This tip may only apply to a few of our readers, but I thought I would pass this along because it is a great way to have either a SharePoint development platform or deploy a SharePoint environment in small/home installations.
Typically, the way you roll out a SharePoint environment is via a Windows Server, as this is included with the product. While this is the only way I would recommend deployment for any production environment, it may be cost prohibitive for some people. Instead you can install SharePoint Services on Windows Vista. The linked article explains exactly how to do it with screenshots and detailed instructions of just about every step.
Again, this is a great alternative if you are just looking to get started with SharePoint without the investment in a Windows Server machine.
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Readers should be aware that there are alternatives to the Microsoft SharePoint. The Wikipedia article lists several, but for those beginning to throw off the shackles of Microsoft-centric products by using OpenOffice, for example, I would especially recommend looking at O3spaces.