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Microsoft borrows from Xbox and PCs to improve enterprise services
Microsoft is taking inspiration from its Xbox and desktop beta tests, and bringing faster updates to its (admittedly tamer) Windows Server arm. Starting later this year, the company plans to deliver two rounds of updates each year, one in spring and one in fall, for Server customers. It's started things off with a new Insider Preview for Windows Server -- just like Microsoft does with other services. It has been planning a beta program for a while, and this should bring some of its enterprise offerings closer to the faster (and yeah, we know, more interesting) Xbox and Windows 10 desktop updates.
Windows RT and Server 2012 updates mentioned in recent 8.1 leak
Windows Blue, Windows 8.1, Windows 8 SP1... whatever Microsoft wants to call it, it's coming soon. And along with it there will be updates to its RT and Server products too. References to Windows RT 8.1 Preview and Windows Server 2012 R2 were found buried in a DLL of a leaked build of Blue. (Build number 9374, to be specific.) The mentions turned up in basebrd.dll.mui, if you're wondering what file to start rifling through. Don't get too excited, though: there's basically no info to glean other than their existence -- which is no surprise at all. Hopefully all of the much whispered about updates will arrive sooner, rather than later, and pack a few tweaks that will make the Microsoft faithful feel a little bit more at home.
Microsoft announces Q1 earnings with $5.31 billion in profit, braces for Windows 8 surge
It's Microsoft's turn at quiet-before-the-storm quarterly results, and that's evident in the fiscal first quarter earnings it just dropped on our laps. The Redmond team is reporting $16.01 billion in revenue, but a more modest than usual $5.31 billion in profit over the summer -- while it's healthier than the Q4 loss stemming from the aQuantive write-off, it's not as impressive as the $7.2 billion profit from a year ago. While a tough PC market is partly to blame, it's equally hard to say that Microsoft couldn't have done better. There's a real chance that some of its customers have been holding back on purchases in anticipation of the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 launches; it's already setting aside $1.36 billion in revenue for Windows and Office upgrades. The company is unquestionably preparing itself for a giant spike in demand once at least Windows 8 rolls around later this month, so we'd say that the real litmus test will be the results we get after the holidays.
Microsoft extends free Windows Server 2008 support through January 15th, 2015
Now that its successor is available, you're unlikely to hear much excitement for Windows Server 2008 around IT water coolers, but that's not to suggest it'll fade into oblivion anytime soon. In fact, Microsoft has extended its mainstream support of the server OS -- previously set to expire on July 9th, 2013 -- through January 15th, 2015. The company will continue to deliver free security fixes for the operating system beyond this cutoff date, however maintenance updates will require the purchase of extended support from Microsoft. According to the company's revised product lifecycle, paid updates for Windows Server 2008 will now be available through January 14th, 2020. For those curious, the new dates were largely determined by Microsoft guidelines, which guarantee a minimum five years of support, or in this case, two years of mainstream support beyond the release of the successor product. Naturally, it pains us to imagine firms chugging along with Windows Server 2008 into 2020, but you just know it'll happen. Now, at least someone in Redmond will be watching out for them.
Windows Server 2012 pares back to four versions, looks to give small businesses more bang for the buck
Microsoft has been devoting most of its OS update attention this year to Windows 8, not its suit-wearing Windows Server 2012 counterpart. Some of the mystery has been cleared up through word of a greatly simplified server OS lineup. Just four versions of Windows Server will sit in IT backrooms versus the whopping 12 from Server 2008 R2, with an emphasis on making the feature slope a little gentler. The biggest improvement is the near-identical feature set of Windows Server 2012 Standard compared to its Datacenter equivalent: the only advantage of Datacenter is the jump to unlimited virtual machines, giving smaller businesses a way to save some cash. Foundation and Essentials will cover the basics for these outfits if just 15 or 25 very real machines need to hop onboard. The base prices of $425 to $4,809 per copy for all but the OEM-only Foundation still make it doubtful that we'll be loading Server 2012 on a PC tucked into a closet at home, but it's evident between this and the streamlined Windows 8 selection that Microsoft wants to avoid the flood of versions that confused buyers during the Windows Vista and 7 days.
OnLive Desktop changes from Windows 7 to Windows Server 2008
When OnLive launched its virtual desktop service for the iPad, it was rapidly rebuked by Microsoft over licensing issues with the Windows 7-based service. The company has switched from Windows 7 to Windows Server 2008 R2 and is now in compliance, says a report in Ars Technica and a post from Brian Madden. Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7 are based on the same codebase and can be configured to look the same, so users shouldn't notice any change in the service.
Windows 7 SP1 (and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1) now available for public download
Microsoft told us to clear our pipes for a hefty download on the 22nd of February, and sure enough, the software giant is delivering. Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 is now available for public consumption, with the company also confirming that 7601.17514.101119-1850 is the final RTM. We'd bother telling you more, but we know you've already dug into the source link in order to get your download a-hoppin'. Just make sure you uninstall any pre-releases of SP1 before doing the deed with this one, and if you're updating just a single PC, you're probably better off waiting for everything to flow through Windows Update. Your call, though. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 available for everyone on February 22nd
Get ready for it because the final release to manufacturing (RTM) of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) have just been handed off to Microsoft's OEM partners. What that means for you is that starting February 22nd you can download Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 from the Microsoft Download Center or via Windows Update. MSDN and TechNet subscribers will see the official updates a bit earlier on February 16th... about the same time they'll be released unofficially into the bitTorrent and usenet wilds.
Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 sees public beta release
We knew good and well it was coming, and here it is. Microsoft has today introduced the Release Candidate (RC) of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) to the public, and for those unaware of how these software rollouts "work," the RC release generally signals that a final build is just about ready. As previously announced, the only new features added to the SP1 are the Windows Server 2008 R2-related virtualization technologies, Dynamic Memory and RemoteFX, and while Windows 7 SP1 will enable PCs to take advantage of these server-based features to provide a more scalable and richer VDI experience for end users, there are no additional new features specific to Windows 7. If that's cool with you, there's a source link (and a download) waiting for you just below. [Thanks, Logan]
Windows Vista, Server 2008 SP2 officially Release Candidate status, coming Q2 2009
Well that didn't take long. Just last week, we heard about the Release Candidate (RC) builds of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 making the rounds, and now the official Windows blog has confirmed the updates should soon be available to TechNet and MSDN subscribers, with a public test to follow sometimes before its final release. And when might that be? Sometime in second quarter of this year apparently, which fits well with some rumblings we caught wind of last month.
Microsoft lets loose Hyper-V virtualization software beta
Microsoft isn't exactly known for releasing things early, but that's just what its done with the beta version of its new Hyper-V virtualization software, which is included as part of Windows Server 2008 RC1 Enterprise. As Microsoft itself points out, that was originally only expected to be released in the first quarter of 2008, but it says it decided to let things loose early in order to let customers evaluate the feature and provide feedback before the final release. The software itself takes aim squarely at VMWare's territory, allowing users to configure an array of virtual machines and run multiple operating systems simultaneously. If betas aren't your thing, however, you can look for the final version to roll out "within 180 days" of the release of Windows Server 2008.[Via TG Daily]
Use your PSP as a PC joystick
While this may not be quite as extravagant as remote-controlling your Honda without even being in the vehicle, using your PSP as a PC joystick is both useful and overtly geeky in its own right. While the PSP has definitely shown its ability to be more than just a gaming system (and media player, UMD viewer, digital audio player, etc.), David Rudie has devised a method to turn your PSP into a "virtual joystick" for your computer. Working with PPJoy, a program used to create a virtual controller within a Windows environment, he created a program that connects a device via WiFi to a server running on your PC. When you fire up the app on your Sony handheld, the program establishes a network connection with the server using an infrastructure mode, and once an IP address has been obtained and the two machines shake virtual hands, your only taks left is to figure how to make good use of your newly discovered controller. Currently, the mod only works with firmware versions v1.00 and v1.50, but if you're not the downgrader type you can certainly press your luck with newer versions. (OS X drivers are on the the to-do list, but we wouldn't hold our breath.) If hacking your Nintendo controller to work on your PC just didn't provide enough buttons for those elaborate combos, or you just prefer the modern flavor over the retro style, this will give you one more excuse to use the PSP for something other than what it was designed for, which is definitely where it seems to excel.[Via PSP Fanboy]
