I hope this is not a sign of things to come for the Xserve as I am looking to purchase 2 units in the next few months.

I really cannot believe this product is just gone, after 5 years. It was really a reasonably priced system (especially compared to the Promise unit) and very reliable-we use it. As an administrator it makes you a little nervous that such 'enterprise class' equipment was just dumped with no reason, warning, or roadmap. It makes you wonder whether you *should* buy Apple equipment for networking again. At least it does for me...

Just a small niche product that other companies are far better equipped to deliver. That Xsan 2 can now interface with third-party SANs opens up Apple hardware as a posibility to more businesses. No need for Apple to waste their resources in that market.

The Xserve RAID is still mentioned in the "Learn More" of the Xserve's Expansion Slot 2 under Dual/Quad Channel Fibre-Channel cards. Guess Apple missed a spot. It's a shame, really, because an Xserve with a couple Xserve RAIDs below it is one of the most beautiful things.

Yeah, the Xserve RAID is a "pretty" piece of computer engineering, but I think it's smart Apple is honest with their offerings and is making their software work with more cost-effective, yet reliable, solutions.

There's really no need to worry about the Xserve. It's needed for running OS X in a server-based environment. Xserve RAID was merely storage and was already dependent on OS X server.

The Xserve, running OS X, will continue to grow and be enhanced. It's a major strategy for Apple and is not nearly as expendable as the RAID system.

You all are missing the point of mgpalma. It's not whether it's expendable or not. It's the way Apple just treats it's customers. No announcement. No roadmap. No information (AKA "standard Apple protocol"). Why in the world would the enterprise even listen to Apple when they have no respect for the enterprise customer.

It was a very good product, we had purchased 11 this summer. It's amazing that it just disappeared.

Obviously some comments here from people who haven't used one. mgpalma is right, a little troublesome. If Apple is trying to make it in IT then they have to handle these situation a little better.

I don't think anybody can be surprised at the ease with which Apple simply cuts it's own customers loose. Ditching floppies, OS9 to OSX, lack of SCSI support, PPC to Intel, PCI-X to PCI-E. Firewire gone from the MBA. The only roadmap that matters to Apple is their own, it's their way or the highway! Often they are actually right long-term, it's just that their technological shifts are frequently rather abrupt and premature. Staying Apple always runs the risk of getting burned on something... having to buy new peripherals or software if you upgrade their hardware or software. It's a helluva ride!

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukInstitution?type=educukINST&qprm=69972

http://store.apple.com/AppleStore/WebObjects/BizCustom.woa/9044007/wa/PSLID?nnmm=browse&mco=E45FE0D5&node=home/shop_mac/family/xserve&wosid=KC7yO1JeZq8W3NpyFYaLfAxJXrO