# MCSE computer **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 27, 2007, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcse-computer/389747 "2007-01-27T19:08:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcse-computer/389747/1 "2007-01-27T19:08:06Z")
I’ve been thinking about studying for an MCSE certification. It would be a much more marketable skill than my JCL and Easytrieve ones. Aside from that, it would be interesting to me personally to know the ins and out of networking. Only I don’t use Windows (at home). I have a Mac. My PC has been disconnected for months, and I didn’t use it much before that. _And_ it’s six years old and running on Win98 using a 500mhz processor. I’d probaably have to buy a new PC to finish the course. (And I really want a newer Mac!) I’ll probably have to look into a community college course and use their equipment. Tell me about your experiences gaining your MCSE certification. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcse-computer/389747/2 "2007-01-28T01:01:47Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] I’ve been thinking about studying for an MCSE certification. It would be a much more marketable skill than my JCL and Easytrieve ones. Aside from that, it would be interesting to me personally to know the ins and out of networking. Only I don’t use Windows (at home). I have a Mac. My PC has been disconnected for months, and I didn’t use it much before that. _And_ it’s six years old and running on Win98 using a 500mhz processor. I’d probaably have to buy a new PC to finish the course. (And I really want a newer Mac!) I’ll probably have to look into a community college course and use their equipment. Tell me about your experiences gaining your MCSE certification. [/QUOTE] With the new Intel based Macs, I believe you can fairly easily install Windows on a Mac. And with Apple’s [Bootcamp](http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/), you can run both OS’s. So, there’s no reason to forgo the new Mac just to play with Windows. I have no experience with MCSE, and currently run Mac OSX on my Mac Mini, trying to figure out how to dual boot with Linux, and avoid MS products as much as I can. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcse-computer/389747/3 "2007-01-28T02:06:46Z")
You’ll probably want 3 or 4 PCs to do the full MCSE. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcse-computer/389747/4 "2007-01-28T02:12:46Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] You’ll probably want 3 or 4 PCs to do the full MCSE. [/QUOTE] I don’t have a use for that many computers. Sounds like i’d be better off taking a proper class and using their computer lab. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcse-computer/389747/5 "2007-01-28T08:22:51Z")
If you have a stronger PC you could use VM Ware and build several virtual Windows boxes. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcse-computer/389747/6 "2007-01-28T09:34:24Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] I don’t have a use for that many computers. Sounds like i’d be better off taking a proper class and using their computer lab. [/QUOTE] That would probably be far more expensive. And if you’re doing a MCSE properly, you will need multiple computers for when you’re setting up networks, RIPL installs, etc. You can’t model replication without two PCs, and you’ll need multiple clients. But PCs are cheap these days. Just get yourself four standard boxes, a KVM switch, keynoard, monitor, and mouse. You can download a 180-day demo of Windows 2003 Server from MS. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcse-computer/389747/7 "2007-01-28T20:26:00Z")
I’d be inclined to go with **Seven** ’s recommendation to get one good box and run multiple virtual servers on it. You don’t gain anything from having separate physical machines if all you want is a one-person training lab. Don’t use the Win98 machine, as 99% of the MCSE material only applies to 2000 and up. None of the important stuff will work on 9x. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcse-computer/389747/8 "2007-01-29T10:45:42Z")
Save up and get a really grunty new Mac (Mac Pro with 2 x Dual-Core Xenon cpus - 4 cores) and lots of memory 2-4Gb. Get Parallels or VMWare, and build your MCSE network on that - easy. Si ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcse-computer/389747/9 "2007-02-14T07:00:15Z")
I was searching for another thread and ran across this one. I thought I’d tell of something that I just heard in a job interview. The fellow interviewing me at one point said something to the effect of being sick of bringing in “MCSE punks” and having to hold their hands - but that’s why they only pay then $20k. 😃