Hi,
As requested, here is my review of the RC1 for Microsoft Server 2008.
Background:
Me: 18 years of PC experience going all the way back to DOS days. Currently a CISSP & CCNA.
System: Dell XPS 410
Core 2 Duo 2.2 CPU
2 GB RAM
8600 GTS Nvidia GPU
SATA II System Drive
Why: I wanted to get access to the software RAID 5 feature in Windows Server. I also wanted to familiarize my self with the latest version of Windows. I work with folks from MS who recommended it (imagine that)
If I can sum up my experience in a couple of words, I would say "blown away". After all my years of working with Windows, I can honestly say this is the first one which exceeded my expectations.
I ran vista on my machine prior to deciding to move to WS08. Before taking the plunge, I backed up my data, program files & users directories. I download the beta from MS after signing up for the product key. Burned it to DVD & booted to the installation. This is when I ran in to the first issue. When prompting me which disk to install to, it kept informing me that it was unable to "determine if this computer contains a valid system volume." After a bit of googling I found that this was related to my USB drive (which I had configured for ReadyBoost). Once I unplugged it, I was able to proceed. The installation was fairly straight forward after that. Didn't take too long & very similar to Vista in that it didn't as too many questions.
When I booted in to the OS, I was pleased to discover all my devices had drivers installed & working. I decided since it was beta, I would only update crucial drivers. I loaded the latest Nvidia drivers (for Vista) as well as the driver for my network attached printer (also for Vista). As I downloaded & reinstalled drivers & applications, I noticed 2 things right away - the improved networking capabilities & the speed of the OS. I was able to completely fill my ISP allocated bandwidth with a single download & multiple connections were easily handled. My applications were able to install with not problems after replacing the program files & associated files from the previous installations on Vista. Thanks to DirectX 10, I can play my games with no problem.
All this joy was somewhat subdued after I ran in to an issue with my capture card. ( See http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=32805 )
Hopefully the drivers issues will be addressed by AverMedia in the near future.
In summary, I like the new OS so much that I'm forgoing use of my capture card for now. With SP1, Vista is supposed to incorporate the new WS08 kernal, but my Microsoft buddies say it's not as good as WS08 yet. Now that I have RAID 5 & a system I love, I can't see going back.
As requested, here is my review of the RC1 for Microsoft Server 2008.
Background:
Me: 18 years of PC experience going all the way back to DOS days. Currently a CISSP & CCNA.
System: Dell XPS 410
Core 2 Duo 2.2 CPU
2 GB RAM
8600 GTS Nvidia GPU
SATA II System Drive
Why: I wanted to get access to the software RAID 5 feature in Windows Server. I also wanted to familiarize my self with the latest version of Windows. I work with folks from MS who recommended it (imagine that)
If I can sum up my experience in a couple of words, I would say "blown away". After all my years of working with Windows, I can honestly say this is the first one which exceeded my expectations.
I ran vista on my machine prior to deciding to move to WS08. Before taking the plunge, I backed up my data, program files & users directories. I download the beta from MS after signing up for the product key. Burned it to DVD & booted to the installation. This is when I ran in to the first issue. When prompting me which disk to install to, it kept informing me that it was unable to "determine if this computer contains a valid system volume." After a bit of googling I found that this was related to my USB drive (which I had configured for ReadyBoost). Once I unplugged it, I was able to proceed. The installation was fairly straight forward after that. Didn't take too long & very similar to Vista in that it didn't as too many questions.
When I booted in to the OS, I was pleased to discover all my devices had drivers installed & working. I decided since it was beta, I would only update crucial drivers. I loaded the latest Nvidia drivers (for Vista) as well as the driver for my network attached printer (also for Vista). As I downloaded & reinstalled drivers & applications, I noticed 2 things right away - the improved networking capabilities & the speed of the OS. I was able to completely fill my ISP allocated bandwidth with a single download & multiple connections were easily handled. My applications were able to install with not problems after replacing the program files & associated files from the previous installations on Vista. Thanks to DirectX 10, I can play my games with no problem.
All this joy was somewhat subdued after I ran in to an issue with my capture card. ( See http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=32805 )
Hopefully the drivers issues will be addressed by AverMedia in the near future.
In summary, I like the new OS so much that I'm forgoing use of my capture card for now. With SP1, Vista is supposed to incorporate the new WS08 kernal, but my Microsoft buddies say it's not as good as WS08 yet. Now that I have RAID 5 & a system I love, I can't see going back.
