http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2008/04/setting-up-subversion-on-windows.html
I am following this as a guide to install subversion. The tutorial at the time dealt with version 1.4.6 but the latest version is different. Is this tutorial valid still?
also there is no mention about installing the apache server.
EDIT: I want to install on windows. I meant apache 2.2 httpd server not tomcat
No, the Subversion plugin for Apache is a WebDAV module. No Java or Tomcat involved.
The most typical server setup is to install with Apache Http Server, not Tomcat.
In my experience, this is much easier on Linux than Windows. If you're going to install on windows, you're best bet is probably the Collabnet distribution
The tutorial your question links to covers installing svnserve which uses the dedicated svn: protocol.
SVN can also be installed using mod_dav_svn which is an Apache httpd module and works over HTTP.
Apache Tomcat is a Java webserver and has nothing to do with SVN.
If this is a windows server, then you will probably have an easier time if you install Visual SVN Server. http://www.visualsvn.com/server/ It's a one-shot installer for everything you need.
You only need Apache (however, beware of the version: Check if subversion match the apache version).
You can follow the "old" tutorial and will work. You can try to use the all-ready package as suggested or use something like http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html to easy install & management of subversion.
The first time will be a bit hard if you have not experience with apache, but the tutorial in the help is easy to follow (is better/easier the instructions of TortoiseSVN than the ones of Subversion)
The tutorial is still valid, nothing has changed structurally between 1.4 & 1.6.
The tutorial installs so that you connect to the repository using svn://
It's when you want to connect using http:// that you need to install apache.
The tutorial is no help there, see the other answers, particularly the ones about installing visualsvn.
It depends on your goals. If you need the repository to be accessible via http:// or https:// (commonly accessible through firewalls) then you'll need Apache. If you're OK only accessing the repository via the svn:// protocol, then Apache is strictly optional.
You might also want to take a look at the Subversion book. It's a good resource in general, and the section on choosing a server configuration covers this far better and in more detail than I can.
And as others have mentioned, if you decide you do need Apache, VisualSVN server makes it drop dead easy for a Windows setup.