Using server 2003 as a workstation?

[NEFKNTYM]

cool man...come on everyone. I'm running around with 2003 server enterprise edition on my laptop and i like it, oh wait this just in, our resident netadmin now has 2003 server enterprise edition on his laptop too. somebody say something, somebody stop us. i'm a sysad and "i should know better" somebody stop me. I'm a bad, bad man. Where's all the 2003 flamers? If this goes unchecked more people may try and like it!!! :devil:

[canadian397]

Hello everyone, my name is Aaron. I am a Systems Administrator and I use 2003 SERVER ENTERPRISE EDITION on my laptop.

specs are:

3.2 ghz P4 processor...none of that mobility crap

1gig of DDR 400

15'' uxga screen

Radeon 9600 pro 128 mb DDR

hitachi 60gb 7200 rpm hard drive

toshiba dvd burner

1394b

4 usb 2.0

s-video out

200gb external maxtor harddrive 7200 rpms...using firewire only

using my camera as well

using all my server tools...dhcp manager, user manager, server manger on my portable server. no problems with drivers. i did have to make a combne camera drivers from the cab files (used winrar to open them up) for 2000 server and xp pro sp1 to get the camera software to work on my 2003 server laptop. I rock.

The machine performs great, it loads IE and other apps faster. it shuts down and logs off faster. i wont ever go back to xp pro thats why i did the work on the camera drivers.

You will have to so some editing in MMC and the registry to get everything to work especially if you have domain admin priviledges tied to your user name and you still want to have full admin rights.

http://studio1027.com/download/100_0317.JPG

http://studio1027.com/download/100_0316.JPG

SWEET LAPTOP! :pc:

[ExtremeXDude]

if you want to make your computer into a Server/Workstation in 1, then think about making all those cofigurations and all.. =D

-xDude

[sandman45654]

Man, sure is quite round these parts. I hope it wasn't something I said :cry: lol. I doubt this topic will ever die completely but I hope I've stangled some life out of it. I can't believe this topic has been around for 27 pages. With that many post/views you would think this would have been made sticky by now.

Cpu Killer, you started this mess :D so tell us, have you tryed WinS2k3? If so what's your opinion on the OS?

[offroadaaron]

im amazed all the flamers have gone prolly because they are using server as their workstations now aswell

[SkywalkerPD]

Here you can find a guide on how to turn 2003 server into a workstation.

<a href='http://www.<< spam >>/win2k3/' target='_blank'>MSFN</a>

right......can't put the link here?? It is classified as spam??? :( :unsure: :wacko:

[Floyder]

yap, it is .

[cpu killer]

OMG, its back :p.

[Darkscreenz]

Boy I bet it'll tick some folks off that I'm bumpin this up lol. However salty some may be, I have a good reason for posting. Simply put, not only is server 2k3 capable of handling more CPUs and RAM, it is not so shockingly better at managing them. Yes, I understand that it comes base configured a server OS...blah blah blah with the flames from those that either did not have the tool at their side or were a bit to lazy to switch off and turn on a few services. Where this OS comes in handy is supporting four or more CPUs and more than enough DDR 400 to make any PC enthusiast drool. I work primarily in rendering, 3D modeling and visual effects. So after researching PC makers like 3D BOXX etc. I decided to see how they took a Tyan MB with four dual core Opterons and 32 gigs of ram and posted screen shots of windows displaying 8 CPU usage meter levels while a Mental Ray render was in progress. What do ya know...not only did server 2003 enterprise handle the feat that they showed, it did so with little effort. I am all about render farms, but it helps save countless hours wasted smoking ciggs and drinking coffee when you have a workstation that can act like 4 render nodes on steroids right at your finger tips. XP has its pros...Vista with have it's pros as well. But when it comes to focusing server like power into creating affordable visual effects and animation machines it takes a SERVER OS to do so. Yup, it can be a pain to convert it to a workstation and sometimes your hardware config can make it seem like a demonic OS to utilize and configure. BUT, if you have four or more CPUs power you need to control and large amounts of ram to manage this will do the trick. Lol, honestly if you have never been blessed with networking four or more PCs as a make shift render farm wondering if life could be easier...I don't hold it against you for hating on us folks that are merely using the tools that allow us to work easier. Some of us use strange versions of an OS simply because we can, as well as because it ticks people off when we talk about it.

[StevenNT]

im amazed all the flamers have gone prolly because they are using server as their workstations now aswell

or they have given up? and no that does not mean i use it as a workstation.

[bobbba]

Jeez, which troll brought this topic back to life?

[Darkscreenz]

Jeez, which troll brought this topic back to life?

One that is into PCs that run 4 dual core Opterons for rendering applications etc. I noticed something I thought I would point out...Windows Support is what actually leads folks to this thread, so rather than bash (not being aimed at you bobbba) perhaps we should "support" the topic. There are a vast number of applications that require more CPU and RAM support than XP can. At home rendering and animation super computers ARE pretty much servers for the most part, so this OS is finding a new home in many home based studios around the world. Now for the average joe running a walmart special HP that just wants to "see if if he can do this", I see no other reason to tinker with it other than a much more stable and memorey friendly OS. Other than that, I just wanted anyone that was interested in the topic to understand that Windows 2k3 can work as a wonderful rendering foundation...far less tedious in the long run than any other OS will be at this point.

[bobbba]

One that is into PCs that run 4 dual core Opterons for rendering applications etc. I noticed something I thought I would point out...Windows Support is what actually leads folks to this thread, so rather than bash (not being aimed at you bobbba) perhaps we should "support" the topic. There are a vast number of applications that require more CPU and RAM support than XP can. At home rendering and animation super computers ARE pretty much servers for the most part, so this OS is finding a new home in many home based studios around the world. Now for the average joe running a walmart special HP that just wants to "see if if he can do this", I see no other reason to tinker with it other than a much more stable and memorey friendly OS. Other than that, I just wanted anyone that was interested in the topic to understand that Windows 2k3 can work as a wonderful rendering foundation...far less tedious in the long run than any other OS will be at this point.

I agree with you 100% on using 2003 to overcome the hardware limitations of XP. I think few if any would disagree with you on this specific use. It's the hype and myths stating that it is faster and more reliable than XP that I and others are less than happy about.

I actually think that you should have posted it as a new topic stating this specific use if you want to inform people rather than dragging a december 2003 topic full of rants from both sides back to life but that's just my opinion. :)

Hopefully a Neowin admin might start the whole subject as a separate forum at some point and this one can get back to supporting the serious use of 2003.

[Victor V.]

okay... lets say this one last time...

<span style='filter:glow(color=red, strength=2);height=1px'>IT'S A SERVER OS!!!</span>

It doesn't manage memory any differently, tho it does handle drivers and multimedia differently. It was meant to be installed on a box that does NOT have games, apps, etc running on it ever beyond those involved in a client/server environment. there is a reason it's called 2003 -*SERVER*-

I'm using it for home. Will I have to shoot myself?

[Darkscreenz]

I agree bobbba, it would have been much more wise to start this as fresh topic. I had my doubts on the comments that would follow, but from what I can see I will be putting some thought into starting this off fresh. As far as XP and 2k3 being compared for any intensive purpose with CPU or RAM management, unless you are running a dual core or higher and are right at the 4 gig XP limit of RAM management there is little or nothing at all that 2k3 will do for you...well, other than kill some time trying to config the OS lol. Thanks for the support on the issue bobbba, and I will be putting some time and thought into starting a new thread to help support this form of 2k3 use.