Windows Server “8” Beta announcements, availability (updated)

Hi all, Ned here. For those who spent the day in a coma, Windows Server “8” Beta and Windows 8 CP are out. Make sure you start by visiting Bill Laing’s announcement on the Windows Server Blog. This morning he formally announced the availability of Windows Server “8” Beta and outlined some of the design philosophies in a brief post.

Next, we have a new kind of document we call the “Understand and Troubleshoot” guides, which are designed to explain the inner workings of new features and how to troubleshoot them. You may recognize some of the authors (you know I hate link lists, but in this case I’ll make an exception).

There are also “Test Lab Guides” and TechNet docs that introduce and demonstrate features, as well as assist with deployment.

And a reminder - send all your IT Pro feedback to the links below. People are definitely listening.

I know some of you are looking forward to the typical in-depth and honest AskDS beta content you’ve read for the past five years - you’re IT professionals and chomping at the bit to start learning about all the new enterprise features. Well, we’re still muzzled here and not allowed to discuss anything. Hang in there; I’m hopeful it won’t be too much longer.

- Ned “the gimp” Pyle