PREVIEW: Windows Server 8

PREVIEW: Windows Server 8

Windows Server 8:

So Far, So Good....

Windows 8 may be grabbing all the headlines in the personal computing world, but a certain kind of IT staff is paying as much—if not more—attention to Microsoft’s latest announcements in the business world: the release of Windows Server 8. This latest release of Server arguably represents the most wide-sweeping

update to the OS since Server 2000 from NT 4.0. The changes are not in the overall

interface (except for in Server Manager and AD), but under-the-hood boosts and advancements in virtualization, clustering, Active Directory management, networking and just about every other capability in Windows Server. Of course, Windows Server 8, which many speculate will be released in 2012, is still in pre-beta developer code. Whether or not it gets the thumbs up depends on its addressing two major needs. The first: revamping the OS to meet the demands for cloud computing, virtualization and the continued “consumerization of IT.” The second is to make certain that sweeping changes won’t force longtime Windows server admins to re-learn administrative tasks or have to make changes to infrastructure to roll it out. So far, Windows Server 8 appears to achieve both goals. Here’s a rundown of some of the most impressive features we’ve

seen in our early peek at Server 8:

                    New Deployment Options: Server 8 can be deployed in three modes: Full GUI (the interface, on boot up, is not discernible from Server 2008 R2), Full Server without parts of the graphical shell (namely Explorer and IE removed), and Server Core—which is a bare-bones install in which PowerShell is used for management. While you could deploy server core in 2008 R2, Server 8 allows you to do something new: move back and forth from a full graphical interface to the core without having to reinstall.

                   PowerShell: Microsoft is strongly advocating using the greatly expanded Power- Shell over the GUI for many tasks in Server 8. Using PowerShell only requires a core installation, which make the OS very lightweight and able to run efficiently on lower

spec’ed machines.

                  Server Manager’s New Look: In a UI that is a bit reminiscent of Windows Phone 7—  and definitely influenced by Windows 8 client— Server Manager has a new tile-based design. A clean and modern dashboard allows admins to perform multi-machine management. Server 8 is looking to be a well-engineered, future-facing business OS that will be able to meet the tech needs of business for quite some time. How business technology responds to it will be interesting to witness.

Eight things you should know about windows 8

Eight things you should know about windows 8 …

The highly anticipated new Windows OS will

feature a number of radical improvements.

Here are eight features to look

forward to when it comes out this year.

Windows 8 represents the most radical change to Microsoft’s operating

system in quite a long time--perhaps ever. The OS features a number of new

additions and improvements, ranging from a fresh “Metro” interface that was

heavily inspired by Redmond’s Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system, to

one of the most talked about changes: Compatibility with non-Intel-powered

architectures. This change makes it capable of running on ARM-based computing

devices.

For the most part, Microsoft has been tight-lipped regarding when Windows

8 will ship, how much the operating system will cost, or if it will come in several

different editions similar to Windows 7. The general consensus, however,

is that Windows 8 will launch in fall 2012, which is a timeframe based on offthe-

cuff executive statements and leaked schedules. In addition, Windows 7

launched about a year after its 2008 PDC debut, so a fall 2012 timetable isn’t

Unreasonable.

At the BUILD convention in Anaheim, California, several weeks ago, we

were able to get our hands on Windows 8’s developer’s build, and unboxed a

Samsung Windows Developer Preview PC. Here are the eight most noteworthy

new additions to Windows in Windows 8.

1]It Runs On ARM Chips

Perhaps the biggest Windows change is word that Redmond’s new operating system will now also run on machines other than those using Intel-compatible processors. Windows 8 will be able to run on devices powered by ARM-based architectures. This will enable the OS to run on a wide range of computing devices from desktops to tablets.

2]it Has a New Interface

Windows comes with several design changes, the most notable being the new Metro interface, which co-exists with a more traditional Windows 7-like desktop design. You switch to Metro my clicking the “Start” button, and switch back by clicking the “Computer” tile. In a similar fashion as Mac OS X Lion borrowed heavily from Apple’s iOS, Windows 8 borrows heavily from Windows Phone 7. The new operating

system features “live tiles,” which lets users access apps and view updated live information (such as notifications). In addition, Windows 8 will offer both full and partial screen views of apps, a snap feature that puts one app in a sidebar, a Word-like ribbon comes to Windows Explorer, and the File Manager has been streamlined.

3] It Has a Tablet -

           Centric Multitouch Interface

Touch gestures have become a vital part of our day-to-day experiences—you bring a finger to the screens on your smart phones, tablets, monitors, and other devices. Microsoft has showcased touch navigation in Windows 8 with side-to-side swipes between apps (as you can in OS X Lion), a snap gesture that brings a running background app into a sidebar next to your main app, and a split-touch keyboard that makes for easier thumb input when you’re holding a tablet.

4]Its Developer’s Preview Is Available Now

Microsoft recently released a developer preview, which you can sample if you wish to get the early jump on Windows 8. (We did; see our hands-on look by clicking here.) The download, which includes a 64-bit (x64) build with development tools to build apps and a 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) build without development tools, is available in the Windows Dev Center. Warning: There’s no support hotline available should you

encounter a problem, but Microsoft will push out fixes for major issues that may arise.

5]It Has Xbox Live Support

Microsoft plans to unify its PC gaming and console gaming experience—hopefully—

by bringing Xbox Live to the desktop. Scarce details are know about what this

union entails, but Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb, the director of programming for Xbox, wrote in a blog post that “Bringing Xbox Live to Windows 8 is part of our vision to bring you all the entertainment you want, shared with

the people you care about, made easy.”

6]It Has Built -In

         Cloud Features

Windows 8 features tight integration with Microsoft’s cloud-based services. Every Windows 8 user will have a SkyDrive account (using either a previously created

account, or a new one), in which they can access files stored on Skydrive just as on the

local machine. Windows 8 will also let users connect to another system on which they’ve linked Skydrive, giving them access to files on that system—even across firewalls.

7]It Has an

        App Store

Similar to Mac OS X’s desktop Mac App Store, Microsoft has a Windows Store

in Windows 8. The Windows Store differs from the Mac App Store in that it allows users to sample software in trial periods. It includes a Spotlight section of curated apps

recommended by Microsoft, as well as several categories such as Games, Productivity,

and Photography (you can also search by name). Non-Metro style desktop apps will

also be sold in the Windows Apps Store.

8]It Has Enhanced

         Security

We know, we know....each version of Windows touts enhanced security. But Windows

8 ups the security ante by checking at boot time that only trusted components are

loaded, expanding Windows Defender to include full antivirus protection, and an App

Reputation protection that prevents you from installing dubious apps.

A Smartphone OS For Beginners

Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango”

A Smartphone OS

For Beginners  .....

Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5, otherwise known as “Mango,” is sweet. It’s full of people-centric features that make it easier to stay in touch with friends and family, to communicate, and to share ideas. It’s easier to use than Android, and in many ways slicker than Apple’s iOS. But since it doesn’t support most forms of 4G or the latest hardware, it may not get the phones or promotion it deserves.

                                  Mango brings dozens, if not hundreds, of new features to Windows Phone. It has a much better browser, limited multitasking, Twitter and LinkedIn integration, a terrific interface for creating ad-hoc groups of friends, better ways for apps to give you useful information, the option for Wi-Fi hotspot mode, and much more.

       Windows Phone 7 has always been activity- centered rather than app-centered. Its hubs let you focus on ideas like “people,” “pictures,” or “music” rather than about which particular app or service you need at the moment.

    

                My favorite new Mango feature is the new Groups option in the People hub. With Facebook and Twitter added to your phone book, you’re probably going to have a lot of contacts. Groups help you make sense of them. I don’t use Facebook because I find it overwhelming, but Mango makes me want to use it again. I set up a Family group and saw only the updates and photo albums from my family; a Work group showed only updates and photo albums from colleagues. We move in multiple circles, and Mango lets your phone reflect that.

              The new IE9 browser brings Windows Phone up to par with the latest browsers on other platforms. It still doesn’t support Flash, but it handles HTML5 and has solid performance, though its benchmarks fell below those of the latest Android 2.3 and BlackBerry 7 phones on our tests.

                                          What’s not so ripe about Mango? Unfortunately, Microsoft’s hardware spec is behind the times, which will prevent Mango from getting much traction. The OS doesn’t support LTE or WiMAX, which means that neither Verizon nor Sprint will promote it with enthusiasm. It doesn’t support dualcore processors, the current state of the art, or the latest GPUs. And it only allows an 800-by-480 screen resolution. Still, Mango is a world-class operating system, and I think many people, especially smartphone newcomers, would prefer it to market leader Android and to the declining BlackBerry OS. Now Microsoft needs to focus on the other aspects of the phone experience—hardware, marketing, and sales—to make sure that this Mango doesn’t rot on the shelf