Where to buy a Mini Mac Server

[speckytecky]

I have been following the How best to integrate Macs to an AD Domain thread with interest. It sounds like from the flavour there that the best way to gain stability is by using a Mini Mac server and establishing a Magic Triangle.

Any suggestions please on a good supplier of a Mini Mac Server?

[FN-GM]

You can them direct from apple. I have found most of the usual suppliers will be able to get them, for example Kelway, CPLTD etc

[Arthur]

IME, Apple authorized resellers and other suppliers almost always offer better educational prices than Apple themselves. Try KRCS, Western, Toucan, BT Business Direct, Insight.

If you want 8GB or 16GB RAM in your server, you can save a huge amount of money by purchasing it from a third-party such as Crucial or Scan and fitting it yourself (it's very easy and only takes a couple of minutes), or get the supplier you are buying your Mac mini Server from to install it prior to shipping it to you. I know KRCS do this.

[IrritableTech]

We used KRCS for most of our macs. They delivered the stock from our local store. Would recommend.

[Millgate]

Hi there @speckytecky,

We are a supplier of Apple kit so we could get this for you. Just drop me an email or PM

[CPLTD]

Have PM'd speckytecky


Chris

[GrumbleDook]

I would agree with Arthur about going to an ASE ... no disrespect to the sponsors who do fantastic deals on so many things ... but I would still recommend that using an ASE gives you access to a wealth of knowledge and advice on both the technical and educational use of Macs ... and that relationship is a gift from $deity ... even if a number of them are regulars on here too, giving a lot of help (see you all at BETT).

[speckytecky]

One of our more Apple savvy staff thinks he can achieve the same result by adding the Mac server software to an existing OS 10.6 iMac. Is he right?

[GrumbleDook]

You can buy the Server OS separate to the Mac Mini Server ... and run it on any suitable Mac. I am not sure how easy it will be to get 10.6 server now ... but to get Lion Server you just install Lion and then pay for the server tools via the App store. There are some differences between 10.6 and 10.7 server ... so check what you are after.

[3s-gtech]

I wouldn't plop OSX Server straight onto an iMac, simply because with the single disc there's no RAID. A Mac Mini server has two HDDs, and you can do an in-place software RAID setup. Not sure if there's a second bay on the iMac.