My first thoughts of Server 2008

[KSoD]

Well after waiting to download Server 2008 x86 i figured it was time to install it while i wait for a ISO of Vista with SP1 slipstreamed into it. *So i went ahead and installed Server 2008. *At first it went great. *Install took less than a half an hour. *Which i was not expecting at all. *Even Vista does not install that fast for me.

So after i got Vista installed i get the Server Management screen up. *Not expecting it when i first logon to Server 08 as i havent used a Server OS as a main OS before. *But i get around that and start looking at the OS itself. *No bells no whistles no surprise. *So i go thru the Extra features on the Server Management screen and see Desktop Experience and Audio/Video Experience. *So i install them.

REboot and get back into Server 08. *Okay. *So i see that Aero can be used. *But it says that the Themes Service is not running. *Wha? *So i go into Services and start it up and get it running full time. *Then apply the Aero theme. *Oh yeah. *It runs Aero. Like a champ. *Does not have all teh fancy stuff when dragging a window from what i can find. *No big deal.

So i go about trying to get on the Web. *Need Video Drivers and Audio Drivers. *Open IE7 and it runs at a extremely high security level. *No site that is not in your trusted list can be seen. *So i open my Computer files up and install not only Opera but Firefox so i dont have to add every Windows site to get stuff.

So get my drivers and restart again. *Nice so far. *Boots up fast and runs real smooth. *Aero is working and sound is now operational. *Got my Video drivers so i can use my Dual Screens. *Setup just about every app i can think of that i have saved on my Computer already. *Get Zune running to listen to music and so on.

Decide it is time to check WU for anything. *Of course nothing. *Big shock. *But i see i have 3 days to activate. *Big whoop. *Click to activate it says the serial is invalid. *Wha? *then i remember that the install did not ask me for a serial. *Which i found odd. *So i click to change the serial and install my own. *It takes it and activates.

Now it jsut comes down to fine tuning of Server 08. *But so far i am thinking this is what Vista should have been. *It is great. *Fast stable and reliable. *So i just took a quick shot of the System Properties screen. *Kinda weird to see it labeled with SP1....

 

[veg1992]

so you like it more than Vista?

also send me that Halo 3 Wallpaper

 

[KSoD]

In all honest yeah i like it more than Vista. Does that mean i will use this and not Vista. No. This is only a install to check it out and run it for a few days. I will be installing Vista again within a week.

Can not find where i had found it on the web. Ohh well. Here it is...



Dual Screen Halo 3 Wallpaper...even funnier. I dont own a 360 or Halo 3.

 

[b1gapl]

Sorry for reviving a month old thread, but would you recommend Server 08, for general desktop use over XP?

 

[atomic tofu]

it's good only for people who know what they are doing...what we think is good (guessing) is a long ways off from the consumer stuff....reason why the linux stuff is lacking, because they assume way off base

it's how I was using nt and 2k when people were on the more palatable 98 and xp...they look better off the bat, but man that 2k was fast, lol

I hope MS does the dual option thing, vanilla for some and fancied up option install for others...then they'd win it all. Not have to worry about "how come you guys didn't do....." ad infinitum

suggestion on the 08 vs xp...total toss up...very personal and subjective call. i'd say go for it if you want to be a mechanic for your machine...know that most things are turned off...but there or accessible

 

[KSoD]

Actually Atomic ther isnt much that you have to know to use Server 2008 as a desktop over XP. Those misconceptions of using a Server OS as a desktop OS were erased with Server 2003 which i have personally used as a desktop OS as well. Windows 2000 was the first venture of Microsoft's when trying to use NT as a desktop OS with 2000 Pro which is far from anythign great. but in the same aspect look at Windows 3.1 and 95. Both of them were x86 and that but it wasnt until Windows 98 that the OS took shape and worked well. So the first venture of Microsoft doesnt always work out.

To answer your question b1g...Yes. I would highly recommend using Server 2008 over XP as a desktop. But granted Atomic did have some good points. Using a Server OS is different. As you see from my trials up above there are thngs you have to do to get certain aspects of the OS to work. Like Aero.

While many of these features can be turhned on finding them is much more difficult. If you do take on the task and get the OS setup the way you want and working. Then by far Server 2008 is a much better OS than XP.

Just remember that it is a Server OS and not all common apps work with it. Take for instance your Anti-Virus. No common run of the mill AV will work. You will need a Server AV. But from my tests with Server 08 that was the only applicaiton that gave me any issues. The rest of the apps i run i could install just as if they were running on Vista.

 

[gurusan]

I've been using Server 08 for a few weeks now and love it. It's quite a bit more responsive compared to Vista...and much more memory efficient.

Also the CPU hogginess of Vista is gone, my CPU score in 3dmark06 in server 08 is the same as XP....definitely not the case with vista.

Personally, I can see myself using this as my primary OS for awhile.

 

[KSoD]

That is how i feel as well. I have to do another major overhaul of my sytem this week. Both XP and Vista are not responding the way they should so that tells me time for a format and reinstall.

So i will be putting Vista SP1 and server 2008 along with my Ubuntu. This way i can compare them side by side. But i might just forget Vista and go with XP/Server 08.

 

[TheOtis]

Uhhh.... I was under the impression SP1 brought Vista a new kernel that's nearly identical to Server 2008? So if you're going to use it as a desktop/workstation OS, and turn on all the Vista features, why not just tweak Vista and turn off the services you don't want, and call it good?

 

[KSoD]

Because even if you turn off some of the Vista features you still do not get the speed and response that you do out of Server 2008. I have done just that and still Server 08 is much faster and more responsive. To me server 08 is what Vista should have been.