When Apple released the initial developer preview for Mac OS X Lion back in late February, some observers were surprised to hear that Apple had moved to bundle the Mac OS X Server components in with the standard release, potentially lowering the price of deploying server capabilities on the Mac by a significant margin. Apple details the inclusion on its Lion features page:

Lion Server is now part of Mac OS X Lion. It's easy to set up your Mac as a server and take advantage of the many services Lion Server has to offer.

But with the second developer preview of Lion released a month later, Apple split the server components out into a separate download, leading to questions about whether the company still intended to bundle client and server content together for the public release.

lion server help file
Now, as noted by Hardmac, a discovery in a help file for a Mac OS X Lion developer build suggests that users will be required to download a paid app from the Mac App Store in order to activate the server components of Lion.

Snow Leopard Server currently ships at a price point of $499 for an unlimited client license, but it is unclear how much Apple intends to charge for the "Server" app associated with Lion. Apple has in the past charged nominal fees for certain software downloads due to accounting requirements relating to unlocking new capabilities, so it is possible that the fee for activating Mac OS X Lion features could simply be a very minor one.

Tag: Hardmac

Top Rated Comments

jayhawk11 Avatar
163 months ago
I'm reserving judgement for Monday. Still excited to see all the functionality Lion brings to the server arena.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Abacab Avatar
163 months ago
Lion Server

Now if they bring a Mac Pro tower 2 U refresh, THW WORLD WILL BE RIGHT !
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justinfreid Avatar
163 months ago
Waiting for Judgment NOT Allowed

I'm reserving judgement for Monday. Still excited to see all the functionality Lion brings to the server arena.

These forums are intended for snap judgments only, I'm afraid. ;)

This move makes sense if only to lower the deployment size of the client version. Allowing any 10.7 install to at some point to add server functionality would be enough to satisfy the spirit of Lion Server being part of Mac OS X Lion. It'll be the pride of the jungle.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hellhammer Avatar
163 months ago
I expected this right from the beginning.

Wasn't Snow Leopard server sold for around $500?

Yes, 499$.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple card 1

Apple Ending Apple Card Partnership With Goldman Sachs

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:09 pm PST by
Apple is ending its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple plans to stop working with Goldman Sachs in the next 12 to 15 months, and it is not yet clear if Apple has established a new partnership for the Apple Card. Apple and Goldman Sachs will dissolve their entire consumer partnership, including the Apple Card and the Apple Savings account....
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.2 Beta 4

Tuesday November 28, 2023 12:18 pm PST by
Apple is wrapping up development on iOS 17.2, with the update expected to come out in December. While we're getting to the end of the beta testing period, Apple is still tweaking features and adding new functionality. We've rounded up everything new in the fourth beta of iOS 17.2. Default Notification Sound Under Sounds & Haptics, there's a new "Default Alerts" section that allows you to ...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.1.2 With Security Fixes

Thursday November 30, 2023 10:12 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2, small updates to the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating systems that Apple introduced in September. iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2 come a few weeks after the release of iOS 17.1.1, another bug fix update. iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update....
Apple 5G Modem Feature Triad

Apple to Discontinue Custom 5G Modem Development, Claim Reports

Wednesday November 29, 2023 4:19 am PST by
Apple is discontinuing in-house modem development after several unsuccessful attempts to perfect its own custom 5G modem chip, according to unconfirmed reports coming out of Asia. According to the operator of news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Naver blog, supply chain sources related to Apple's 5G modem departments claim that the company's attempts to develop its own modem have...
All New CarPlay Five New Features Article 2

What to Expect From All-New CarPlay, Still Listed as Coming 'Late 2023'

Tuesday November 28, 2023 7:44 am PST by
At WWDC in June 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, increased personalization, and more. Apple's website still says the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in "late 2023," but it has not shared...
Apple Logo

Apple Discontinued These 5 Products This Year

Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
iOS 17

iOS 17.1.2 Update for iPhone Likely to Be Released This Week

Monday November 27, 2023 8:24 am PST by
Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi...
iOS 17

28 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in December's iOS 17.2 Update

Friday December 1, 2023 2:57 am PST by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers in October. Since then we've seen three more betas, and with each iteration Apple continues to add more new features and changes, many of which users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 28 new things that are coming to your iPhone when the finalized version is publicly released this December. 1. Help...