Most textbooks include an evaluation copy of Server 2008. You can also download one from the microsoft.com web site.
Server 2008 doesn't automatically shut down; that would be counterproductive in a production environment. I would need more information as to why your server appears to be doing this. The only reason I can think of for a shutdown is if the server were not activated or was past the evaluation date on an evaluation copy of the server.
Download the Windows Evaluation copy - you get up to 180 days of usage.
The Windows Server 2008 platforms are as follows:Windows Server 2008 Standard EditionWindows Server 2008 Enterprise EditionWindows Web Server 2008Windows Server 2008 Datacenter EditionWindows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based SystemsWindows Server 2008 Standard Edition without Hyper-VWindows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition without Hyper-VWindows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition without Hyper-V
Because server 2008 is more updated than server 2003.
Server Manager
The Server - 2008 was released on: USA: March 2008 (Chicago, Illinois)
The Job Evaluation - 2008 was released on: USA: 14 September 2008 (Estes Park Film Festival)
some private servers have character copy but other than that sorry no.
Windows Server 2008 for Itanium based System doess not provide server core installation
What are the default groups that can be found in Server 2008
For Windows Server 2008, it should be IIS 7.
Windows Server 2008 is the most recent release of Microsoft Windows' server line of operating systems. Released to manufacturing on 4 February 2008 and officially released on 27 February 2008, it is the successor to Windows Server 2003, released nearly five years earlier. Like Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 is built on the Windows NT 6.0 kernel. A second release, named Windows Server 2008 R2, is currently under development.