Microsoft really doesn't want you to put your line of business software on the server - that's why they provide the premium edition.
Interesting post. I suppose you could look at it that way. Please allow me to take the other side. Microsoft would go out of business if they didn't want you to put your applications and databases on their servers. Servers can be used and, indeed, are named sometimes for their uses, e.g. file servers, application servers, web servers, etc. Small Business Server was specifically designed to combine all of these things for the SMB.
Yes, SBS 2008 or 2003 for that matter do all of the above things. But, it does it with one hand tied behind it's motherboard and doesn't blink an eye if someone throws on SQL Express. SBS 2008 on server hardware is much better equipped and a lot less taxed than WIN7. I can't fathom having a server and not running AC on it. If you go to My Computer's Properties and check the Advanced tab, on a client you will want it set to Programs. This is what it does best. On a server, you want that checked to Background Processes, because you don't physically run programs on servers (for the most part).
Active Directory is not a reason to not put AC on SBS, it is the reason to put AC on it. Active directory maintains a hierarchy of data such as hardware and faxing, objects, and users and administrators. It allows admins to manage the network and users. A server with SBS gives the admin much more granular control of permissions.
Then, there is the greater ability for multiple hard drives and RAID, volume shadow services for every hour or whatever you decide backups, better backup capabilities, etc. If you install SQL on WIN7, you now have, in effect, two servers. The whole idea of a client/server model is a central repository for files, drivers, applications and databases. Best practices dictates that ALL data in an office be stored on one drive or one partition. That one partition should be backed up nightly. It is not as easy to back up email and other data on a server while backing up AC on the other computer. And, I mean complete backups, not just AC's .enc files.
It sounds like what you have proposed works very well for you, and I am certainly not going to tell you otherwise. But, I am so passionate about this, I am begging Jack to run AC from the serve.
Getting back to the quote, I am not understanding why Microsoft doesn't want business software on their servers. How does Premium change that besides SQL and the extra license for Windows Server 2008. This is meant more for terminal services than for running an application and database.
Again, my opinion, no offense.
