I stumbled across this blog, your comments would be most welcome.

http://security-made-easy.blogspot.com/200...-based-dvr.html

IMO any PC cannot be as stable as an appliance, especially for security purposes. While linux is generaly accepted as being stable, so is a correctly configured windows machine. ie if the machine is dedicated to being a hardware dvr but runs windows as its ok (not as a pc) then there isnt much between them, for example mobile phones, ppc, sat navs, cash points and soon cars are powered by an MS o/s, and if dedicated are fine. The problem comes with either platform when using what is designed to be a desktop to be a server. ie when we use windows machines as access control servers for example we always use a server o/s not a desktop one. If i used my linux desktop and added a card and some software it would be unstable as i would be asking too much from it, same as windows, but our network at work runs on a win 2003 sbs server and its very stable... the desktops less so but thats cos they aint servers lol

Low susceptibility to viruses is one good Linux feature, not that it is less prone but less viruses out there targeting linux systems

By the way, sorry for the previous posts Redbull, either my browser or my internet connection was having some problems then and was not reflecting completed posts. Won't happen again, well if it does.... you know am having problems again