B/c we're SuperUsers and we like to test stuff out. I've been using it on my laptop for a year since I got it free from the Win2k8 launch event last year, just to get a feel for it. It's the same codebase as Vista. But where Vista starts with features activated and you pick which things to uninstall, 2k8 starts on the other end and you add what you'll need. Theoretically, someone with Vista should be able to achieve the exact same performance as someone with 2k8, but unlike Vista, the default install is very responsive, if spartan.
OTOH I have yet to find a bluetooth dongle that works and some desktop programs refuse to run at all. I'm just about ready to ditch this and restore XP.
Since this time, I have moved back to Windows XP for my main development machine. Speed is the same. XP has an annoying way of temporarily locking explorer when I click on a network resource that isn't available. Server 2008 wasn't as bad about this, maybe it had a shorter network response time-out by default? Anyway, I'm happier with XP: more compatibility. Some applications refuse to install when they detect a server OS. If I need 2k8 I'll run a VM for it. – hyperslug – 2009-09-26T14:40:52.460