I see this thread about servers is still active. Not really sure where to post this.
Sandeep says Windows SBS 2011 Essentials is on sale at NewEgg. Well, it sort of is -- and I am intrigued by his arguments in favor of a server-client network for AC (of course, the peer-to-peer, built-like Topsy network I have been using is working just fine, so it is hard to see what I gain other than bragging rights.)
I downloaded a trial copy of the OS -- and right off the bat, there are problems. Nowhere can I find the hardware requirements! I want to try it out, but I don't happen to have a high powered machine lying around, so will it work on an ordinary dual core machine with 2GB memory?
Second -- we run 2 printers off the "server" in present setup. I can't find anywhere whether printers can be connected to the Server under SBS Essentials, or whether I am going to have to have another machine to be the printer server.
Third -- There is all this talk about sharing folders over the internet and remote management of SBS Essentials -- but it looks like actually running AC remotely would still require RDP to a client machine in the office that I would access remotely as I do now. Looks like the remote machine (at the beach, say) wouldn't really be a "client" of the SBS Essentials -- that would be too slow. Is that true? It is so confusing, and I can't find any documentation anywhere that just answers basic questions -- all the Microsoft stuff looks like sales brochures, and the various tips and helping hands are scattered everywhere in blogs.
The biggest slowdown in our office comes when the front office is scanning in piles of correspondence and old records -- this is done sort of in batches as they have time. That seems to suck resources and slows down the performance in the exam rooms. Does SBS fix that, or is it a property of the database program that AC uses? Or would I be better off just sticking with Win7 and getting a faster "server" machine?
Anyone game to tackle this? Maybe it has already been answered, but I have dredged the boards and can't find exactly these answers.
