Do I need a "Server" computer, for .Net server development in VMs?

Question

I want to do some home development with SharePoint 2010. This requires a 64 bit computer, and hence a new computer for me.

I also like to do my development in VM's - I've found that VS 2010 on a VM runs nicely, and keeps down the amount of "clutter" in the development environment.

So, on my new computer I would like to run several server OS's instances (of Win2008), in VMs. 8 GB RAM is probably required.

Looking at the computer market, it seems that computers designed as "servers" are much more expensive than desktops.

For this home development project, is there any reason I couldn't use a much cheaper "desktop" computer, or laptop, dedicated as a "server", so long as it supports 64 bits, multiple cores and 8GB RAM?

---

Edit - 19 OCT 2010

I discovered that the more expensive "server" computers have ruggedised hardware and Xeon CPU, designed for 100% uptime. They are also too noisy for home use. I got a very nice 6 core AMD, with 8 GB RAM in a (almost silent) desktop box, for half the price of a comparable Xeon system. The only problem was finding a spare keyboard, mouse and monitor for the initial installation. Now it's humming away nicely on the network, using Remote Desktop.

Answer 1

In a nutshell, for development purposes you are very unlikely to need a dedicated server machine and will be able to run required services on your development machine.

You will simply need the memory / disk resources required by your app in it's development state.

Answer 2

There's no reason you can't do what you're suggesting. I recommend getting at least one separate HDD to dedicate to the VMs, separate to your host OS.