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It was rather overshadowed by the Windows 7 RC, but last week Microsoft also made available the release candidate for Windows Server 2008 R2:
As many of you know, Windows Server 2008 R2 Release Candidate (RC) is made available today to MSDN and TechNet subscribers, with broader availability from Microsoft.com on May 5th. As our final broad test milestone before RTM, this really is the best chance for you to download Windows Server 2008 R2 and put it through its paces while we continue our march to RTM.
There’s more on the new R2 management features by following the link and you can also check the full pitch on Windows Server 2008 R2, but bear in mind that the R2 means it is an interim release between major Windows Server releases, so don’t expect earth shattering enhancements. The biggies to my mind are the improved management and the new release of Hyper-V virtualization.
Microsoft today released Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. What’s new:
It includes all updates that have been delivered since SP1, as well as support for new types of hardware and emerging hardware standards.
As we have mentioned before, here are some of the key benefits of Windows Vista SP2:
- Windows Search 4.0 for faster and improved relevancy in searches
- Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth Technology
- Ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista
- Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify Wi-Fi Configuration
- Windows Vista SP2 enables the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones.
For "updates" in the first line, read "bug fixes" and you’ll get the drift – it’s a roll-up of all fixes plus minor feature upgrades which is just what a service pack should be.
Venturing a bit off topic – here’s a quote from the post above that I enjoyed:
Business customers with Windows Vista will find that the transition from Windows Vista to Windows 7 will be significantly more straightforward due to the high degree of compatibility between Windows Vista and Windows 7. If your Windows Vista SP1 deployment is already underway we recommend you continue with SP1 as planned. Then you can deploy SP2 using your systems management infrastructure. If you are in the early stages of deployment or still planning Windows Vista deployment our best advice is that you plan on testing and deploying Windows Vista SP2.
If you are like many of the business customers I talk to, you’ll just keep on installing Windows XP until Windows 7 arrives whereupon you’ll go through an evaluation process while still installing Windows XP until you are sure Windows 7 is not a dud.
From the Home Server Team Blog:
We are pleased to announce Windows Home Server Power Pack 2. Power Pack 2 fixes known issues and adds new features to improve the Windows Home Server experience. Enhancements include: Improvements to remote access configuration, enhanced functionality for computers running Windows Media Center, and content streaming support for Windows Media Center Extenders. Power Pack 2 adds Italian language support on new home servers.
Power Pack 2 will be made available via Windows Update. Users need to have Windows Home Server with Power Pack 1 already installed on their home server. Power Pack 2 will automatically install as part of Windows Update if Automatic Updates is enabled on the home server.
The English version release date is today, March 24 with other languages available before the end of April. Follow the link for more details on the new features.
I am an enthusiastic user of Windows Home Server for backup only for which it is invaluable. If you have a home network and would be upset if you lost all the data on your PC, then it is hard to beat as a turnkey, "hands off" backup solution. The remote access and media serving features are of no use to me, but likely have their own fans.
I do wonder though whether WHS is making any money since it is a product that only techies or at least power users could love which eliminates the bulk of the home market. I would hate for it to disappear.
Microsoft’s Mike Nash today announced that a beta Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 will be available for public preview starting December 4:
Beginning Thursday Dec. 4th, we will be making the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Beta available to everyone through a Customer Preview Program (CPP). The CPP will launch on TechNet and be available to anyone interested in trying out this service pack. The CPP is intended for technology enthusiasts, developers, and IT Pros who would like to test Service Pack 2 in their environments and with their applications prior to final release. For most customers, our best advice would be to wait until the final release prior to installing this service pack.
For those of you who choose to test this service pack, we encourage you to install the beta as soon as you can; your feedback will help us to ship a solid and stable service pack for Windows Vista.
Microsoft has posted a list of notable changes in SP2 and frankly I don’t see anything earthshaking there so, as expected, SP2 will be a roll-up of fixes plus some incremental enhancements.
