Quote:
Presuming they're more expensive than your average server (it is Apple after all) can someone suggest what advantages set them apart? Why would someone choose an Apple server over less expensive hardware and an open-source OS?


Actually, Apple servers tend to be cheeper then the same equipment from HP, Dell, and the other main vendors for the same type of server. Same goes for the Mac Pro line, and most of the other Apple products. The one area where Apple doesn't compete is the sub $600 market on desktops, hence the belief that Apple products cost more. When I bought my MacBook Pro when it was introduced, it was on par with the prices from other vendors for the new Core Duo based systems.

The servers with OS X is way cheeper then Windows by far. As far as vs something like Linux, I suppose people would pick it for the out of box ease of setup. OS X Server comes with some nice management tools, allowing people to set up services without having to know their way around the unix underpinnings and package management. This page links to several videos showing off the upcoming 10.5 server, and it shows a lot of the ease of use, and power built into the server os.