>I maintain a small network of 30 workstations . . .
>Any suggestions at all on hardware/software.
>I'm leaning towards saving some money and just staying with our NT4
>Since I am only serving up files . . .
>I'm just looking for a no frills foxpro file server . . .

I'm surprised nobody mentioned using Linux for the OS and Samba for the file serving (which spells unlimited users). I recently upgraded an old server with a Dell 600SC/512RAM/2 18GB 10K SCSI HD/Perc SCSI Ctrlr 32MB Raid 0/10-100MB NIC/3Yr on site maint for $2,100. You can order the machine with RH Linux 8.0 already installed - piece of cake. Learning Samba will take a couple of days, or less. By now I probably know less about Samba than when I started because once it's setup there isn't much to do -- except forget what you did.

All the box does is file and print sharing for their 43 workstations and it sails right along.

Bottom line, you will save additional money (in my case several hundred dollars that would have gone to MS) and have a reliable OS that just sits there like a bread box. As far as the CPU, file and print sharing never many CPU cycles. CPU speed isn't a factor but RAM is and the speed of the HD matters.

If you really really want to save money, do like one of the other contributors mentioned with a DIY box. Get plenty of RAM, a couple of large IDE drives (one mirroring the other), Linux for the OS. You'll probably be off and running for under $500. I setup an HTTP server the other day, bought two 120MB drives at Costco for $120 apiece, used an old 350MHz P-III MB with 512MB RAM, 10/100NIC. It's sitting on a desk in the corner handling 4-5K hits a day no sweat.

Scott