Kohola (Humpback Whale) - An ObjectFarm Machine

30. October 2002, Tomi Engel

When the mood is right these elegant heavy weights stop their peaceful whistling and relaxed cruising. That is when the incredible power really becomes visible ... with a true blue splash.

Kohola puzzle, Xserve and Humpback tail

Apple Xserve

For a long time Apple was well known for its fascinating desktop computers and its suspicious server solutions, which often ran bizarre operating systems (AIX, A/UX). With Mac OS X Server the time was right for a true 1U-19-inch rackmountable Apple power server.

Name	Apple Xserve
Category	Server computer
Size	44 x 71 x 4.4 cm
Weight	11.8 - 14.1 kg
Configuration	Mac OS X Server 10.2. 2 x PowerPC G4 1 GHz, 256K L2-Cache 512 MB RAM, 60 GB Harddisk, 1000BASE-T Networking headless (VGA port). 125 W (running)
Installed base	? ... selling since 2002
Location	Our 19-inch rack space
Photo	Apple Computer Inc.

With the Xserve Apple did finally bring its design knowledge to Puzzle pieces the server market. They managend to pack lots of processing power, 4 disk bays (up to 480 GB), a CD-ROM and redundant networking into a very stylish case.

The initial target audience have been customers with WebObjects deployment and BioTech companies that could take advantage of the AltiVec optimized version of the Blast software.

Megaptera novaeangliae

To the native people of Hawai'i the Kohola is one of the most magnificent creations. The government has selected them as the official Hawai'ian state mammal, but a true Pu’uhonua (sanctuary) has not been established yet.

Name	Kohola, Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Family	Rorquals (Balaenopteridae)
Size	1100 - 1900 cm (body length)
Weight	45000 kg
Habits	Feeds during summer on various schooling fish and invertebrates. Likes to sing and to"jump" - which results in an impressive splash. Main reason for its popularity among whale watchers.
Population	6000 - 9000 animals (2000)
Habitat	Polar to tropical waters with seasonal migration. Several (approx. 10) isolated populations
Photo	C. H. Sekercioglu

Todays Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (approved 1997) does offer basic protection to one of the largest humpback whale populations, but it still is no guarantee for an undisturbed whale life. Especially the fascination of "whale watching" is bringing lots of noise and stress into the breeding grounds of the Kohola.

Those eager to learn more about this mammal should visit the Animal Diversity Web for interesting facts or search for one of the countless web sites focusing on whales.