Document Update: This document was written while Microsoft was still supporting Win2k. The new paradigm being brough forth by Windows 8, combined with the abandonment of Windows 2000 by Microsoft, means that software vendors have already started dropping support for Win2k. This is sad, because the business proven programming used to create Win2k makes it -the- most stable and resource friendly version of Windows ever released! If you must have the latest versions of application software, including software intended only for integration into modern browsers (such as Java and Flash), then Win2k is no longer a viable operating system. Select your replacement Windows accordingly: If you still need to run DOS applications, choose Windows XP. If you only need to continue to run 16-bit Windows apps, then choose Windows 7. Avoid Vista, and all 64-bit varients of pre-Windows 8 operating systems, regardless of your needs. ======================================================================= ======================================================================= === Why Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional? === The need is for a computer that will act as a Host (Server). What Operating System will provide the best solution? Lets investigate: A moderately wealthy person could have built for them a computer of any hardware design, controlled by a custom written Operating System. This is an impractical solution for most persons (although not unrealistic for medium to large sized businesses), so we need to limit our choices. First lets look at hardware: The computing hardware must be relatively modern. This is for practical purposes. Replacement parts are extremely difficult to find for older computers. Computing hardware must also be relatively common. Again this is for replacement part purposes; but also because common hardware is more likely to be supported by vendors of add-on peripherials, and because purchasing costs will be cheaper (due to market forces). By far, the computing hardware that best meets this criteria is a PC using an Intel Pentium (or compatible) CPU with PCI Bus. Now lets turn to the Operating System. There have been many commercial and hobby Operating Sytems written for the PC, so we need to do some winnowing. First, the software must be stable and not require frequent rebooting. Stability also means avoiding Operating Systems that can only be installed/re-installed through the Internet, or which requires a Registration if there is a change to hardware (such as Windows XP). Second, the software must have a reasonable support structure. This is so patches can be added to the Operating System to support new peripherials, protocols, or discovered vulnerabilities. Note that this does NOT automatically exclude older Operating Systems, but it does make them less desirable candidates. Based on what we have determined so far, our short list consists of: BeOS, [ver 5+] FreeBSD (or DragonFly BSD), [ver "recent"] Linux, [ver "recent"] MsDOS (or equivalent DOS), [ver 5+ (with 3rd party drivers/utilities)] MsWindows 2000, [ver Professional] MsWindows 98, [ver second edition] NetBSD (or OpenBSD), [ver "recent"] Warp OS/2, [ver 4+] ----- BeOS= At first this seems to be an excellent canditate. The OS is very stable, and it was desgined from the start to handle multi-media. Unfortunately, the software is no longer being manufactured, and it is NOT in the public domain (so it is becomming less and less compatible with modern PC hardware). The real killer however, is that the directon the manufacturer took was to make BeOS the perfect CLIENT. There are very few Server software packages available for this OS (with the exception of one Outstanding streaming audio server package), and in some cases NO Servers at all for some of the older protocols (no Gopher Server software for example). Of all the software on the list, this OS has the least support from hobbiest programmers. DOS= One normally wouldn't consider a 16-bit OS for a Server host. However, due to its being at one time ubiquitous on the PC, there have been many Server software packages written for DOS. Dos still has a very active user community, and there are new drivers to support most modern hardware peripherials. Where DOS is the weakest, is in TCP/IP support. Most Server software was written for modem interfacing. Windows 98= This Operating System will run many DOS applications, and virtually all software written for Window 3.x, Windows 95, and Windows ME. The disadvantage is that many high quality Servers were designed to run only under Windows NT, and so they cannot be used with Windows 98. Also, Windows 98 is not particularly stable, and it has many vulnerabilities, making it -THE- most exploited and virus attacked OS. ----- This then leaves us with only 3 realistic contenders: FreeBSD (or Linux, NetBSD, or other Unix-like Operating System) Warp OS/2 Windows 2000 Each of these Operating Systems would make a good choice, but of the three, I would pick Windows 2000. Why? Of the three Win2k is the most compatible with current hardware, and will probably be compatible with near future hardware (Win2k is still being fully supported by the manufacturer and nearly all hardware vendors). There is at least one Win2k compatible Server software package available for nearly every Internet protocol (most Windows NT software will also work properly on Windows 2000). Some Win2k Server software packages are virtually invulnerable to attack. Every service technition, no matter where in the world they live, is intimately familiar with the GUI. There is a huge support structure of hobbiest and commercial software programmers. The software, when properly configured (i.e., with much of the unneeded bells-and-whistles carefully stripped away), is also reasonably stable. Warp may be more stable, and a Unix-like OS may be more customizable; but for the TYPICAL Server host, Windows 2000 professional (NOT the "server" version with its built-in and highly vulnerable Host software) is an excellent all-around choice. I would reccomend it for Both a Server Host and a primary Client (with the vast availability of emulation programs for Win2k, there is hardly any application or gaming program that cannot be run on a Windows 2000 client; even if the box says the software only works on Windows XP).