Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs last week unveiled the PowerPC G5 version of Apples Xserve rack-mounted server. The new Xserve comes in a 1U (1.75-inch) form factor and features single and dual 2GHz G5 processors, ECC memory, an optical drive, up to 750GB of storage, and an unlimited client license for Mac OS X.
A single-processor unit costs $2,999; a dual-processor model costs $3,999. All the models will ship next month.
Apple also updated the Xserve RAID system to support 3.5 terabytes of online storage. The enhanced storage systems will range in price from $6,000 to $11,000, Jobs said. In addition, Apple made its new grid computing environment, XGrid Preview Edition, available for download.
Finally, Microsoft launched an update of its Office suite for Mac OS and an update to its Virtual PC emulation software. Office 2004 for Mac and Virtual PC for Mac Version 7 will ship early this year.