Mac mini server pc compatibility

Yep - I have three different PC laptops in my house all linked up to my Mac Mini Server. Works just fine. Basically you just need to
- create a workgroup on the mac Mini Server
- create user accounts in the Mac Mini server, which mach the names of the user accounts on each PC
- put those user accounts in the workrgoup
- create shared folders with SMB file sharing turned on
- and grant that workgroup access to the shared folders with either read only, read & write or whatever type of permission you want

This will allow you to see Mac Mini, shared folders on it and their contents, from the Network Neighbourhood view on each PC.

It depends what services we're talking about.

File sharing in a workgroup is easy and can be done even on a normal snow leopard. Imap or pop email should not be a problem.

I started looking into caldav (calendar). I've added the lightning plugin to thunderbird, but I haven't configured it yet. You won't really get shared calendaring in outlook.

I haven't looked into ichat server, but there is no ichat client for windows.

If you want active directory or GPO functionality, you will probably be disappointed.

Works fine here with an XP client as well as 7 Mac clients, but if you've got all or almost all Windows systems a Mac mini server isn't the best choice.

If you want to have an open directory domain it's not possible with Windows 7 out of the box. MS removed legacy compatibility with the network layer Apple relied upon for allowing windows systems to join open directory as a domain.

Windows 7 systems can still share files on 10.6 server, but the ability to control users in an open directory environment can only be achieved part way with some hacking of windows 7.