Although similar questions have been asked before [1,2] non of them fully address whether OSX 10.6 Sever is a good candidate for everyday use on a top of the line computer. For the really lazy;
1 – Discusses on the importance of having a high spec computer in order for OSX Server to perform to its best.
2 – Discusses on the appropriateness of using OSX Sever in a software development environment.
Getting on to the nitty gritty, my question is more focused towards whether using the aforementioned OS is a good idea for an advanced used (not so much in network related subjects) that desires to do both Software Development, Image/Video editing, and setting up shared services such as; Calendars, Webservices (Wiki's + Websites) and email.
When I say top of the range, I refer to the recently released iMac configured to the following specs;
- Quad-Core i7 3.4Ghz (Boost to 3.8Gz)
- 8 Gb of DDR3 RAM
- 2 Gb ATI Radeon HD 6970M
- 2 TB of storage. Partitioned 1:1 between Mac and Windows
In terms of internet connectivity I run a 50Mbps fibre-optic downlink with 5mbps uplink.
The reason why I believe OSX Server will be an option to consider for me is the fact I plan to work on a startup with a colleague (with no IT Background) but we live in different countries for now, so the ability of;
- Having an easy to use wiki
- The ability to create VPN for accessing NAS files
- The option of remotely setting up business related software and beta releases on their PC
- Facility for sync and collaboration (Mail, Calendar, and Document access editing)
seem to represent an added value between the two. I obviously understand that having the server setup in a computer that will be getting switched off and on will disable the services, but appart form that is there any other advantage or disadvantage I am unaware of?
If you are familiar with any software that possesses similar functionality to what am looking for, please feel free to put your suggestions forward.
Best Answer
To answer your question, you can work perfectly under Server (given the above machine) in fact, if you disable some of the services, the OS X will be very similar to the regular version. On the other hand, you can always rely on Google docs and calendars, Remote Desktop and even OpenVPN if you really need an internal network.
I mean, configuring the above (even on OS X Server) carries a lot of overhead, backup planning and maintenance.
Focus on your "startup" and leave the unrelated tasks to others. Will having a server at your place (with all the electricity costs associated) make your start up better? earn money faster?
Anyway, that's a topic for "startups". The answer is yes, that computer is more than capable to serve as a server for all those tasks and much more.