As you may already know, it is a common trend for some developers to use Windows Server 2008 for the development environment. I’ve done the same thing a couple of months ago (picking 64 bit version).
Here are some advantages of this:
- Performance is a bit better than in Vista (and it is more stable as any server has to be)
- It is said that 64 bit support here is better than in the previous OSes (64 bit support allows you to use more than 3GBs of RAM and utilize you Intel Core 2 processors more efficiently)
- Some trojans and viruses will have hard time running under 64 bit.
- It forces you to get familiar with the new technologies and concepts by Microsoft (I did skip Vista)
- It is free for 240 days
Update. Although, Windows Server and Windows Vista share the same codebase, there are yet diffs in the configuration (that’s not just about running services) that give some edge to Server 2008 in the overall performance. Here are some links:
- XP vs Vista vs sp1 vs 2008 vs 32 vs 64 benchmarked (also check out this image)
- Vista SP1 vs Server 2008 as a desktop OS: more comparisons
Disadvantages:
- Although 32 bit programs run under 64 bit, you’ve still got to go hunting for 64 bit versions of the software in order to achieve native performance (64 is yet to become mainstream within 2-4 years)
- Tortoise SVN does keep loosing icon cache, so I had to switch to “Shell” mode (this drops recursive icon overlays)
- I’m yet to find how to hide this folder navigation pane in the Explorer.
- Avast Antivirus considers Windows 2008 to be Windows NT at fails the installation
On the overall the ride with Windows Server 2008 64 bit has been a smooth ride. Visual studio, .NET and development-related tools just work.
So if your development job is either about staying on the edge or about constant learning, it may be worth switching there.
Notes:
- Disable windows shutdown tracker either through the gpedit.msc or via the registry
- Optimize the program performance: System Properties | Advanced | Performance | Advanced - pick “Programs”
- Turn on the desktop experience component: Administrative Tools | Server Management | Features - Desktop Experience
- You can turn on all the beauty of the Vista UI (I keep it off)
- Enable SuperPrefetch (+ make sure that the “Super Prefetch” service is enabled)
- Enable audio service: Services.msc - switch “Windows Audio” to Automatic
- Rearm the activation timer (Microsoft allows to do that only 3 times): slmgr.vbs -rearm
- Although Windows Virtual PC just works, you can install Hyper-V
You do realize that the 64-bit version of Vista is basically just the workstation version of Windows Server 2008, right? Same kernel and everything.
Jeremy,
yes, Vista and Server share the same codebase, but the devil is in the details and configurations, so server performs better (you can check out the proof-links in the “Update” section) and it is configured to be more stable and reliable from the start.
Given the choice between Aero and stability, I’d pick the second one))
Interesting :)
BTW: I just realized what I wrote was half wrong. I meant Vista SP1 is the work station version of Windows Server 2008 (both 32 bit and 64 bit).