To answer your question -

Basically OS X will do any networking protocol (TCP/IP and Open VMS included) that is used today. In fact I think that macs do wireless 8021.B (or whatever) better than PCs do. OS X does most of the Networking itself, so basically you just plug and play!

As for the Unix half of OS X....I know its a Darwin BSD kernel, but I don't know much about Unix. I am told its a powerful Kernel, and its easy to work with, but I can't testify to that.

Hope that helps....

PS Mac Addict and Mac World (mac mags...) both do comparisions often between the newest boxes....would that help?