G5 Xserve - Good Audio Potential? Options

[Tree Leopard]

G5 Xserve was recently released ...
http://www.apple.com/xserve/

1U, 19in rack mount unit, with multi-platform compatibility (mac / win / unix) with a lot of power. Bascially, a very attractive proposition, especially for hi-rez recording and DVD post.

From reports the unit is selling very well. (Sure, its price and features are aimed at medium to large enterprise.)
http://www.macworld.com/news/2005/01/04/xs...serve/index.php

For the realists: if you had one of these in yor studio, how would you - given your particular config. and work processes - make use of it? I'm very curious about how people would take advatange of its features.
http://www.apple.com/xserve/specs.html

For the dreamers: ...do you visualize something that is a like half-step between the Mac Mini and Xserve, an upgradable 1U media server / external processor hub that keeps older model G4s in action (i.e. rather than buying a whole new computer to get the power) and is mobile and robust enough for "out of house" production projects...?

What are your thoughts?

[Tree Leopard]

OK.... thus far, some of the ideas we have are...

1) The Xserve - as it is - sounds like it would be great for a " Meet Your Local Italian Futurist" night. Off to the machine room with you, sir...

Sure, we can all see its potential for data back-up / sound library database use within a network. But it seems as if its just a more chic version of a number of similar products (e.g. SGI servers for HD TV editing)

2) "Distributed Audio Processing" (as featured in Logic 7) has turned out to be a real Problem Child. So much promise but still refusing to co-operate with the authorities...

3) The "Node" - the concept as defined by Lepetitmartien - is still a good one! Its a peep over the horizon. Its "The less-not-more solution that gives you even more than ever before. Not less."

4) Swindler is right - existing networking protocol is not for us. Again, any views / opinions on Jumbo Frames [ see link above ]. Has anyone actually tested this out? Or are we ultimately faced with same packet transfer conflicts...?

Speaking of ethernet, some of you guys would have seen this in recent trade news. Its really one of a number of new CAT5-based wiring options for audio but its a step closer...
http://www.ethersound.com/technology/overview.php

5) Um... fibre optics? Using a protocol based on MADI i/o... ? Any hope there?