This post was written by Jeff Johnston
Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 provides a framework and toolset that can be used to exchange information and messages. Installing both the BizTalk server and developer tools was much easier than in previous versions. The workflow capabilities within BizTalk are top-rate, but there is a heavy reliance on and integration with the Microsoft technology stack. For monitoring business activities, BizTalk Server 2006 now includes a Business Activity Management portal that is integrated with SharePoint Portal Server, allowing developers and business users to view the status of business processes through a Web-based interface.
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 is an excellent tool, despite some of the issues. It really shines with .NET 3.5. There are noticeable impressive improvements in the opening projects. Unfortunately, there were still some issues with performance such as HTML paste performance, ASP.NET refactoring, SQLCE performance problems, XML comments still slow, Plain text editor and memory footprint. IntelliSense uses fairly sophisticated algorithms to show you completions and suggestions. After a while, you come to rely on it and using Notepad is painful.
Microsoft System Center Essentials 2007 provides a combination of tools that will certainly cover most of the things small businesses want to do. However, it’s not cheap and it’s Windows-only, with no support for Linux desktops or servers, for example. Handheld devices and virtual machines are also invisible to SCE 2007 — functionality is available, but only in separate System Center products. Still, it’s got a lot going for it and is well worth considering if integrated systems management is what you’re after.
Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 is for right-handers only. The rear thumb button is not ideally placed, requiring you to move your hand to operate it. As far as surfaces are concerned, the Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 doesn’t get along with cloth pads as the narrower base can dig into the soft surface, but on hard plastic or a desk it’s smooth as silk. At £44, it’s not exactly the cheapest rodent around, but avoiding RSI is definitely worth it, and the science behind the Natural 6000′s ergonomics appears sound in theory.
Microsoft Windows 7 is shaping up better than many were expecting and, while it’s still early days, this could be a turning point for the modern-day Microsoft. The boot up time has slightly improved for starters, and – thankfully – the hanging around once the Windows desktop appears, before you can actually do anything meaningful, has also been attacked. There are little add-ons such as the snipping tool, which allows you to take a grab of an area you select without having to battle through a graphics program to do so.
Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter received four star rating from reviewers. Its simplicity of setup and use mean you don’t need a computing degree to use it, and its size means it is an unobtrusive addition to the back of your Xbox 360 console. You can play games online, and can download game content to extend the shelf life of those expensive games. You can also download full length films and music videos as well as themes and pictures to brighten up your consoles look. But the price really is too high.
Microsoft’s platform for unified messaging Office Communications Server 2007 is relatively complicated to install. Further integration with external systems is needed to make voice calls using the public-switched telephone network (PSTN). OCS 2007 also has several rather complex dependencies that must be available on your network. For example, you will also need Internet Information Server (IIS) on servers hosting OCS 2007 and an Active Directory (AD) Domain Controller on your network. The OCS Trial package includes SQL Server 2005, but OCS 2007 does not include SQL Server, which must be bought and installed separately.
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 SP1 update can be downloaded free of charge. At 840MB it’s not small, but it can be used to install a fresh copy of Exchange as well as upgrade existing code. Its much-anticipated new feature is something called Standby Continuous Replication (SCR). Exchange Server 2007 SP1 fills in a lot of gaps. For example, POP3/IMAP4 server settings can now be configured from the Exchange Management Console just as before. Upgrading from an earlier version of Exchange can be problematic. The support forums are full of customers who have experienced problems.
Unless you have absolutely no need to be more productive, you want Microsoft’s Office 2007. And thanks to a larger-than-ever portfolio of Office suites at a variety of price points, you almost have no excuse for not jumping on the bandwagon. The new “ribbon”-based UI in Office 2007 is nice to look at. But Office 2007 isn’t just a pretty face. The graphics engine that powers such things as PowerPoint slides and Excel graphs has been extensively updated and modernized, and made common across all applications in the suite. It’s time for an Office revolution.
Although Microsoft’s Windows 7 won’t be available until 2010, a prebeta version is available to developers. At first glance, it appears to be a more advanced iteration of Windows Vista, as per CNET reviews. The boot process is much faster, although this hasn’t been confirmed in a lab. Restore from hibernation appears much quicker. Although it was not available in build 6801, CNET saw the new Taskbar in Windows 7 available in a more advanced build. The new Taskbar uses icons, not the names, across the bottom.