windows server 2003

[barneygumble742]

what is windows server 2003?

microsoft's website says "Windows Server 2003 is the server operating system that helps you do more with less—both today and in the future..."

but that doesn't tell me what its purpose is and what it does.

can anyone tell me what it does? host website? manage a lan?

also what's exchange? and is server 2003 required for exchange?

[Gizmo]

Think WindowsXP for Servers. That's W2K3. That's it in a nutshell. They fixed some bugs with Active Directory and Dynamic Disks that have existed since W2K Server came out, and there's a few other things, but that's it in a nutshell.

Exchange is Microsoft's version of Lotus Notes, or Ximian. It is a groupware server that incorporates e-mail, scheduling, calendaring, and all kinds of other stuff that corporations need, but mere mortals do not.

Exchange 2K requires a minimun of W2K to run. I don't know if Exchange 2K3 requires W2K3 or not. My company is still running Exchange 5.5 at my office, and is in the progress of migrating us to Lotus Notes (the only thing I hate worse than Exchange).