Free Microsoft book-Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2

[40hz]

Microsoft is currently making copies of their new book Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2 available for free as a PDF download.

This is a short (yes 200-pgs. is short for Microsoft  ) book that hits on all the major features of Microsoft's newest server. Primary audience is the system administrator. But it's not an overly technical treatment so it can also be read as a quick intro to the beast that is MS Server 2008.

So if you're currently working with 2k8-R2; need to learn more about it for your job; or are just plain curious - grab a copy while it's still free.

Download link can be found on this page: www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/default.aspx

[urlwolf]

I'm not happy that they want money for the upgrade. They released 2008 not that long ago, ... didn't they have a name for this... service packs?

[Eóin]

Well don't forget urlwolf the architectural switch is from the Vista SP1 base to Win7 so in some ways it a big step. Though I'm definitely not defending MS here, just playing devils advocate

Must glance through the book out of curiosity.

[40hz]

In fairness, R2 is a seriously major update to Server 2008.

If Microsoft wasn't currently locked into branding everything "server" with a year, they could easily justify releasing it as an entirely new edition under a different name. Calling it server 2008-R2 does make it seem like an interim update. But from my perspective, it seems more like it's an entirely new product rather than a simple SP fix to 2k8. (I'm still getting my head around it on our test system - which was never the case for me after an SP update.)

And Microsoft did state right up front that R2 would not be a free upgrade unless you purchased an SA plan...

True, the new pricing formula didn't make me too happy. But (for once) I can understand where Microsoft is  coming from with this type of product. So I really can't fault them for doing it.

(And I can't believe I just said that about Microsoft.  )