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Take a look at http://wpkg.org/. It can handle updates without needing AD.

I used unattended on a FreeBSD box at one of my old jobs, since we had like five or so different models of computers. It works sort of like RIS, except it's easier to extend the system since it's all written in Perl and it's all open source. We dumped the contents of an XP disc on the server, then slipstreamed driver packs into the disc directory structure; this catches almost everything but the most obscure hardware out there. Unattended allowed us to run post-install scripts, so we threw in a bunch of other software packages that would install after the OS was done installing, like Office 2007, Adobe suite, etc.

This was substantially better than a disk image; we took care of all of the drivers in one fell swoop, so the only thing we used as a differentiator between computers was how the person used the computer (if it's a student lab computer, we loaded a bunch of stuff like Geometer's Sketchpad, InDesign, etc. If it was a faculty's laptop, we'd load software to operate stuff in the classroom.) We save space on the server, and we save time when it comes to putting together another "image" for a different use case.

But as others said above, I wouldn't virtualize the workstation, even if it eases up on the IT dept. a little bit; just be smart about what deployment method you use. I wouldn't recommend using unattended if you had only about three different models; it's likely substantially easier to just use CloneZilla.

Oh, and use a centralized software deployment system such as WPKG. Your disk images will go stale after a while, in which case you'll have to make sure that you can manage the packages installed on clients somehow.

WPKG takes care of the WSUS and group policy-style updates, silently, efficiently, centrally, and works with samba! wpkg.org. We use this across multiple states in a multi-location medium sized business.

Samba also do the have the AD mode, central authentication and profiles, no need to run samba as workgroup... so no need for a windows server for AD

    - Have easy central printer queues
useless... its faster and safer to directly use a printserver and configure the clients to use it.
If the server goes down, you can still print... but if you really want centralized queues, cups already do that, no need for a windows server

    - Have easy central file shares with easy to apply security

ooh good... samba do this since... ever... no need for a windows server

    - Install WSUS on the server. It's a free addon. Poof! Microsoft patch management! (...) Works well and can't beat the price.

yes you can... you still have to pay for a windows server... this ones are free:

depending on what you want, just save bandwidth? try http://update-accelerator.advproxy.net/ or even a plain squid with lots of HD space. this is what most small companies want.

want full control of patchs and all packages/updates installed? check the http://wpkg.org/

as a bonus, something that windows doesnt give you, unattended windows installations, with full patchs and software:
http://unattended.sourceforge.net/

beat this price!

    - Group Policy (install/update software, apply software settings, lock down security on all systems, etc.)

Ok, this one you cant still do with samba3, but samba4 will have this.

if you really need this, check the http://www.nitrobit.com/grouppolicy.html, it can be configures to use samba and a openldap server, but it costs money (but hey, still less than a windows server)

most small companies dont use GPO anyway and most of the more important things can be controled by the local policy (and pushing the .pol file to each client)

    - Login scripts (and have install or apply updates to any updates to programs that don't do updates via WSUS and Group Policy, e.g. Firefox, Java, etc.)

ooh good again... check above... no need for a windows server

    - Oh, and yeah, install your antivirus server here too.

most of then can be installed in any windows, no need for a windows server

So no, there is no need for a AD server

For just installing software:

http://wpkg.org/

For installing windows over a network with applications and drivers preinstalled:
http://unattended.sourceforge.net/

I have yet to try wpkg, but I've been messing with unattended off and on for a while now, and it's pretty good. There are scripts that will automatically download most of the open source applications and place them in the "repository" you create on a samba share that also contains scripts that help install them automatically. The hard part is actually configuring windows from a script. For example:

Enable Status and Address Bar In Explorer
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/registry/57/

Change My Computer Name
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/registry/35/
(here I can "read" the ascii, but I don't know where "20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D" is coming from.

I run into similar problems when trying to make "details" the default view for directories in explorer. I don't have time to look that one up right now, but I had to create it by setting it manually, then doing a diff on the registry, but the config option was for "local user" and I still haven't found where to place it in the "local machine" section.

But anyway, this is about the closest that I've seen to something that is similar to apt for windows. BTW, even though unattended is for installing windows, you can use it to just install applications, bypassing the installation routine.

For this exact reason I'm switching my Active Directory Group Policies to use wpkg in combination with OCS Inventory NG (or maybe GLPI, I'm just starting my research on migrating).

With WPKG you aren't constrained to MSI packages, you can distribute and manage ANY package. With the latest IE security flaw fiasco it got me looking at how to deploy Firefox. This seems to be the best way and should actually make my maintenance jobs much easier.

I've looked at wpkg a few times in the past, but there was a lot of overhead getting the system setup, and adding/deploying new packages. I wouldn't mind a system like that, but I work with several admins that are "Windows Admins". They don't want to deal with anything that isn't point-and-click.

But at work, people are still stuck with Microsoft shit. Why? Mozilla still hasn't released an MSI of Firefox.

I admin servers for several companies. If I could simply push out a copy of Firefox using Group Policy, I would give firefox about 250 additional users first thing tomorrow morning.

For this exact reason I'm switching my Active Directory Group Policies to use wpkg in combination with OCS Inventory NG (or maybe GLPI, I'm just starting my research on migrating).

With WPKG you aren't constrained to MSI packages, you can distribute and manage ANY package. With the latest IE security flaw fiasco it got me looking at how to deploy Firefox. This seems to be the best way and should actually make my maintenance jobs much easier.

You may want to look at wpkg (http://wpkg.org/)

It is a windows package management system based on dpkg.

We use it at work and it appears to work fairly well. Although I don't know for sure, as I'm not the PC admin and I don't run a Windows desktop :)
I just get to hear him saying how much easier it is to manage the PCs with it.

WPKG - http://www.wpkg.org/ - this is a good way to deploy software under Windows (although it's best under Windows 2000 and Windows XP, I believe, at present). Basically, the software connects to a share (Windows server or Samba) at boot up and runs installer scripts.

The "list of packages to install" can be configured differently for individual PCs, if required, or for groups of PCs.

How about http://wpkg.org/? It covers Win98 through XP, works with all manner of installers (MSI, EXE, etc..), can run off a Windows or Linux server, and is completely open source. I set it up for one client who had a linux server with XP clients and we have had pretty good luck with it.

It's a shame they still don't use MSI. Apps would be so much easier to deploy if apps used it, rather than having to write install scripts for every different type of installer. Just take a look at all the work currently necessary.

The only Norton product I like is Ghost.

Give ntfsclone a try. Here's a good tutorial on using it.

It's easily scriptable, and is great in conjuction with ms-sys. If you spend a few minutes customizing something like RIP you can have the restore completely automated.

As a plus, everything's GPL'd. No licesence fees.

IMHO, Unattended + WPKG is still the best option, though...

That's too expensive. The machines came with XP Pro, so what I do is use an Unattended + WPKG setup to reinstall all computers every other week (automated through scripting and WakeOnLan).

I use Unattended for the OS installation and WPKG for applications/updates/configuration/policies (w/ secedit and ActivePerl).

You could use something like WPKG (I haven't tried this), but the upgrade never happens while the users are working (it's not possible with Windows). You have two options - install during next reboot/logon or force a reboot and install during the next startup. If Samba supported GPOs, you might've been able to use that, but it doesn't at this time.