 2. Speed
>> 3. Price
>>
>> ... not the other way around... :)
>>
>> OK, I'm off my soapbox now!
>>
>> Bob Patin
>> Longterm Solutions LLC
>> bob at longtermsolutions.com
>> 615-333-6858
>> http://www.longtermsolutions.com
>> Twitter: bobpatin
>> iChat/AIM: bobpatin
>> FileMaker 9 Certified Developer
>> Member of FileMaker Business Alliance & TechNet
>> --------------------------
>> FileMaker hosting and consulting for all versions of FileMaker
>> PHP * Full email services * Free DNS hosting * Colocation *  
>> Consulting
>>
>>
>>
>> On Feb 10, 2009, at 6:09 PM, Karl Johnson wrote:
>>
>>> John,
>>>
>>> We are setting up a Mac Mini as a  FMPro 10 Server advanced to  
>>> share out to a number of clients.  The one draw back I see  
>>> potentially coming in is the limitation of the hard drive size  
>>> especially if the clients need to store photos.  Other than that a  
>>> Mac Mini or a G5 will work wonders.
>>>
>>> Whenever I look at setting up a new server of any sort, I always  
>>> try and weigh affordability now and how long until I need to  
>>> upgrade.
>>> The upgrade piece can be tricky as software (FMPro or other) may  
>>> require newer OS than machine can handle.  When you find the  
>>> balance of needs then choosing a machine is easy.
>>>
>>> Karl
>>
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>
>
> --
> Jonathan Schwartz
> Exit 445 Group
> jonathan at exit445.com
> http://www.exit445.com
> 415-370-5011
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