Microsoft News Tracker

Day 2 seems to have been Windows Server Day at WinHEC 2007 with Bill Laing, general manager of Microsoft’s Windows Server Division orchestrating the show. While there were some spiffy demos (e.g. hot swap) the only new news seemed to come out in the discussion of the roadmap for Windows Server operating system products ([1],[2]) where it was revealed that Windows Server 2008 R2 would be 64-bit only and that Windows Server 2008 would be the last 32-bit operating system, client or server, that Microsoft would release. Presumably that injunction does not apply to variants of Windows Server 2008 like Home Server which in beta, at least, are 32-bit and of course versions like Centro and Cougar (i.e. Small Business Server) were already scheduled to be 64-bit only because they include Exchange 2007 which is 64-bit only.

Windows Server OS Roadmap

• 2007: Windows Server 2008
• 2007: Windows Home Server
• 2008: Windows Server, codename “Centro”
• 2008: Windows Server, codename “Cougar”
• 2008: Windows Storage Server “Longhorn”
• 2009: Windows Server 2008 R2

Finally, Mark Russinovich’s interesting keynote description of some of the kernel changes in Windows Server 2008 (e.g. no more specific uniprocessor kernel variants) is summarized by Peter Galli at eWeek.

Microsoft’s Bungie Studios announced yesterday that the release date for Halo 3 has been moved up to September 25. Halo 3 is the latest sequel in their massively popular Xbox shoot-em-up series which is truly the game that “built the franchise” for the original Xbox and so there is great interest to see if will pull Xbox 360 sales out of the doldrums.

The idea of an early release is also novel in the game biz and more particularly since last week’s Halo 3 preview left a number of reviewers thinking it needed more work. Regardless, Microsoft is also today launching a multiplayer Halo 3 preview on Xbox Live that will certainly draw adverse commentary if the game is not up to snuff.

Finally, similar to Hollywood movies, Halo has a large tie-in merchandise business and Microsoft kicked it off with a new Halo-themed Zune with Halo content on the drive. I don’t think that will do it for me, but I am intrigued with the $129.99 “legendary edition” that is packaged with a “large metal helmet that looks like the one worn by the game’s protagonist, Master Chief.” Unfortunately, looking at it on Amazon it is apparently not wearable.

Update: Perhaps not surprisingly due to the popular interest, the multiplayer Halo 3 beta test got off to a rocky start.

The parade of announcements (and hype) at Microsoft’s Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) 2007 actually started on Sunday with 9 office phone companies signing onboard Microsoft’s Unified Communications push, but the action really started yesterday with Bill Gates’ kickoff presentation:

• Bill Gates started things off with an encomium to Windows Vista complete with yet another wacky IDC study revealing the philosopher’s stone-like ability of Vista and now Windows Server 2008 to create economic growth. 
• Gates also reported that ”40 million Windows Vista licenses have been sold as of 100 days after its January launch, confirming that Windows Vista is the fastest-selling operating system in history.” This means licenses ”sold to the channel” and not necessarily installed, but even disregarding that, 40 million in 100 days is pretty much business as usual in a year when over 250 million PCs will be sold, almost all with Microsoft operating systems. If Vista wasn’t the fastest selling OS in history it would be time to administer CPR.

Getting away from the self congratulation part of the festivities:

• The rumor was confirmed and Gates formally introduced Windows Server “Longhorn” as Windows Server 2008 and touted it to the assembled Microsoft partners.
• For some reason, there was also some PR juice for Windows Rally Technologies, which are some Microsoft communications technologies introduced with Vista but which have only found their way into 20 shipping devices so far.
• Finally, Gates revealed some new Windows Home Server hardware and software partners.

If this seems a little ho-hum, I think it is and a rather soporific production for what is supposed to be Bill Gates’ final WinHEC appearance.