thanks for your thoughts
I have to admit to a certain amount of intimidation about the server option. I would honestly rather just keep the data base on my desktop or get a dedicated pc to house the database in a peer to peer environment than to have to deal with a server.
Bill
Why? Think of a server as Microsoft Word. It can be overwhelmingly complicated if you tried to use every feature. Hell, mail merge is daunting. But, someone using a computer for the first time, can open Word, type and print.
A server is simply a glorified client. I know that is an over simplification. But, if you purchase a server, you can put your data on it and use it as a peer to peer. Or as a workgroup without using it as a domain. You could buy a$20,000 server and simply turn it on and use it. The only difference is it may say Windows 2000 Server on the screen saver. .
Better off to buy a server and use it as a computer, then upgrade it later, than to buy a $500 Acer computer and then not be able to use it as a server later. I talk to at least five people on here with SBS 2003 who haven't made it a domain controller yet and, hence, it is an expensive PC in a workgroup.
Also, think Workgroup and Domain and not client/server all the time.
