Which Workstation OS Typically Used With Windows Server 2003 ?

Discussion in 'Software' started by Rover977, Dec 20, 2007.

  1. Rover977

    Rover977 Byte Poster

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    In a business organisation using Windows Server 2003, which OS will desktop workstation users typically be using ? With NT and Windows 2000 there were workstation versions of the OS, but Windows 2003 has only server versions, and no workstation version as far as I know. Is XP Pro the most commonly used workstation OS used with W2K3 in a business organisation ? It would seem wasteful to use something like W2K3 Server Standard edition on a user's workstation, as the server capabilities would just not be needed.
     
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  2. hbroomhall

    hbroomhall Petabyte Poster Gold Member

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    We have a mix of W2k Pro, XP Pro and possibly some Vista (rumoured - I've not seen one here though).

    Harry.
     
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  3. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    As Harry stated: Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional, and Vista Business/Enterprise.
     
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  4. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    All of the above plus a couple of NT workstations still going strong.
     
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  5. AJ

    AJ 01000001 01100100 01101101 01101001 01101110 Administrator

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    All of the above, except for NT workstation. Only a few W2K Pro clients, mostly XP Pro. Even got a Win 98 machine on my network. I know exactly where it is coz it's the one I use for programming my telephone system.
     
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  6. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    Had the same thing in my last job except it was on Windows 95, always feared it would crash or the HD would go up in smoke! :biggrin
     
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  7. greenbrucelee
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    greenbrucelee Zettabyte Poster

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    At my work we use win2k3 R2 and xp pro.
     
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  8. AJ

    AJ 01000001 01100100 01101101 01101001 01101110 Administrator

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    hehe It used to be Win 95 but I gave it an upgrade. It just sits there in the server room. I tend to use VNC onto it so that I don't have to go down to the server room.

    I would stick XP onto it but the telephone software is so old that it only runs on a 9x pc. Either that or I use hyperterminal .
     
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  9. zebulebu

    zebulebu Terabyte Poster

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    Just started a new job - exclusively XP pro desktop (with Vista knocking about on some lappys)

    A couple of years ago I worked at a place where the door entry system ran off a Win98 box. It wasn't even SE! Always thought that a sneaky batch shutdown scheduled to run at about 07:00 the morning after I was out on the lash would be a winner - phone call at 7:15 from support guys "work has been cancelled whilst they call out the engineers - don't have to come in until 12" :twisted:
     
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  10. C4sper

    C4sper Byte Poster

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    my network is now purely win xp pro with sp2 and I think that the best system to work with win 2003 servers
     
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  11. Rover977

    Rover977 Byte Poster

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    Thanks for all replies, I thought it was a bit funny that no workstation version was included in W2K3, although I see some articles on the web describing how to run W2K3 as a workstation, such as :-

    http://win2k3.msfn.org/

    I recall working with NT 3.51 (quite a while ago now, I know!), converting a Building Society system from an OS/2 v1.3 platform, and from those days there was always a workstation and server version(s).
     
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  12. Bluerinse
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    Bluerinse Exabyte Poster

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    I think that XP Pro is the workstation version of Server 2003. If you look closely at the underlying technology you will see they are very closely matched. AD support.. primarily *Group Policy*, Volume shadow copy service, security, file system, RDP, interoperability etc are all 100% compatible.

    This cannot be said of any other client operating system, even Win 2000 Pro.

    Vista Business and Ultimate i would imagine are more closely linked to Server 2008.
     
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  13. Rover977

    Rover977 Byte Poster

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    I think the reason I didn't think of XP Pro as being the workstation version of W2K3, was because the user interfaces seem a lot different, at least in the installations I've seen. The standard W2K3 desktop interface looks a lot plainer and more 'business-like' than the XP desktop (or is there an option in W2K3 to make its desktop have an XP type look and feel ?). I am slightly surprised that the XP interface I am using at home is the same as that used by big business organisations on their workstations. In the 'old days' nobody used NT or W2K at home - these were for business use only - and conversely I don't think larger businesses would have made much use of OS's like Windows 95/98.
     
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  14. JonGlory

    JonGlory Byte Poster

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    Wouldn't that cost a fortune, considering the price of windows 2003?

    Always thought XP was the desktop version of 2003. Like vista will be the desktop of 2008
     
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  15. Bluerinse
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    Bluerinse Exabyte Poster

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    I think the XP pretty GUI is irrelevant, what matters is what is under the hood. You can always switch to classic look if you want your client OS to resemble your server OS :biggrin

    I used W2K Pro at home as soon as it came out.

    The reason that people used NT for business was because NT supported amongst other things NTFS and proper domain membership, it was also way more stable and secure.

    Windows 2000 and XP are both built on NT technology, so it follows that they are suitable for business use, as well as home use.

    The Windows 9x and dare i say ME family of OSs was just too unstable to depend on for business use. Though i have to say they were used by many companies (because they were cheaper), much to the chagrin of the sys admins :rolleyes:
     
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  16. Theprof

    Theprof Petabyte Poster

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    At the head office where I work I switched everyone to windows XP professional. At that time we did however have win2k3 and win2k servers. In the remote offices I am working on migrating all the users from 2k pro to XP pro.
     
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  17. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    ...unless you're a gamer, in which case, Windows 2000 Pro wasn't that great of a choice. :)
     
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