Apple introduces XSAN (storage area network)

[Eug]

XSAN

Expand your network horizons with Xsan, an enterprise-class storage networking solution that?s surprisingly affordable. Xsan lets multiple computers concurrently access terabytes of storage on Xserve RAID over high-speed Fibre Channel. Now under development, Apple will ship Xsan later this fall for $999.

Today organizations struggle to balance reduced IT budgets, ever-expanding demands on storage infrastructure and new regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley that put even more stringent requirements on maintaining corporate data. Something has to give. Enter Apple, with an enterprise-class SAN solution at a fraction of the price of others.

Support for Windows, Linux, Solaris, and IRIX clients using ADIC?s StorNext file system (version 2.4)
Support for Xsan file system clients in ADIC SAN environments
Support for popular Fibre Channel infrastructure

 

[ViRGE]

It's interesting to see how Apple is doing things. They're putting out high-quality hardware and software in all the small markets Microsoft neglects, and growing themselves as a result. If I didn't know better, it would seem like they're laying all the groundwork for a full frontal assult on Windows later on.

 

[Eug]

Yeah, this looks like very interesting technology. I'd say this was not necessarily a preamble for an attack on Microsoft in the future, so much as an attack on part of SGI's market right now. SGI is stagnating, and it's a chance for Apple to pick up the slack. Mind you, in terms of SANs, supposedly SGI has a very good name, and they do support Mac OS X. Still for those getting new equipment the Apple options may provide a good cheaper alternative.

Apple also has released a bunch of new software updates, including the brand new Motion, which seems like a direct attack on Adobe's After Effects. Apple really seems to want to lock up the video editing sector, and XSAN fits perfectly with this.

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Also Apple has just released new iBooks and PowerBooks