to sata or not to sata (etch dvd install)

[baldyeti <e_fax_t@hotmail.com>]

Hello,

I haven't built a computer in over 3 years.
I seem to remember people mentioning difficulties
installing etch (or was it sarge?) from a sata dvdrom.
Is there a reason to stick to IDE(PATA) for the
cd/dvd unit or can i safely go for an all sata
(HD&DVD) setup?

On a related note, is there real advantage in enabling
AHCI over IDE emulation, in particular if the latter
eases dual-booting with XP?

Besides trying alternative debian-based distros like
mepis or kanotix, is there a more official way of
installing stable whilst using a more recent kernel
in case this is needed for HW support?

TIA,

--bald