Full Review of OSX Leopard Server

If you don’t belong to the cult of Mac, you might ignore the release of Apple’s new OS X Server 10.5, codenamed Leopard. That would be a shame, particularly for small and midsize enterprises, including those with mixed Apple and Windows clients, or even all-Microsoft shops.

Stop snickering. Apple produces a pretty decent server operating system and server hardware. We chased Leopard around our Real-World lab and came away pleased on most fronts. This new server OS is ready for work. The e-mail platform connects to Active Directory and bundles AV and anti-spam software without pesky client access licenses. A spiffed-up calendar application can serve as a group scheduler. VPN services can host 500 users per Intel Xserve. In a first for Apple, IP failover provides high availability, and TimeMachine enables easily deployed server-based client backup. Leopard Server can even mimic an NT domain controller.

Everyone knows Mac is great for creating multimedia. Leopard maintains that reputation, and also makes it easier to distribute content online, including audio, video and photos.

OSX Wiki Server

Mac OS X Server makes it easy for groups to collaborate and communicate through their own wiki-powered intranet website complete with group calendar, blog, and mailing list. Users can create and edit wiki pages, tag and cross-reference material, upload files and images, add comments, and search content with point-and-click ease.

Communication is key.

Whether it’s a small business or a workgroup inside a large corporation, all members need access to the same materials in order to work effectively. Wikis assist users in the clear exchange of information, eliminating confusion and ensuring that all members of a project have access to the resources they need.

The wiki blog is the perfect place for sharing team news and status reports or encouraging brainstorming. For shorter comments, there’s a space at the bottom of the wiki page where users can share their thoughts or provide feedback. You have the ability to control who can add comments — nobody, only authenticated users, or anyone who has access to the wiki. Teams can also use the wiki for file exchange — uploading shared documents, images, or movies for distribution; even tracking revisions on documents. And shared calendars help users stay on track by ensuring that everyone can see meeting schedules and milestones.

Customized web workspace.

Wikis allow you to create custom, project-specific websites. Select from 20 built-in themes with different colors, fonts, and layout styles. You can customize these templates with your own banner image and a custom sidebar title that displays pages with a user-defined tag at initial login. Once set up, it’s easy to add, delete, and edit content in whatever way makes sense. No syntax or markup knowledge is required — what you see on the page is exactly what you get.

Wiki Server showcase

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You can insert hyperlinks, link between pages, add images, attach files, and change formatting — all with a few clicks. Because wikis feature RSS support, team members can easily track changes and be notified when new content is added, edited, or tagged.

You can subscribe to RSS feeds for the entire wiki site, any individual page, or any tag or search results. And you’ll never have to worry about making mistakes. Since the wiki maintains a complete history, you can always revert to a previous version of your document.

Once you create a wiki website and give access to members of the workgroup, everyone has the same capability to contribute to the site. And it’s not limited to text and images — users can access a group calendar to track meetings and deadlines or send messages to a mailing list to keep others informed. The blog feature is perfect for brainstorming or commenting on work. And there’s an option for subscribing to a podcast — so anyone who missed that important conference call can catch up on the news.