Apple [ECM 1971] Xserve G4 Cluster Node – Dual 1.33ghz Processor – [Ultra Rare]
Specifications
| All Returns Accepted | ReturnsNotAccepted |
| Brand | Apple |
| Form Factor | 1U Rack Mountable |
| Type | Server |
| Number Of Processors | Dual 1.33ghz |
| MPN | M9090LL/A |
| Country/Region Of Manufacture | United States |
| Product Line | Xserve |
Welcome to our auction! ^_^ If you are looking for an ultra rare piece of Apple Computer's history, you've come to the right place! This is the Xserve G4 Cluster Node! Here a few specs: - Dual 1.33Ghz Processors - 1.75Gb PC2700 Crucial RAM- (2x) PCI Slots & (1x) AGP Slot - 750Gb Seagate Barracuda SE IDE HDD - Fresh installation of Mac OS 10.4 Server The early-2000s were a different time for digital domains. Computers could do more and were more affordable than ever before. What was once only exclusive to huge media companies, tech firms, universities, militaries, and elites came within reach for people on Main Street. Today, it may be hard to believe Apple Computer was fighting for the little guy, but, as far as their servers go, the business actually did. How did they do this? For decades, large scale computing was incredibly expensive. Infrastructure and personnel required to run such an operation was laughably beyond anything an individual or small cadre could contend with. At the cusp of the new millennium hardware remained at a unique intersection, allowing less affluent parties a chance to participate. Yet, there was a problem. Even if the cost of materials was lower, the part that actually managed the computer (software) was not financially viable to most. Why? Companies like Microsoft and others charged hefty fees for their compatible virtual environments. Licenses for the operating system itself had to be purchased individually per machine as did the rights for individual user access to it. Costs were logarithmic at a certain point, but surmounting that plateau needed massive capital input. Apple kept things copacetic for those interested in taking the plunge of owning a server at any scale. Xserve's software (Mac OS 10 Server) was included with the machine and allowed an unlimited user license, saving clients thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in the process. It was Apple's first real attempt at entering the enterprise server market. Per Steve Jobs, "...we are approaching this very humbly..." Until Apple's Xserve appeared, only Sun Microsystems offered a server and software solution from the same provider. The difference between Sun and Apple was stark. Sun's digital ecosystems were difficult to manage and carried a big ticket compared to Apple's very consumer friendly posture. So what is the story with the Xserve G4 Cluster Node? This device was intended to boost and support your network throughput capabilities. Compared to the Xserve G4, the G4 Cluster Node came standard with Dual 1.33ghz G4 processors to maximize compute power and was $700 cheaper. What did it sacrifice? To reduce costs, Apple deleted (3x) drive bays, a SuperDrive, and a 32mb GPU (primarily for interfacing with the GUI directly from the hardware). This was the era when Apple charged several hundred dollars for their "super" DVD/CD burner. Shaving off money on tech that could be plumbed through an external device via USB or Firewire port anyway made smart sense. While Cluster Node was intended to be used as a compute device first, it does have secrets. G4 Cluster Node's vanilla brother had a controller limited to 480Gb spread across its (4x) drives. Cluster Node could handle up to a 1Tb drive in a single bay over its sibling. Unlike later versions of Xserve, be it G5 or Intel based variants, G4 Cluster Node actually has (3x) parallel expansion slots: (2x) PCI and (1x) AGP. Aspects compatible with Powermac G4 desktops can be installed into this machine and work! Try running it like a desktop and game. Use it as a server. Whatever you want to try is possible. The choice is yours. ^_^ Be aware Xserves are a professional level machine. Do you enjoy working on vintage hardware and do not mind a few dings or scratches on your tech? Do you think you are pretty slick because you upgraded your Mac Pro 5,1 with new processors and run an unsupported OS with Open Core? Xserve is a whole new ballgame! If you are prepared to wield an impressively hard to obtain piece of Apple's history only sold for ~6 months, we are ready to provide it! Paypal is the only method of payment accepted. Items are shipped within 1 to 2 days after payment. You will be promptly notified of every step of the shipping process. We are known for excellent packaging practices, so rest assured your item(s) will arrive as advertised. Contact us with any questions you have about this specific auction or hardware in general. We are happy to answer anything you would like to know. Also, should you have any concerns, reach out to us first.