Win a Cray CX1 Desk-Side Supercomputer

If you are interested in High performance Computing (HPC) and have the need for massive power Microsoft is have a Super Duo Super sweepstakes.

Windows HPC Server 2008 provides a productive, cost-effective, and high-performance computing (HPC) solution that runs on x64-bit
hardware. Windows HPC Server 2008 can be deployed, managed, and extended using familiar tools and technologies.

Windows HPC Server 2008 enables broader adoption of HPC by providing a rich and integrated end-user experience scaling from the desktop application to the clusters. A wide range of software vendors, in various verticals, have designed their applications to work seamlessly with Windows HPC Server 2008 so that users can submit and monitor jobs from within familiar applications without having to learn new or complex user interfaces.

Developing parallel programs requires integrated development environments along with support for distributed computing standards. Visual Studio 2008 provides a comprehensive parallel programming environment for Windows HPC Server 2008. In addition to supporting OpenMP, MPI, and Web Services, Windows HPC Server 2008 also supports third-party numerical library providers, performance optimizers, compilers, and a native parallel debugger for developing and troubleshooting parallel programs.

Enter our Super Duo Super Sweeps by January 31, 2009 and you could win:

  • A Cray CX1 desk-side supercomputer
  • One of 10 Premium MSDN Visual Studio Professional subscriptions
  • One of 10 Xbox 360 consoles

This dynamic duo is bringing high productivity supercomputing into the mainstream. Cray CX1 supercomputers with Microsoft Windows® HPC Server 2008 and Intel Xeon Processors provide “Ease-of-Everything” for new users of HPC for as little as $25,000. 3 easy steps to enter:

  • Register now!
  • Download the Cray CX1 and Windows HPC Server 2008 datasheet.
  • Download the free 180-day Windows HPC Server 2008 evaluation copy.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to authorized representatives of US companies who do not manufacture, sell, or resell server hardware for use at high performance computing workloads. Game ends January 31, 2009. Winners will be announced on February 12, 2009.

For Official Rules, please click here

Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) BETA

 

The beta of Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization V 1.0 an enterprise virtualization solution that helps your users run legacy applications on their Windows Vista desktops. The final version of MED-V 1.0 is slated for release in the second quarter of this year as a part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack

There is a good podcast that you can download to learn about this product.

MED-V 1.0 provides deployment, management and user experience capabilities for Virtual PC images in a corporate environment,

To get the beta the beta A short survey will need to be answered before downloading the software to take the survey click here.

Dual Boot Issues

Do you have 2 or more operating systems on your computer ?

Do you want to easy change your boot priorities. Well you can use

BCDEdit Command-Line Options

Boot Configuration Data (BCD) files provide a store that is used to describe boot applications and boot application settings. The objects and elements in the store effectively replace Boot.ini.

BCDEdit is a command-line tool for managing BCD stores. It can be used for a variety of purposes, including creating new stores, modifying existing stores, adding boot menu options, and so on. BCDEdit serves essentially the same purpose as Bootcfg.exe on earlier versions of Windows, but with two major improvements:

  • BCDEdit exposes a wider range of boot options than Bootcfg.exe.
  • BCDEdit has improved scripting support.

However I am lazy and when I can use a graphical tool I will  do that all the time.

EasyBCD is NeoSmart Technologies’ multiple award-winning answer to tweaking the new Windows Vista bootloader. With EasyBCD, almost anything is possible. Setting up and configuring Windows boot entries is simple, and there is no easier way to quickly boot right into Linux, Mac OS X, or BSD straight from the Windows Vista bootloader – on the fly, no expert knowledge needed!

EasyBCD is geared for users of all kinds. Whether you just want to add an entry to your old XP partition or want to create a duplicate for testing purposes.

 

They also have

iReboot  a simple yet effective reboot helper tool. This app sits in your taskbar at startup (only taking up 400KB of memory!) and lets you choose which operating system you want to reboot into. Instead of pressing restart, waiting for Windows to shut down, waiting for your BIOS to post, then selecting the operating system you want to boot into (within the bootloader time-limit!); you just select that entry and you done !

Internet Explorer 8 RC1

You can now download internet explorer version 8 RC1  !

Some new features include i think are great include

Improved Zoom

With enhanced resolution and readability, Zoom allows for automatic scaling of a page’s content while maintaining the site’s intended layout. You can read very large or very small pages more clearly without having to scroll back and forth.

Web Slices

Web Slices put you in control of the information you care about most. Now you can subscribe to specific content within a page and monitor things like auction items, sports scores, entertainment columns, weather reports, and more. Add a Web Slice to your Favorites bar and the information you care about will automatically be delivered to you.

Techie need help

 

I been asked where can i find Information about XP, Vista or Windows 7. I look all over the net, or I search Microsoft.com but is there one spot to start from.

The answers is Yes

Microsoft heard this and for the IT pros there is a great spot called Springboard at www.microsoft.com/springboard this one site has information on how to deploy, explore, manage and link on learning about these products. The site has lots of Videos and blogs that are great.

Check it out

Will my computer work with Vista

That a question I get all the time.

So how to tell.

Step 1

You could replace your hard drive in your computer install Vista an test – Do not do this lots of time and end of day you may have bought Vista and you hard ware does not support vista

Step 2

Buy an new computer (that will work but maybe you old printer, scanner or other software will not work)

Step 3 go online and use some free resources

You can download the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor – The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor will help you to determine if your Windows XP-based PC can run Windows Vista. You can also use the Upgrade Advisor to determine if your Windows Vista-based PC is ready for an upgrade to a more powerful edition of Windows Vista

Then you can go to the Windows Compatibility Center

This site will also tell you if your favorite stuff works with Windows Vista? Here’s where you can find out if it already does or if you just need a software upgrade or a new driver. You’ll get details on thousands of software programs and devices and benefit from users’ feedback.

Tricks for Activation of Vista and Server 2008

Top 5 Product Key Activation Challenges IT Pros Encountered and Solved

Windows Vista® and Windows Server® 2008 include some significant changes relating to product activation over Windows® XP and Windows Server 2003. These changes, while simple, often caused concerns and operational challenges for IT Pros in deploying Windows. Microsoft® product support services identified the five most common product activation related issues encountered by various customers who are evaluating and or deploying Windows Vista (or Windows Server 2008). Understanding these issues will help you and your team to manage the activation changes more effectively and optimize your deployment experience.  Share this WP with your customers and colleagues to help them manage the activation changes more effectively and optimize their deployment experience.

Top 10 Things You Should Know About Genuine Windows

 

A One Pager – document on Genuine software

Top 10 Things You Should Know About Genuine Windows

Microsoft is educating customers and partners on Genuine software, in effort to protect them from counterfeit and pirated software.  Are you familiar with the concepts of ‘Genuine Windows’ or ‘Genuine Microsoft Software’?   Learn more about what it means to become ‘Genuine’ and get an overview of product activation, validation, licensing and compliance.  Share this one page guide with your customers or colleagues to learn more about what it means to become ‘Genuine’ and get an overview of product activation, validation, licensing and compliance.