MAMP stands for Macintosh, Apache, MySQL and PHP because in just a few clicks, you can install Apache, PHP and MySQL in OS X with it.
MAMP installs a local server environment on your Mac and it completely free to use. Don't worry if you've got any existing Apache servers setup - MAMP will not compromise them. No scripting knowledge is required and there's refreshingly little configuration needed either. To remove a MAMP installation, all you need to do is delete the MAMP folder and your OS X settings will remain untouched.
The developers warn however that MAMP was created primarily as a PHP development environment and so should not be used as a Live Webserver and for those users they recommend using an OS X server with the provided Apache or a Linux server. Once setup, controlling your server is possible via a simple widget which floats on your desktop.
Although experienced database managers and web developers won't need MAMP to setup a sever, it will make your life a lot easier. It is however ideal for those that are new to database management and want to setup a server for their WordPress blog for example. Note that this download includes both MAMP and MAMP Pro.
MAMP is a refreshingly easy way to setup Apache, PHP and MySQL databases and servers on your Mac.
