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Tuning car engines used to be a very physical process, using hardware such as vacuum gauges to get the best out of each cylinder. With the widespread adoption of engine management computers, this has changed radically to tweaking the software that makes everything work. Now that vehicle recalls are often for software updates, mechanics increasingly find themselves using computers. Thankfully, unlike in general computing, automotive computing seems to have proved more resilient and less prone to the effects of bugs, despite some salacious urban myths.

This reliability is not due to any radically different hardware design, but is instead down to the operating systems and software. Real-time operating systems used for such embedded computers are much simpler because they don't have to support mice, large colour displays, Internet security, or play movies. Neither do they have to load and run all manner of different applications, but do the same job day in, day out. This means that they have more in common with servers, whose sole purpose is to get the job done as reliably as possible.

Developing and maturing Mac OS X Server to the point where it is truly a reliable servant has not been easy for Apple. Getting all the different services running has been the primary aim, and each major version has inevitably brought with it new frustrations. While Leopard Server still has some significant issues that will take a few more iterations to get right, and a crying need for full-bore Zfs support, it

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has now reached a major milestone that sets it apart from its competition - ease of use.

At a time when Linux is offered in more variants than coffee, and Microsoft is not content with a mere 15 different versions of Windows Server 2003 (plus Home Server) and wants to launch even more new Windows Server 2008 editions, Apple ships a single edition of Mac OS X Server at two price points according to the number of users. You therefore don't need to hire a consultant to work out what you want to purchase in the first place. In smaller businesses this is critical, as once a server is in use, demands made on it tend to increase. If you then have to keep upgrading your server's operating system, it will prove messy and expensive.

When you install Leopard Server, you do have to make some simple choices, but they are neither tricky nor irreversible. At any time, you can customise your settings without having to dig out the installation DVD or purchase upgrades. You can start off with a basic file server, no more complex than AppleShare IP Server used to be, and gradually add more services as you need them. If you want to run a test server with one IP address, then switch it to production mode with a different address, a single command suffices to make all the changes needed. Reasonably competent Mac users should be able to set up most everyday server configurations in minutes, complete with a workgroup Wiki, shared calendars, and all the other bells and whistles.

Running Linux or Windows servers is very reminiscent of my fond memories of tuning cars. We never actually got our vehicles on the road much, as they seemed to need constant attention to ensure that when they did run, they were smooth and quick. But all that tinkering was half the fun. When cold, damp mornings came in the autumn, our cars were a challenge to start, and a frequent excuse for lateness. Now modern sealed-down computer-controlled engines need servicing every couple of years, and are far more green and dependable. I am only thankful that Apple seems to have chosen that latter paradigm for Mac OS X Server.