I see 2008 as Vista, Server Edition.
We typically don’t put anything on production boxes until its been out in the wild for maybe three years. By then all the obvious bugs have been pretty well worked out.
It may be hard to find retail, but you can always buy a license from a reseller somewhere. Got an MSDN subscription?
*shudder*
We don't have a subscription. Want...don't have.
We ended up finding a copy, but it took awhile.
The tax for bein' behind the times, I guess. ;-)