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If you are still trying to figure out whether or not Apple is a consumer-based company first and foremost, then put your questions aside because the Cupertino team has decided to completely discontinue all sales of its Xserve enterprise server offering.
Consumers will no longer be able to purchase the rack mountable processing powerhouse after January 31, 2011. The good news is that anybody who has an Xserve will continue to experience full support for the device from Apple. This means that any and all warranties and extended service programs will still be honored.
But there is still a problem for people who will wish to continue using OS X in their servers. Well, Apple has a response to that as well. To lighten the blow to those who refuse to give up their OS X, Apple has put together a “transition guide”, so to speak, which advises that users should eventually switch over to the Mac Pro or the Mac Mini.
The good thing about the Mac Pro and the Mac Mini is that both of them come with the option to have Snow Leopard Server already installed before you begin using the devices. However, not too many people are thrilled about the Mac Mini, so it is probably a safe bet to say that you will be going with the Mac Pro.
While many people will undoubtedly be upset that Apple is discontinuing service of the Xserve, the fact that the company will be continuing to grant full service to the device to all customers who own one says a lot about Steve Jobs and Apple.