[K12OSN] Motherboard Manufacturer Recommendations?

[Henry Hartley]

These days we have such a huge variety of options that we really
shouldn't complain.  In the "old days" we had to decide what speed
Pentium we should get.  Before that, there were even fewer choices.  So,
I want to build a small server.  It will be for testing purposes and
will probably go to run a handful of thin clients in my home when I'm
done.  Since I'm paying for it out of my own pocket, price matters.
Still, I'm not completely broke yet.  So, I think I want to use a
dual-core AMD processor but one should be adequate.  I know I want room
for lots of RAM, although again, this won't be running 20 or 30
stations, just three to five.  Since it's for testing, and since the
final product WILL be a larger lab, I want to take a step into the
64-bit world.  That narrows things down a little but there are still a
lot of options.

So, a very specific question.  Given the above, any motherboard
manufacturers you would recommend, either to get or to avoid?  If you
have a specific model you want to recommend, that would be welcome, of
course.  The reasoning behind any of your thoughts would be most
appreciated, too, of course.

-- 
Henry Hartley