The Apple Xserve Early 2008 is a network server computer that was part of the Xserve series, designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple from 2008 to 2009. It was introduced on January 8, 2008, with a starting price of $2,999.
Apple unveiled the new Xserve, a 1U rack-optimized server, boasting double the speed of its predecessor and bundled with an unlimited client license for Mac OS X Server Leopard. Priced at $2,999, the updated Xserve featured up to two Quad-Core 3.0 GHz Intel Xeon processors, delivering 8-core performance, along with a revamped server architecture, faster front-side buses, enhanced memory capabilities, up to 3 TB of internal storage, and two PCI Express 2.0 expansion slots, promising improved performance and flexibility.
Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, emphasized, “With the latest Intel processors and no client access licenses, Xserve offers unbeatable server performance and value for under $3,000,” highlighting its power, storage, and compatibility with Leopard Server for supporting Mac clients and mixed-platform workgroups.
The Xserve could be configured with up to two Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5400 series processors, reaching speeds of up to 3.0 GHz with 12 MB of L2 cache per processor. It featured a high-bandwidth hardware architecture, dual-independent 1600 MHz front-side buses, and supported up to 32 GB of 800 MHz DDR2 ECC FB-DIMM memory, resulting in a significant increase in memory throughput. Additionally, two PCI Express 2.0 expansion slots provided up to four times the I/O bandwidth of the previous Xserve, accommodating the latest high-bandwidth expansion cards, including multi-channel 4Gb Fibre channel and 10Gb Ethernet cards.
The inclusion of built-in accelerated graphics allowed for driving up to a 23-inch Apple Cinema Display, while a new front-facing USB 2.0 port enhanced connectivity options. Administrators could remotely control Xserve power and manage server software using Apple’s Server Monitor, offering convenience and flexibility. The three drive bays supported various configurations, from SAS drives for high performance to SATA drives for vast storage capacities. Additionally, Apple offered a hardware RAID card option providing RAID levels 0, 1, and 5 with 256 MB of cache and up to 72 hours of cached data protection.
Energy efficiency was improved with Intel’s 45-nanometer core microarchitecture technology, reducing power consumption significantly. Xserve power supplies exceeded Energy Star recommendations, and Apple’s thermal management technology ensured efficient cooling in diverse environments.
Each Xserve was shipped with a preinstalled, unlimited client edition of Leopard Server software, boasting true 64-bit support, user-friendly management tools, and compatibility with Mac, Linux, and Windows clients. Leopard Server was fully UNIX compliant and introduced over 250 new features, including Podcast Producer, Wiki Server, and iCal Server.
The new Xserve model featured a range of specifications, including options for Two 2.8 GHz or Two 3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5400 series processors, 2 GB of RAM, 80 GB hard drive, slot-loading 8x DVD-RW/CD-RW dual-layer “SuperDrive,” dual Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire “800,” and 64 MB ATI Radeon X1300 graphics.
The Xserve Early 2008 was discontinued on April 7, 2009. As of today, the Xserve Early 2008 celebrates its 16-year anniversary since its release.
Xserve Early 2008 Details
| Introduced | January 8, 2008 – 16 years ago |
| Discontinued | April 7, 2009 – 15 years ago |
| Last Software Update | October 4, 2012 – 11 years ago |
| Time on the Market | 14 months (1 year) |
| Time of Support | 56 months (4 years) |
| Model Identifier | Xserve2,1 |
| Model Number | A1246 |
| EMC | 2186 |
| Order Number | MA882LL/A |
| Original Price | $2,999 (base configuration) |
| Colors | Aluminum |
| Weight | 31.7 – 38.3 Ibs. 14.378 – 17.372 KG |
| Dimensions | 1.73” H x 17.6” W x 30” D 4.39 cm H x 44.7 cm W x 76.2 cm D |
Rack Support
- Supports most industry-standard (EIA-310-D) four-post racks and cabinets with a rack depth of 24 inches to 36 inches deep
Xserve Tech Specs
Processor
| Processor | Quad-Core Xeon E5462 “Harpertownt” (2.8 GHz) Two Quad-Core Xeon E5462 “Harpertownt” (2x 2.8 GHz) Two Quad-Core Xeon E5472 “Harpertownt” (2x 3 GHz) |
| Processor Speed | 2.8 GHz (Quad-Core) 2x Quad 2.8 GHz (2x Quad-Core) 2x Quad 3 GHz (2x Quad-Core) |
| Architecture | 64-bit |
| Number of Cores | 4 per processor (4 or 8 cores in total) |
| System Bus | Single or Dual 1.6 GHz |
| Cache | 12 MB on-die L2 per processor (2x 6 MB) |
Storage & Media
| Storage | 80 GB 7,200 rpm |
| Media | 1 – 8x DVD-RW/CD-RW dual-layer “SuperDrive” slot-loading drive |
Memory
| Built-in Memory | 2 GB |
| Maximum Memory | 32 GB |
| Memory Slots | 8 – PC2-6400 240-pin DDR2 ECC DIMM 800 MHz |
| Interleaving Support | No |
Display
| Built-in Display | None |
Graphics
| Graphics Card | ATI Radeon X1300 |
| Graphics Memory | 64 MB GDDR3 SDRAM |
| Display Connection | 1 – Mini-DVI |
| Display Modes | N/A |
Expansion
| Expansion Slots | 1 – half-length (6.6-inch) configurable (8-lane PCI Express 2.0 or 133 MHz PCI-X) 1 – 9.25-inch 16-lane PCI Express 2.0 |
| Bays | 3 – Apple Drive Module bays |
| Hard Drive Interface | 3 – 3 Gbps Serial ATA (SATA) or Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) |
| ADM Compatibility | 73 GB 80 GB 300 GB 1 TB |
| Internal RAID | Optional Xserve RAID Card with 256 MB cache and 72-hour cache battery backup; support for RAID 0, 1, and 5 |
Connections
| Ethernet | 2 – 10/100/1000BASE-T (support for jumbo frames) |
| Modem | None |
| Wi-Fi | None |
| Bluetooth | None |
| Fibre Channel | Optional |
| USB | 3 – 480 Mbps |
| Serial | 1 – DB9 (RS-232) |
| SCSI | None |
| FireWire | 2 – 800 Mbps |
| Audio In | None |
| Audio Out | None |
| Display | 1 – Mini-DVI |
Software
| Original OS | Mac OS X Server 10.5.1 (Unlimited Clients) |
| Maximum OS | Mac OS X Server 10.7.5 |
| Firmware | Intel Extensible Firmware Interface |
| Bundled Software | None |
Power
| Backup Battery | Unknown |
| Maximum Continuous Power | Unknown |
| Line Voltage | 100V – 240V AC |
Further Reading and References
- Xserve (Early 2008): Technical Specifications – Apple Support
- Apple Introduces New Xserve—Most Powerful Apple Server Ever – Apple Newsroom
- Xserve – Wikipedia
- Xserve Xeon (Early 2008) – Low End Mac
- Xserve (Early 2008) – Apple History
- Xserve (Early 2008) Benchmarks – Geekbench
- My Xserve (Early 2008) – Relatively Ambitious
- Review: Apple Xserve (2008) server – MacWorld
