Computers & Electronics

Will I be better off with Windows Server operating system?

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Deal Addict
Apr 7, 2008
4773 posts
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Will I be better off with Windows Server operating system?

Hello folks. I am thinking of buying Windows server operating system as my main os.

The reason for that is I don't do anything on my computer that would require anything specific like games or design programs...etc etc etc

I value stability over anything else. I always keep noticing that computers in shoppers drug mart, banks and other government agencies use server editions so it got me thinking if there is a reason for that. No, there is nothing really wrong with xp that I use now, but I just bate rare lock ups or little bugs. Is server edition somehow more reliable? I have used so far:

Xp home and pro
Vista
7 home premium and ultimate
Xp64

Out of all those versions, I liked xp the most for stability. Like I said I don't play any games or run engineering apps like AutoCad or how it's called.

I was thinking of Mac, but it's too expensive. Thanks
15 replies
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Feb 15, 2008
26318 posts
3242 upvotes
Calgary
"Server" basically has the same kernel as the corresponding equivalent "Client" version. Drivers are the same. The only difference is that the 'server' editions have some toolkits, and have different licensing systems.

The 'computers' in banks, Shoppers', etc., often use a product called "Microsoft Terminal Server", or similar, which is a server-based solution, into which, individual (thin) clients connect. The computer itself doesn't run Server.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jul 10, 2008
4945 posts
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York Region
**** Windows Server.

You want stability? Windows is not what you want.

Turn to linux.

FreeBSD, OpenBSD or Fedora 14.

Have fun.
Network Architect/Engineer - I.T. Professional
CCNP ENARSI
Sr. Member
Jul 13, 2009
932 posts
63 upvotes
If you need to ask this question, the answer is no. ;)

FWIW, XP x64 is based on the Server 2003 kernel rather than the XP kernel, but that doesn't stop it from being terrible.
Deal Fanatic
Feb 11, 2005
7430 posts
2503 upvotes
BC
Windows Server editions are not ideal for desktop use; as others have mentioned the kernels are the same, but there are some basic programs that just won't install on server editions of Windows (Microsoft Security Essentials is one that comes to mind). Windows 7 is designed to be more stable than XP, so what I would recommend if you value stability above all else would be to disable all of the UI pleasantries, then fire up services.msc and disable everything you don't need.
Sr. Member
Mar 13, 2008
578 posts
27 upvotes
try ubuntu disable all updates except for security, you will have a stable fast system that should do what you want it too.
Deal Addict
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Dec 3, 2003
2366 posts
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Edmonton
If you actually have to pay for it, Windows Server 2008 R2 is going to run you over $700 for the standard edition with 5 CALs. Personally, I'd take the advice of the people here and either stick with Windows 7 which is pretty good stability-wise; or go for the free option - as in Linux.
Deal Fanatic
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Apr 4, 2009
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North York
Lulz wrote: Hello folks. I am thinking of buying Windows server operating system as my main os.

The reason for that is I don't do anything on my computer that would require anything specific like games or design programs...etc etc etc

I value stability over anything else. I always keep noticing that computers in shoppers drug mart, banks and other government agencies use server editions so it got me thinking if there is a reason for that. No, there is nothing really wrong with xp that I use now, but I just bate rare lock ups or little bugs. Is server edition somehow more reliable? I have used so far:

Xp home and pro
Vista
7 home premium and ultimate
Xp64

Out of all those versions, I liked xp the most for stability. Like I said I don't play any games or run engineering apps like AutoCad or how it's called.

I was thinking of Mac, but it's too expensive. Thanks

Why are you even asking this question ... what is it about your computer useage that needs 24 x7 up time? The rare Windows crash ... we even get the odd Hydro outage once or twice a quarter ... does that mean we need to get gas/diesel generator for our homes?

I can understand "frustration" if Windows was crashing daily or weekly.
Sr. Member
Apr 5, 2008
691 posts
97 upvotes
Vancouver
If your Windows is crashing that much then you've probably got too much crap installed or driver compatibility issues. Windows Server isnt going to help with that. Windows Server is designed to be stable running server applications which have been designed for the server environment. If you are running normal everyday programs which crash the normal Windows OS then it's probably going to crash the server version of the OS as well.
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Apr 4, 2009
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nobb wrote: If your Windows is crashing that much then you've probably got too much crap installed or driver compatibility issues. Windows Server isnt going to help with that. Windows Server is designed to be stable running server applications which have been designed for the server environment. If you are running normal everyday programs which crash the normal Windows OS then it's probably going to crash the server version of the OS as well.

Good point ... (good IT habits/methodology lead to stable systems.)

Another reason servers tend not to crash much because they are managed by trained PROFESSIONALS whom would lose their jobs if they installed a single piece of s/w or ha/w that was not "approved" by MS or told to installed by a vendor. (A bit of an exageration ... but you get the point.)

Remember ... this sever is being used by 5 to 500 people during the day ... so you bet you'd be careful if you were responsible. As you know ... once a system becomes unstable (bad driver or s/w), the only way out is a restore or re-install ... not an easy thing to explain and it will cost them a weekend of work.

It is doubtful these organizations run the server OS on their desktops ... MS still charges ALOT for the server OS, they don't give anyone a break. Perhaps, OP saw them RDPing into a Terminal Server?
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Feb 15, 2008
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Calgary
Busybuyer888 wrote: As you know ... once a system becomes unstable (bad driver or s/w), the only way out is a restore or re-install ... not an easy thing to explain and it will cost them a weekend of work.
A pretty poor sysadmin if that is the consequence of a single piece of bad software or a bad driver. I ran the same NT 4.0 setup through my 5 years of engineering school, on 3 different hardware platforms, and never reinstalled once. Yes, I had hiccups where the system wouldn't boot, especially when hardware changes were involved, but I was able to recover without doing full restorations or a full re-install. Now have an XP setup that originated in 2002 and is still going strong (albeit, now on virtual hardware!).

Having said that, the only full-out Windows OS crashes that are seen these days usually come from badly written drivers (typically video or disk, for obvious reasons), or flakey hardware (ie: inadequate PSU's, bad RAM, etc.). My ATI-equipped Linux box needs a reboot more often because of video/Xserver issues than my Nvidia Windows7 laptop.

It is doubtful these organizations run the server OS on their desktops ... MS still charges ALOT for the server OS, they don't give anyone a break. Perhaps, OP saw them RDPing into a Terminal Server?

Even RDP'ing into a straight Windows XP Pro box shows up as "Terminal Server", strangely enough. Microsoft stripped the code from another product and never bothered updating it to say, "Windows XP Professional".
Deal Addict
Jul 29, 2002
1958 posts
84 upvotes
Mark77 wrote: A pretty poor sysadmin if that is the consequence of a single piece of bad software or a bad driver. I ran the same NT 4.0 setup through my 5 years of engineering school, on 3 different hardware platforms, and never reinstalled once. Yes, I had hiccups where the system wouldn't boot, especially when hardware changes were involved, but I was able to recover without doing full restorations or a full re-install. Now have an XP setup that originated in 2002 and is still going strong (albeit, now on virtual hardware!).
...snip...
In engineer school you have hours/days/weeks to troubleshoot because it's likely you were the only user. In real production business environment, you often do not have the same luxury, availability > *.

As for home server with high uptime (I have some myself, router, server), it's merely luck, not by design.
Deal Addict
Jan 13, 2007
4831 posts
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Besides the already stated fact that some programs don't install, some others require bigger price versions to run on a server
Deal Guru
User avatar
Feb 10, 2007
13938 posts
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dont expect free antivirus to run on server platforms ... just saying :lol:
The sweetest gyal
Deal Addict
Jun 8, 2005
3160 posts
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Toronto
I'm surprised no one mentioned 10 minute bootup / shutdown times.

If stability is such a concern, do you have an APC, hot-swappable RAID 5 configuration, maybe server hardware with redundant PSU's and everything else that would make it easier to stay up longer than with whatever platform you're using now?

Also, use Ubuntu.

Another idea is to set up a server platform with appropriate hardware (like above) and serve up your desktop as a VDI / VMI image so that even if your local machine goes down for some reason, your "real" desktop stays live and as soon as you find another PC to connect from you can continue on with your regular computer usage.

Of course you should have redundant datacentres with realtime memory replication between environments to ensure that you're covered in case one of them goes down (we all know 99.99999% uptime isn't 100%).

Should cost you about $5k / month, if you do it on a budget.
Deal Addict
May 1, 2006
3863 posts
367 upvotes
Toronto
Lulz wrote: Hello folks. I am thinking of buying Windows server operating system as my main os.

The reason for that is I don't do anything on my computer that would require anything specific like games or design programs...etc etc etc

I value stability over anything else. I always keep noticing that computers in shoppers drug mart, banks and other government agencies use server editions so it got me thinking if there is a reason for that. No, there is nothing really wrong with xp that I use now, but I just bate rare lock ups or little bugs. Is server edition somehow more reliable? I have used so far:

Xp home and pro
Vista
7 home premium and ultimate
Xp64

Out of all those versions, I liked xp the most for stability. Like I said I don't play any games or run engineering apps like AutoCad or how it's called.

I was thinking of Mac, but it's too expensive. Thanks

newsflash: macs crash too.

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