Guy,

>On another note, I would recommend you go with the latest version (i.e., SQL Server 2000), if you make the move at all.

I agree completely. Every version of SQL Server has added more performance features and also SQL 2000 includes awesome XML capabilities (such as XML template queries and the 'FOR XML' keyword to return a result set in XML) with the free SQLXML add-on. Version 3 of the SQLXML even allows calling Stored Procedures as Web Services very easily.