Not surprisingly, this is ground already trod by the MacBook Air, and the Mac mini server uses that to full effect. Then there’s the matter of loading software on the Mac that doesn’t offer an optical drive. The Mac mini server also supports the Mini DisplayPort connection, just as all current Mac mini models do, but if you want to connect it via that port you’re on your own. First is its included accessory: a mini-DVI-to-DVI adapter. When you think servers, accessories aren’t the first product category to come to mind, but there are a few to talk about when it comes to the Mac mini server. Yes, there’s probably enough room inside that Mac mini to squeeze a single full-sized 1TB drive, but that would have required some major re-engineering of the Mini’s guts instead, Apple just slid a second laptop drive into the spot where the optical drive would have gone. The Mac mini server offers a storage configuration that’s unique among Mac models: two laptop hard drives inside a single enclosure. Unless you’re going to take advantage of Snow Leopard Server’s Web- and file-serving functionality, it’s overkill. But so will the $599 Mac mini running plain old Snow Leopard.

Yes, the Mac mini server will run iTunes, and you can plug it into your HDTV, and you can run Boxee on it. In the aftermath of Apple’s announcement, I saw a lot of comments that the Mac mini server would make a perfect media server. It’s also important to note what Snow Leopard Server isn’t: a home-media server. Our review for that), let’s just say that it’s got an impressive array of features, including an iCal server, address book server for workgroups, file sharing (including a Time Machine server), a podcast-production automation system, a complete Web server including built-in wiki and blog software, and a whole lot more. Without getting into the details of Snow Leopard Server (see The inclusion of Mac OS X Server 10.6 makes the Mac mini server a fantastic deal for anyone who’s planning to deploy a Mac running Mac OS X Server unless you’re in the market for Xserves, the Mac mini server is just too good a deal to pass up.

Snow Leopard Server ( ), which Apple sells separately for $499. The other big difference is the operating system that the Mac mini server runs: it’s

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