Submitted by InfoWorld’s Randall Kennedy has been using a converted Windows Server 2008 as his primary OS since hitting a wall using Vista as a Visual Studio development platform four weeks ago. According to Kennedy, the guerrilla ‘Workstation’ 2008 OS has turned his Dell notebook into a well-oiled machine that never gets sluggish and rarely needs to reboot. Those interested in making the switch should check out win2008workstation.com, a clearinghouse for ‘Workstation’ 2008 tips and techniques. Kennedy also offers a link to a Windows 2008 Workstation Converter utility for quick conversion.
So the rest of us just need to buy a copy of W2K8, and we’re good to go?
I’ll get right on that.
When I was in university I got several licenses each for 2000, XP and 2003 for free via MSDNAA. I guess that isn’t that unusual.
Yeah, MS tends to give their software away to large swaths of developers and students, especially when it first comes out (launch day events will always bag you copies of everything they’re launching). Though you usually have some licensing restrictions on it, as far as running corporate servers off of the copies.
If you just want to try it out though, any copy installed without a key entered will be deemed a trial and will run for 240 days/8 months (you need to run a shell command to extend your trial every 2 months, but you can do it 3 times plus the initial 2 months trial). So if you want to try it, borrow a copy from someone and install it without the key. I’m not sure if you can just reinstall the trial from scratch and start over again after the 8 months.
Or … I could just continue using Vista, which, after SP1 has worked flawlessly for me.
It all boils down in selling the same code in a bunch of similar but different, different yet similar packages.
Market segmentation annoys me and really wastes the time of those in the trenches. That’s one of the great freedoms of Solaris or Ubuntu — one edition fits all.
How many times has the average admin found that he doesn’t have the right edition to enable some paltry feature he needs? (For instance, in SQL Server: data driven reporting subscriptions, database snapshots, etc etc). Probably about as many times as a hardware-locked activation key has trashed an otherwise sound DR plan…
Thanks Bill
It reminds of chatting to a Windows developer one time (I was ignorant of Windows back then, less so now (but still ignorant to on certain matters)) and I could never work out why he was running Windows server when he could run the workstation edition.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, he explained all the limitations of Windows ‘Workstation’ to Windows ‘Server’ – alot of them really stupid, especially when one wishes to test applications.
This artificial crippling of Windows for the sake of making a few extra dollars is just plain stupid – and Microsoft is repeating it with Windows 2008 with the various editions like, “web server edition” etc. To me, its splitting hairs – come up with a single price, then charge different price on top based on the level of support you demand from Microsoft.
and it is highly nLited with SP2 and some post SP2 updates slipstreamed into it. And I have a sneaky suspicion that even windows server 2008 wont be able to be as responsive as my setup. Just my 2 cents. I also agree with the poster who mentioned the price to performance for this OS. Its laughable really..
Ha, I bet my install of BeOS is even quicker than yours
granted… you can to a tad more than me…
BeOS is definitely faster but because I am running pretty decent hardware I have a feeling that could possibly negate it?
But all kidding aside, I have heard legendary things about BeOS and have never really bothered doing much research about it. When you say BeOS you mean Haiku right?
No, I mean BeOS
My old tower still runs BeOS R5 with updates.
As for faster hardware negating it… The faster the machine, the faster BeOS
I was just joking about older revisions and such always running smoother
I bet you’re right. On my computer, 32-bit XP SP3 is a little bit faster than Server 2008 x64, even though the 64-bit version can take advantage of the 4GBs of RAM. Of course that’s not a great match up for guessing the difference between XP 64 and 2008 64 unless there’s a handy conversion between XP and XP64 performance
. Also 2008 is running a fair amount of junk (debug versions of DX, terminal services to allow VS debugging, assorted other junk at startup) and the XP is pretty minimal and nLited, being used only for running games (without StarForce though).
So it might not be too surprising that my XP is faster. That said, it isn’t *much* faster, less than 100 points in 3DMark 06 (and Vantage would only run on 2008, obviously, though I haven’t tried it), and 2% or less average FPS in most games. If you consider 2008 to be Vista without the annoyances, I think the advantages of 2008 make up for the slight performance drop, and if you add in the handful of games where 2008 is faster and the even smaller handful where DX10 can or must be used, I think it’s a better choice (if you have both available and aren’t going just for raw numbers). Plus Vista 64-bit drivers seem to be pretty easy to find nowadays, which I gather isn’t always the case with XP64 drivers. Really the only reason I keep XP around is because GameTap isn’t 64-bit compatible and because GRAW 2 has problems with 2008 (on my computer — I should really try reinstalling it and using a new profile to make sure it doesn’t have some leftover settings that are messing it up).
It’s not too hard to get a copy. I’ve been running x64 2008 “workstation” for about 3 months, ever since MS gave me a free copy (and a free copy of Vista Ultimate which I tried briefly but settled on 2008) for attending one of their free seminars/sales pitches, and I agree that it’s the best OS from MS so far. I like to describe it as Vista without all the annoying stuff, though to be honest I wonder if the majority of the improvements come from the fact that I’m running as an Administrator.
It feels more intended for users like me, not trying to hide files from me by default or force me to click through 5 layers of control panel to get what I want. Despite that, it supports all the same hardware as the equivalent Vista (x64 2008 uses the same drivers as x64 Vista, x32 2008 uses the same drivers as x32 Vista), and all my games run at the same speed as on Vista (or 32-bit XP for that matter, though I do still dual-boot for some games). Visual Studio 2k8 is also much faster on 2008 than it was on XP, though I didn’t try it on Vista to compare. 2k8 supports the new WPF junk as well as Vista does, not that I ever use that.
The only letdown feature-wise is that Hyper-V is completely useless to me, as it’s really only intended to run multiple copies of Windows OSes, and fails horribly on Linux. So I use VirtualBox instead, which to be honest would probably work just as well on Vista or XP.
It does require some more work to get it going as a desktop, post-installation enabling of Aero and turning on services to allow sound cards to work and disabling dialogs asking you just why exactly you are rebooting or turning off your PC, and so on. And just yesterday I spent an hour trying to get a bluetooth adapter going before realising that maybe 2008 doesn’t include a bluetooth stack by default. A quick google later and I knew how to get it to install the stack and drivers that it includes but won’t install by default (it involved some file copying and .inf-editing), and I was up and running 5 minutes later. The community of fellow users isn’t huge, but it is very technically-minded and it’s easy to find solutions to most everything, since someone else has already run into the problem and figured it out. Plus you don’t have to go through 500 pages of useless Expert Exchange results to find the one useful blog post explaining exactly what the cause of the problem is and the solution.
It’s also a pig to startup, taking what feels like 5 minutes until I have a responsive desktop (though I haven’t timed it, but it is unacceptably long, at least 2-3 minutes), and shutting down doesn’t go too quickly either. On the other hand, it supports suspend flawlessly (though not if you enable Hyper-V), so I only have to go through the start-up/shutdown lag if the power goes out or I want to use XP. And if you add up all the time, I probably go a couple of days to a couple of weeks uptime between reboots/shutdowns, with multiple suspends and resumes between, without any glitches that I’ve noticed.
Despite little problems like that, I think it’s made up for by never having to see the UAC dialog, and the way it just comes more tuned for people who don’t want to see dancing paperclips and put videos of bears catching fish on their backgrounds. It really does feel like an OS designed for people who know how to use computers, by people who have the same disgust of Vista’s default setup as the rest of us do.
P.S. The article says he’s been running it 4 months, not 4 weeks.
Yes, we already knew it is Vista with different settings, it’s the same kernel.
Glad you enjoyed to reset all the intentionally conservative settings though.
Yeah, that might be why I like W2K8 more than Vista as a desktop OS: OpenBSD has infected me with the belief that it’s better to turn on the stuff you need than to be punished for failing to turn off everything you don’t need (not that I’m claiming W2K8 would be in any way secure — anyone who uses Windows for anything other home desktop use is making the wrong choice — but this is true from a usability standpoint too, in my opinion).
As most kittens can attest, it’s easier to climb up a tree than it is to climb back down.
“A quick google later and I knew how to get it to install the stack and drivers that it includes but won’t install by default (it involved some file copying and .inf-editing), and I was up and running 5 minutes later.”
So maybe it isn’t ready for the desktop yet? 🙂
heh I got the same pack at the launch event for VS 2008 and Server 2008. But check your license details, the server 2008 version may be a 1 year license then it expires… Vista Ultimate was the full deal though…
Funny how its always the same with you windows users…….
“I am running the NEXT VERSION, and all the problems are fixed!! whoot!”
Every single release of Windows we here this, but yet, every single release magically SUCKS once the next release comes out(ME,Vista excluded since they sucked out the door).
*sigh*
You think people would catch on after 15 years.
Its like people actually belive that if they could just hold one for one more version and keep putting up with the low quality crap given to them by Readmond, all their problems will once and for all be fixed.
Its almost a sort of dysfunctional co-dependence relationship with an abusive partner who you keep giving one more chance, one more change, I just know they changed THIS time.
Your EX-husband is not gonna stop drinking, sleeping around, and beating you…and windows is not gonna work.
Edited 2008-07-16 21:20 UTC
Well, I’m running the LAST version of Windows (XP) and don’t have any problems to speak of. If I upgraded to Vista, it’s doubtful I’d have any problems either, since I’m not one of these ‘tards who would install it over XP and then bitch that my 3 year-old copy of Norton Systemworks doesn’t work anymore.
Can’t say I agree.
I still preffered XP over Windows 2000 when it came out.
Hell, if there still was support for Windows 2000 I’d maybe still use it at my Windows-machines.
It’s IMHO one of the best things to come out of redmond.
I was fixing up my aunts PC, she said she had virus because her connection where gone. I used it and the OS itself was *really* snappy, much more snappy than I’ve seem on a new Vista-PC, or even a new XP-PC. Turned out she didn’t have virus, it was only a problem with her router.
Windows 2008 is the best windows release to date. Arch Linux is the best gnu/linux distro. OpenBSD is for masterbating monkeys. OSX Snow kitty is the best OS for you people with alternative life styles. BEOS is dead. Hiaku is the second comming. Ubuntu is Debian.
Alright, I plunk down how many hundreds of dollars for a Server 08 license, as I have no way to msdn, or what have you. Then I follow this guide to turn my Server 08 install into a Vista look-a-like. The stuff like, disabling “shutdown event monitoring” and “enhanced IE security”, alright fine, whatever. But why in the world would I want to install the putrid aero theme, and dog-ass slow Desktop search and sidebar features? I mean, and correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that most of the reason why Vista sucks to begin with? Oh? Superfetch? Umm, yeah….no thanks.
If I want desktop search, I’ll install Google. If I want a sidebar….guess what? Google. And if I want some gaudy two-dollar-whore theme, I’ll install Window Blinds on my XP box and go to town. And, oh yeah…as an added feature for XP, all my devices and peripherals will still work, and god will be in his heaven and all is right in the world.
Then don’t install them. It’s a big part of the reason why many people use Windows Server as a workstation.
I do not believe any of the hype about how wonderful Windows 2008 Server is, the same kernel, the same problems, the same security problems.
Just a fresh face and there you go, license $$$ for something that turns to trash in a few months.
I have yet to see a Windows Server OS or Work Station be effective after running a few months.
No thanks, I will never use it, run it or mess with a bad solution to a problem of Windows Server.
Server 2008 Operating System Cost
Firewall cost
Anti-virus cost
License EULA agreement
application.exe errors (seem to be a feature of Windows)
Memory cost
Hardware cost
Backup software cost
Just a WASTE of money!
I have to say, every Windows server has services that die on start up, the famous ‘reboot’ to fix the lockup, no security from hackers, registry garbage.
Just say no!
Windows comes with a firewall.
There are free AV solutions for personal use. If you’re a company spending a minimal fee on AV isn’t a big deal.
You have to agree with the GPL if you use Linux.
Are you saying that you never had a program dump core or crash on *nix? I really doubt that.
Last time I checked Linux ran on hardware and needed memory.
Windows comes with backup software.
You have to agree with the GPL if you use Linux.
No, you don’t. The GPL only covers distribution of the software, not usage.
Only if you consider a Smart Car to be a moving van.
No, you have to agree with the GPL if you *distribute* Linux to others. You don’t have to agree with anything to just *use* it.
See above about Smart Cars.
Alas most free personal AV apps will not work on Server. You have to buy the server version of any AV you use. At least you did with all the other Server versions of Windows, as Norton and what not, would not install on a server OS without the Server AntiVirus. Looked at the cost of those lately? Yikes…
I am sure there will be other desktop apps that won’t run on server too.
I learnt this quite a while ago, and used Windows 2003 as a workstation for running development software like VS 2005. Windows Server is just so much less hassle to a developer, and all sorts of things would take up my time on XP and Vista. Getting Windows Updates on Windows Server is so much easier without that genuine advantage style rubbish that doesn’t always work. Visual Studio just seems to run better as well.
I now have virtual machines running Windows Server 2003 with all the development software I need running remotely, and it just makes things so much easier. Deployment is also so much easier and faster, because sooner or later, we always end up screwing a development machine.