tudy .ro – Tudor Damian
I plan to live forever. So far, so good.
SCE 2010 RC is out
Jan 20th
Yesterday, David Mills, Senior Product Manager on System Center announced that the System Center Essentials 2010 Release Candidate is available. This is from the Nexus SC blog:
Microsoft® System Center Essentials 2010 provides a unified IT management solution that enables you to simply and efficiently perform complex management tasks across virtual and physical servers, PCs, hardware, software and IT services from a single console.
Essentials 2010 -
- Delivers single console monitoring and management with summary information, common tasks, alerts and reports, allowing you to quickly see and manage your IT environment.
- Provides rapid provisioning, importation, management and live migration of virtual servers.
- Simplifies complex management tasks like packaging and deploying software, and configuring Microsoft and third-party updates.
- Helps quickly solve problems using integrated alerting, expert knowledge and troubleshooting for servers, PCs and IT services running in your IT environment.
Free eBook: Deploying Windows 7
Oct 29th
A very useful free eBook is available on Microsoft Downloads: Deploying Windows® 7 Essential Guidance
Overview:
Microsoft’s eBook Deploying Windows® 7 Essential Guidance from the Windows 7 Resource Kit and TechNet Magazine combine selected chapters written by industry experts Mitch Tulloch, Tony Northrup, Jerry Honeycutt, Ed Wilson, and the Windows 7 Team with select Windows 7 articles from TechNet Magazine. Sample topics include: Deployment Platform, Planning Deployment, Testing Application Compatability, and 8 Common Issues in Windows 7 Migrations.
Microsoft Security Essentials is available!
Sep 30th
Microsoft Security Essentials, the free antivirus from Microsoft is finally out of beta. 
It’s available for XP, Vista and Windows 7 users (both x86 and x64), with the sole mention that your PC must run genuine Windows in order to install it.
Microsoft launches Open Source foundation
Sep 14th
Microsoft and Open Source: now there’s two things we rarely see in the same sentence. Even so, Microsoft recently announced they will start and fund a non-profit open source software development foundation, called CodePlex Foundation.
Exchange Server 2010 RC
Aug 19th
As promised, Microsoft has delivered a public Release Candidate (RC) version of Exchange Server 2010. It’s available in three different ways:
Trial Software
The new Exchange Server 2010 Release Candidate is here. Download this 120-day free release candidate version and try the new features in your own environment. When you register for the Exchange Server 2010 RC software you will automatically receive valuable product evaluation resources assembled in one convenient location.
Virtual Hard Drive
The Microsoft VHD Test Drive Program provides customers with an enhanced server-based software evaluation experience that’s faster, better supported, and more flexible. You can now access the entire catalog of pre-configured Microsoft and partner products and solutions in the VHD format and start evaluating and testing today.
Online Trial
Experience the new world of Software plus Services through Microsoft Exchange Online, which enables you to try all the messaging and calendaring functionality you need with none of the administrative burden.
Enjoy!
Last chance to get Windows 7 RC
Aug 19th
Just a quick reminder: you’ve got just a couple more days to download Windows 7 RC if you want to get a free legit copy of Windows 7 before October, because the Windows 7 Release Candidate Downloads End August 20th.
The official Windows 7 release date may be set for October 22nd, but if you’re not eager to buy the new OS yet, you can still go download the very usable Release Candidate for free through August 20th, which is tomorrow.
XP mode RC for Windows 7
Aug 5th
Microsoft has released updated bits of Windows XP Mode for Windows 7.
XP Mode is a method to provide better compatibility in Windows 7, and to pull it off with as little trouble as possible. It’s also dubbed XPM, or formerly Virtual XP. XPM is built on the next generation Microsoft Virtual PC 7 product line, which requires processor-based virtualization support (Intel and AMD) to be present and enabled on the underlying PC.
Microsoft has made the following changes from beta to RC:
- You can now attach USB devices to Windows XP Mode applications directly from the Windows 7 task-bar. This means your USB devices, such as printers and flash drives, are available to applications running in Windows XP Mode, without the need to go into full screen mode.
- You can now access Windows XP Mode applications with a “jump-list”. Right click on the Windows XP Mode applications from the Windows 7 task bar to select and open most recently used files.
- You now have the flexibility of customizing where Windows XP Mode differencing disk files are stored.
- You can now disable drive sharing between Windows XP Mode and Windows 7 if you do not need that feature.
- The initial setup now includes a new user tutorial about how to use Windows XP Mode.
Windows XP Mode RC requires RC or RTM version of Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate or Enterprise. It also requires an additional 1 GB of RAM, 15 GB of available disk space, and processor capable of hardware virtualization with AMD-V or Intel VT turned on in the BIOS. XP Mode RC is available from the Microsoft Virtual PC site.
