Yes, Tomcat works as a stand-alone web server.
The difference is that Apache is a full fledge web server. Tomcat simply provides support for
JSP,
Servlets and serving up static content. If you are only developing JSP/Servlets there is no reason you shouldn't just stick with Tomcat. On the other hand if you want support for other stuff like PHP or Python, Tomcat shows you no love. By configuring Apache as you main server you can simply add in the modules for anything it supports.
Some also argue about Apache serving up static content faster. The validity of this statement is questionable, but
you should test yourself if it is of interest.
If you would like help configuring Apache/Tomcat check out the Jakarta
Tomcat-User listserv. The question is asked all the time and you can find lots of help.
Jayson Falkner
V.P./CTO, Amberjack Software LLC
Jayson@jspinsider.com www.jspinsider.com [This message has been edited by Jayson Falkner (edited May 08, 2001).]