Registration begins: April 27, 2009

You are invited to take beta exam 71-680: TS: Windows 7, Configuring. If you pass the beta exam, the exam credit will be added to your transcript and you will not need to take the exam in its released form. The 71-xxx identifier is used for registering for beta versions of MCP exams, when the exam is released in its final form the 70-xxx identifier is used for registration.
By participating in beta exams, you have the opportunity to provide the Microsoft Certification program with feedback about exam content, which is integral to development of exams in their released version. We depend on the contributions of experienced IT professionals and developers as we continually improve exam content and maintain the value of Microsoft certifications.

71-680: TS: Windows 7, Configuring counts as credit towards the following certification(s).

· MCTS: Windows 7, Configuration

Learn more here

My good friend Kristan M. Kenney who writes all those popular cool tweak guides for Windows Vista received news this evening that he was awarded the Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) Award for 2007 to 2008 in the category Shell User. Kris Kenney regularly maintains a blog at http://www.windows-now.com in addition to http://www.msblog.org  and he also maintains a personal blog on Windows Live Space at http://km-kenney.spaces.live.com/default.aspx

A well deserved awardee, Kris and I started testing Windows Vista at BETA 1 and he has experimented and tested the OS in so many ways I can only imagine. Finding productive ways to improve the end users experience on the operating system, his passion for technology shows through the many thorough articles and guides he has written for Windows Vista in addition to his kindness and willingness to help others. Again, congratulations Kris and keep up the great work you are doing!

Resources:

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional

For years, Microsoft has instituted BetaPlace as your pre-release software portal. Starting in mid 2005, Microsoft introduced Connect 1.0 as the replacement for Betaplace. Connect features more user control and feed tools plus better interaction with the developer teams. It also includes a voting system which enables you and fellow testers to give reports a high priority. Although its still its early phases, it has improved greatly and is upgraded rapidly with new enhancements on a regular basis.

The last product to be used by Beta Place was Office 12, now Office 2007. Future pre-release software will now move to Connect.

To sign up for technical testing, you now go to http:/connect.microsoft.com.

Resources:
http://blogs.msdn.com/connectfeedback/default.aspx

Quote

New Windows XP MSCONFIG

Microsoft has released an updated version of their System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe) for Windows XP. The System Configuration utility automates the routine troubleshooting steps used when diagnosing system configuration issues.

 

This adds a Tools Tab allowing further diagnostic tools to be launched from within the System Configuration Utility.

 

While Microsoft has a “How to troubleshoot using MSCONFIG” document, I can not stress that you must be extremely careful when using msconfig, you can easily inadvertently disable services that may be vital to boot your system! 

NOTE: The only reported problem is that you may still have the older version of MSCONFIG installed (you’ll need to ensure you’re running the newer version, and/or delete the older version.)

 Or. . .download either the FREE StartMan or Startup Control Panel programs which are more efficient at configuring which programs/services run when your computer starts.

NOTE: This download requires Windows Genuine Advantage.

By making significant investments to put more resources in the field, the VP who heads Microsoft's North America sales force, Bill Veghte, says the company can provide deeper industry-specific expertise and greater local presence.

PressPass: What are the changes you are making to the Enterprise Sales team?

Veghte: There are two important changes that we’ve put into motion this week. First, we are implementing a strategic realignment that will enable us to provide a more consistent customer experience -- one that includes deep industry expertise, technical specialization and rich relationships at a local level. Second, we are making significant investments that will put more resources in the field organizations so that we can deliver the right resources, against the right opportunity, at the right time.

PressPass: Why realign the enterprise sales force? And why do it now?

Veghte: Customers are asking us for it. They are facing complex business challenges, and they have told us they want us to help them. As our business has evolved over the last five years, and our product portfolio has grown larger than ever before, we have a wealth of technologies, products, services and partner-based solutions to address customer needs. We are being asked to position those for customers in great technical depth and in the context of their specific industry. By doing that with our customers, we can unlock enormous potential to improve our customers' businesses.

Second, when I look at the next 12-18 months, I cannot help but get excited. There are some incredible products in the development pipeline. We have ground-breaking new products including "Longhorn," the next generation of the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 and server advances like Microsoft SQL Server 2005. These products will help our customers do extraordinary things; to enable that, we must have the right resources in place and work with our partner community to provide excellent sales, service and support. When customers are ready to upgrade to these innovative products, we must be ready as well --- this means readying our sales and partner management organizations now.

Read the rest here
He got me excited about Longhorn!

The Yankee Group has hit back at critics in the Linux community who have claimed that its surveys comparing Linux and Microsoft Windows are not impartial.

Its latest survey, published on Monday, reported that Microsoft Windows Server 2003 is at least as good if not better than Linux, in terms of quality, performance and reliability.

Laura DiDio, an analyst at the Yankee Group who has been at the receiving end of much of the criticism from Linux advocates, claimed the radical elements of the community could damage the reputation of open source software.

"There's an extremist fringe of Linux loonies who hang out on forums and are disrespectful and threatening because you disagree with them," DiDio told ZDNet UK on Wednesday. "That can hurt the Linux community."

DiDio feels she has been unfairly criticized on open source forums, including being nicknamed DiDiot, and has even had Linux advocates contacting her at home. "I've had these nut jobs calling me at 11 o'clock at night," said DiDio.

The reactionary nature of much of the open source community is something that DiDio claims is unique in the software industry. "I've lived through the Unix wars — none of them reacted in this way," said DiDio. "It's just software. This has got way out of proportion."

Some of DiDio's critics have claimed that Yankee Group's surveys comparing the total cost of ownership of Linux and Windows have been funded by Microsoft. DiDio strongly denies this claim.

"I don't take any money from any vendor," said DiDio. "Yankee Group paid entirely for the survey. We use an independent survey house."

Yankee Group surveyed executives at over 500 companies, asking them questions on factors that influence TCO such as deployment costs, the cost of downtime, and the time and staff associated with security attacks.

Read the rest here

Didiot, now thats taking it a bit too far!

Microsoft is attributing the six-month delay for its Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition product to customer and partner feedback.

Microsoft acknowledged on Tuesday night that it is running about six months behind schedule with its high-end Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition (CCE) product. A week ago, company officials said Microsoft expected to release an updated beta of the product, formerly known as Windows Server High Performance Computing Edition, in the first half of this year, with final product release likely before the end of calendar 2005.

But Tuesday, a Microsoft spokeswoman provided new, later ship targets, citing customer and partner feedback as the reason for the delay. Both groups are requesting the highest levels of ease of use and manageability, the spokeswoman said.

"Microsoft has collected customer and partner feedback on product features and specifications to ensure this first version release is tailored properly for our target customer segment – scale-out, personal and department supercomputing. To ensure this feedback is incorporated, Microsoft is now planning to deliver the first beta to customers in the second half of 2005 and the final release is scheduled for first half 2006," said the spokeswoman in a statement.

Microsoft is planning refresh the Compute Cluster Edition software development kit (SDK) this summer, the spokeswoman added. The kit was originally distributed to select ISVs and OEMs in late 2004.

Microsoft is anticipating the target user base for the CCE SKU to be broader than traditional academic and government supercomputing base.

Read the rest here

Chicago (IL) - Microsoft is quickly approaching the release date of the 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional. Following the release of RC2, the final version is expected within the first half of this year. Many unknown factors about the 64-bit desktop market still surround the introduction, but Microsoft believes that "millions" of users will make the switch to the new desktop OS within the first year after release.

The computer industry now is well into the era of 64-bit computing with AMD's 64-bit processors on the market for about two years and Intel's desktop processors now catching up. What is still missing is a 64-bit Windows operating system for desktop mass market.

However, Microsoft says it is on track to meet its goal for a delivery of the final version of Windows XP Professional x64 during the first half of this year. "We are just out with the second release candidate and we plan this to be last one," said Brian Marr, senior product manager for Windows. However the release pf RC2 was characteristic for the whole development process of the first desktop version of a 64-bit Windows.

The download of the release candidate was delayed for several days, due to a "website hiccup", as we were told. Windows XP 64-bit was demonstrated the first time in a technical preview back in May of 2001 with indicated delivery dates of 2003 and 2004. According to Marr, delays were not just caused by the different 64-bit strategies of AMD and Intel, but also by the "complexity" of the Windows product family. "At times we had to shift developer over to higher priority products such as the Windows Media Center Edition, the Service Pack 2, and then shift them back onto x64."

Looking back into the 64-bit history, it is however quite obvious, that Microsoft had to deal with some missteps, especially of Intel. Intel believed in a radical shift towards 64-bit with its Itanium processors for workstations and servers and convinced Microsoft to offer a Windows XP version for the IA-64 platform. As it turned out, demand was weak to non-existent for Itaniums on workstations and Microsoft ceased production of the IA-64 Windows XP Pro in September 2004, according to Marr. "The Itanium wasn't the right processor for workstations. There were too many sacrifices in terms of performance. The Xeon offers a much smoother transition for workstations."

Read the rest here

Well I know for 64 bit is gonna be in my next desktop PC, but I'm waiting until there is a sure enough set of applications and hardware products that will take advantage of the platform for now. I also want to make sure my HP 840c Printer works well with it. ;-) And of course my next laptop has to be a Tablet PC, which is just absolutely cool the ability to write instead type and still have all in one functionality of both keyboard and stylus. Early or mid 2006 should be time I start investing in these technologies, cost and significance are two reasons why haven't taken the steps acquire them yet.

Well, I think its about time! Service Pack 2 offers a way better security experience compared to Windows XP's initial release, from the pop-up blocker to a very much improved FireWall.

Quote

XP Service Pack 2 - Reminder

Reminder:

Having been over at one of my usual hangouts at Bink.nu I came across this (which I must say I forgot about). I had the RC1, RC2 and then Final Builds of SP2 so I'm covered. However if you have not installed it yet take note - and if you are a corporate user, perhaps you should remind your IT Department.....

Quote

Bink.nu | REMINDER REGARDING BLOCKING SP2 DOWNLOADS VIA AU AND WU
The intent of this alert is to provide you with a reminder about the upcoming deadline around the date on which Automatic Updates (AU) and Windows Update (WU) will deliver Windows XP SP2 regardless of the presence of the blocking mechanism. This dateline is quickly approaching.

Based on customer feedback, Microsoft provided the ability to temporarily block the delivery of Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) via Automatic Update (AU) and Windows Update (WU) in August 2004, so that our customers can complete their testing and implementation of their deployment mechanism for SP2.Beginning 12 April 2005 this temporarily blocking mechanism will expire and systems with Automatic Update enabled or interactively download SP2 via Windows Update will begin receiving SP2.

Note that this is also the scheduled day for the monthly cumulative release of security updates.Microsoft strongly encourage customers to take the appropriate steps to implement SP2 deployment decisions by that time. More information and guidance about this temporary blocking mechanism at source.

Yesterday I posted some information about 64 Bit and how Longhorn will probably be last 32 bit version of Windows. As 64 bit hardware will become very popular among PC buyers who want the best bang for their buck. I stumbled upon this great website that gives great insight into the technology itself. The author of the blog is member of Windows x64 Team, great site please do check out.

http://weblogs.asp.net/craigmcmurtry/

Here's a snippet from his website about compiling Windows, really interesting:
At Microsoft, I’m told that we’ve switched to using x64 machines to compile our Windows operating systems, and the effects have been stunning.  Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 took 9 hours to compile on x86 machines, but just 3 hours on x64s.  Longhorn took 18 hours to build on x86 machines, but just 6 hours on x64s!

Update: Chris Hedlund, I would appreciate if you could stop using your nasty language on my blog, and I would also appreciate it if you could stop visiting my blog all together.

Nick McGrath, head of platform strategy for Microsoft in the UK, said that the myths surrounding the open source operating system are rapidly being exploded, and that customers are dismissing Linux as too immature to cope with mission-critical computing.

"The biggest challenge we need to face centres on the myth and reality. There are lots of myths out there as to what Linux can do. One myth we see is that Linux is more secure than Windows. Another is that there are no viruses for Linux," said McGrath.

"Who is accountable for the security of the Linux kernel? Does Red Hat, for example, take responsibility? It cannot, as it does not produce the Linux kernel. It produces one distribution of Linux.

"In Microsoft's world customers are confidant that we take responsibility. They know that they will get their upgrades and patches."

McGrath went on to claim that another Linux myth centres on the number of open source developers who work to create the operating system.

"There a myth in the market that there are hundreds of thousands of people writing code for the Linux kernel. This is not the case; the number is hundreds, not thousands," he said.

Read the rest here

I agree with Nick very much about the part concerning the Linux community promoting the idea that thousands of people around the world working on the Open Source OS is not true. A Business week article on Linux and Linus Torvald proved such as point, that Linux is actually being developed by a small group of people allocated by large company's such as Intel, IBM, Novell. When you look at it that way, its actually not open source anymore.

Microsoft has two new releases of its integration server in the pipeline. The first is expected to ship later this year.  Microsoft is readying has two new releases of its BizTalk integration server in the pipeline, the first of which is expected to ship this year.

Microsoft is working on BizTalk Server 2006 (code-named "Pathfinder") and the Longhorn Server wave BizTalk release (known as Beyond BizTalk Server 2006), according to company insiders. Microsoft shipped its most recent BizTalk release, BizTalk 2004, in April of last year. Until last spring, Microsoft was planning to make future versions of BizTalk part of an integrated E-business server bundle. But based on customer and partner feedback, according to company officials, Microsoft nixed plans to bundle BizTalk, Content Management Server, Commerce Server and Host Integration Server, and opted instead to continue to release them as standalone, but interrelated, products.

Read the rest here