10GB Ethernet for Mac - Intels New Networking Chip

Did you know that 10GB Ethernet for Mac has been around for a while? Currently there are only two vendors I know of offering 10GB Ethernet Network Cards for Mac, Small Tree Communications and Myrinet.

By the way, Small Tree carries both of these technologies, which you can get here -
http://www.small-tree.com/category_s/4.htm

Whether you buy from Small Tree or not, Myrinet provides their own driver for Mac today for their cards. Intel on the other hand does not provide a 10GB Driver for Mac, and that's where Small Tree takes the time to enable their 10GB cards with a native Mac OS X driver to allow you to take advantage of the performance benefits!

Until recently Intel did not make a PCI Express 10GB Card, only PCIX. We are anticipating CAT6 to carry 10GB sometime in Q1 or Q2 of 2008 which may have been Intel's deciding factor in not really offering a 10GB CX4 PCI Express card. I'm anxious to see what they are coming up with!

So .. as you can see Intel has released the new 10GB fiber optic cards in PCI Express and Small Tree is top of the performance chain with a Mac driver to support them! Keep in mind that you do need to buy Small Tree cards in order to use our driver. You will not be able to buy an Intel card off the shelf and use the Small Tree driver. It has to come from Small Tree directly.

We are doing pre-orders now, I hear the shipping date is sometime around the 19th of November. Don't hold me too it!

My last thoughts are this....

I encourage every IT organization to take advantage of Apple and Mac OS X, and then go one further, and make the jump to 10GB! Apple is making some serious moves into the Enterprise areas of IT and Small Tree is right behind them producing the network cards that offer the performance enhancements you will require for the serious connectivity your going to need!

If you are planning for it on 10GB over CAT6 cable, that's Okay - It's anticipated to be here sometime in early 08 - it could be cheaper too I hear! Compared to some things, Small Tree's 10GB Network Cards are affordable now - even more so, since we do all of our own support and driver engineering work here, so that's extra value to you or your customer for the $$'s you pay!!

I'd like to hear your thoughts about this blog post. Please email me here at the Sales Corner

salesblog@small-tree.com