Out of the box, Mac OS X Server is hands down the easiest Unix-based server we've ever installed. Apple has done a great job of turning obscure shell commands into simple mouse clicks via a GUI application. AppleShare IP shops, however, may have trouble with ongoing administration tasks. Security and functionality are not all GUI-oriented, and the shell is needed at times.

We recommend Mac OS X Server for two groups of users. Obviously, AppleShare sites should be seriously considering a migration to Apple's modern server OS--eventually, there will be no other choice. Second, Web publishing is a natural fit for Apple's fast Apache Web server, WebObjects technology and QuickTime Streaming Server.