I went to a photography business and found that he was using Windows2003 Server (Enterprise) as a desktop. He uses a lot of imaging software and needs the horsepower and stability...he told me. Question... Is 2003 an ideal solution over XP Pro on a Desktop? I thought that if there was not much of a network then W2003Server was just a waste on a desktop? What does 2003 Server provide that XP Pro doesnt? Thanks.

LOL....I'd bet dollars to donut's it's a pirated version of 2003 server. As to it being a better desktop solution than XP or 2000 Pro....NOT!. It's a SERVER operating system designed for use on a server. Only a dunce who thinks he knows a lot more than he really does would make a statement like that. In fact, that one ranks right up there with "add more RAM, that will speed your computer up!"

actually i used 2k3 server as a desktop machine without any problem. 2k3 server 's configuration is optimized for a server. ex. the multimedia stuff is turned off. and the IE security is enabled. but u can always turn the multimedia on, and disable the IE security. running it for games might be a different issue though. A+ Certified MCSE soon

Curt- I want to you remove the majority of your RAM if it will not slow it down. Then try to load a 300MB file into an app and see how well it works. On the majority of systems, adding or maximizing RAM does speed it up. That fact cannot be argued. As for Server 2003 being the best Desktop? That does sound dumb. Perhaps he bought a maxed out poweredge server and uses for some graphical stuff. The best Dell server would certainly process data faster than a Dimension 2400 because it is built to handle much more. The hardware, software, RAM and other items all play a crucial part as to how well an machine will work. And it also depends on what the machine is used for. I have a server that handles graphic work much better than any other machine in our place, but it also outweighs all of the others by specs and configs. That is my 2 cents- here's tom with the weather- "i woke up this morning and all of my stuff was stolen and replaced with exact duplicates."

But what is there to gain from using W2003Server over XP Pro with regards to digital images and multimedia. He even plays games in it...hmmmmm. What advantages are there?

there is none. If anything it will make it harder for multimedia and games. A+ Certified

if there are advantages, it is that other computers can connect better, even remotely, to view the images and browse them. But it would certainly not be better for gaming and multimedia. Don't get too hung up on this, some people just do strange things. "i woke up this morning and all of my stuff was stolen and replaced with exact duplicates."