Capabilities of Developer Edition

Hi there,

Forgive me if this has been asked & answered a million times, but I'm trying to get a handle on whether, if I purchased a copy of SQL Server 2000 Developer Edition, it would meet my needs or not.

A long-standing client of mine just called me to ask if I could help her out on a database project. I would be working offsite, so I'd need to pony up the cash to buy software for my own computer, basically.

I keep reading that the DE has "limited functionality" but I can't seem to find details on what those limitations are. Is it the sort of deal where it can do everything I need for development (using Enterprise Manager/Query Analyzer to connect to a db either across the internet or maybe on VPN, and doing your usual EM/QA things from there) but I couldn't run it as a server? Or is there actual functionality that's missing?

If there's just a link I've overlooked that answers my question, I'd appreciate someone pointing it out. Thanks!Here's a good place to see the differences: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prodtechnol/sql/reskit/sql2000/part2/c0361.asp.|||That page is perfect! Thanks for pointing it out.

Next silly question: why does compusa.com and some other online outlets list SQL Server Developer Edition for forty-something dollars when most offer it for four hundred-something dollars? Would paste the URL to the Epinions search result, but the forum code is sticking a break tag in the middle of it, which breaks the link.

That can't be right, can it? I suspect not, as all the places I found at Epinions listing the low price are all out of stock.

Thanks.|||Should Google before posting. I just answered my own question. Apparently they've cut the price:

http://www.entmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=5895

So now the question becomes: why do only 4 of 21 stores Epinion has prices for have the new low price? Am I to pay five hundred bucks if I happen to need it now? ... purely rhetorical question, that.|||Can you believe it? Even shop.microsoft.com has it on backorder. I called their customer service line to ask about it, and after the rep tried to convince me that there was no such thing as a SQL Server 2000 Developer Edition, he was finally able to give me an estimated ship date of September 8.

sigh.