When Apple last refreshed the Mac Mini line, it introduced a new version with Mac OS X Server preloaded that also dropped its optical drive in lieu of dual hard drives. This new configuration is quite popular according to a recent post on AppleInsider. Â That leads me to wonder and speculate about what could be next? I’ve speculated about a home server before…
Mac OS X Server has been incrementally growing in features and capabilities with each major release.  Its market penetration and target has largely been towards Mac heavy businesses.  It has packaged several new products in the last two releases to help Mac organizations reduce their dependence on Microsoft solutions – new products like iCal and Address Book server as well as a mail server, all of which are based heavily on standards which is great for interoperability across all client platforms.
But, with the introduction of the Mac Mini server, Apple has tilted the OS X Server offering more towards small businesses (who might not purchase a Mac Pro or X-Serve to run OS X Server). Â It also could be used for some home users — could this be the first, quiet step towards the home server for Apple? Â I don’t have to answer and this is purely speculation, but let me continue.
