Windows IT Pro UPDATE--TechEd 2005: Tablet PCs, Virtualization, and Windows Mobile 5.0--June 7, 2005

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1. Commentary
- TechEd 2005: Tablet PCs, Virtualization, and Windows Mobile 5.0

2. Hot Off the Press
- Microsoft Ships WSUS

3. Peer to Peer
- Featured Blog: As We See IT: News and Views From the Windows IT Pro Editors
- Tip: When should I use multiple storage groups (SGs) and multiple databases in Microsoft Exchange Server 2003?

4. New and Improved
- Speed Up Backup Recovery Time

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==== 1. Commentary: TechEd 2005: Tablet PCs, Virtualization, and Windows Mobile 5.0 ====
by Paul Thurrott, News Editor, [email protected]

I'm writing this from my home in Massachusetts, but I've been inundated for the past several days by news that will come out of TechEd 2005 in Orlando, Florida, this week. TechEd is an annual Microsoft trade show aimed at IT professionals and developers. I want to share with you some TechEd news that I've been briefed about. If the conference turns up enough new information, I'll give another update next week about other TechEd news.

IBM ... er, ah ... Lenovo Enters the Tablet PC Fray
In January 2004, an IBM representative showed me a prototype Tablet PC that the company was considering making and asked my opinion of such a device. On Monday, Lenovo Group, which purchased IBM's PC products, announced that it was shipping that product as its first ThinkPad Tablet PC. Dubbed the ThinkPad X41 Tablet (X41T), the new device is virtually identical to the current ThinkPad X41 laptop but features the swiveling screen that's come to identify so-called convertible laptop-style Tablet PC devices.

The X41T is notable for several reasons. First, it provides ThinkPad customers with a Tablet PC that has the ThinkPad's stunning quality. IBM told me last year that a lot of its customers had been asking about a Tablet PC and that they weren't particularly interested in going with another vendor.

Second, Lenovo is taking the right approach to pricing. The X41T will cost just $100 more than a comparably equipped X41 laptop (although you could argue that those devices are already pretty expensive; the X41T starts at about $1800).

Third, the ThinkPad entry further legitimizes the Tablet PC form factor, which is a huge win for Microsoft. Dell is now the only major PC that doesn't provide a Tablet PC.

I've not yet seen the final hardware, but if the X41T is as high quality as the X41 and the other ThinkPad products, I suspect Lenovo has a winner on its hands.

VMware Takes Virtualization to New Heights
Whereas Microsoft has taken a very narrow-minded view of virtualization--using the technology solely for backward compatibility and consolidation purposes--market leader VMware has consistently impressed me with the innovative ways in which it has made this technology mainstream. Case in point: This week, VMware announced a new service called VMware Technology Network (VMTN). It's worth looking at.

VMTN is a subscription service and online resource site. Both aspects of VMTN are innovative. The subscription service--$299 a year per user--gives users VMware Workstation, VMware GSX Server, and a developer version of VMware ESX Server that includes Virtual SMP (team collaboration) and VMware P2V Assistant (migrates physical PCs to virtual machine--VM--environments). The online resource site provides--get this--free VMs that have prebuilt application environments, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments. BEA Systems, MySQL AB, Novell, and Oracle have already signed on for the program, and VMware tells me it's in talks with other companies.

The VMTN online resource site is particularly interesting because it potentially changes the way in which companies can ship software applications. Think about it: Today, vendors rely on administrators and end users to install and configure applications. In the future, we might be able to distribute applications via single-file VMs.

Microsoft Adds Secure Messaging to Windows Mobile 5.0
Microsoft made a fairly major announcement Monday: The company will provide free software upgrades to users of Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Office Outlook, and Windows Mobile 5.0 that will let Windows Powered Smartphone users wirelessly download Exchange-based email, schedules, and other data, in a similar fashion to how RIM Blackberry users do.

The Exchange Server upgrade will come as part of Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2), which is due in late 2005, Microsoft says. The client upgrade is called the Messaging and Security Feature Pack for Windows Mobile 5.0. It essentially enables the devices to directly connect to an Exchange server wirelessly (or "over the air"), without the need for a third-party server solution.

According to Microsoft, this functionality, called Windows Mobile Direct Push Technology, also lets Windows Mobile 5.0-based Smartphones "send \[Microsoft Office\] Word, Excel, PowerPoint, music and video attachments in messages with rich email formatting and no size restrictions." I hope to have more detailed information about this functionality by next week.

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==== 2. Hot Off the Press ====
by Paul Thurrott, [email protected]

Microsoft Ships WSUS
Microsoft shipped Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) yesterday. The long-awaited upgrade to Software Update Services (SUS) gives small-to-midsized businesses (SMBs) free software-patching functionality. Get the complete story at the following URL:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=46644

==== Events and Resources ====
(from Windows IT Pro and its partners)

Antispam product not working?
Many email administrators are experiencing increased frustration with their current antispam products as they battle new and more dangerous email threats. In-house software, appliances, and even some services may no longer work effectively and require too much IT staff time to update and maintain or to satisfy the needs of different users. In this free Web seminar, learn how you can search for a better way to protect your email systems and users.
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In this free Web seminar, learn what the most common fax messaging challenges encountered in the workforce are and solutions for how to turn these common fax "headaches" into cost-effective, easy-to-use, business communications. You'll also receive a free, industry white paper on fax deployment and integration techniques. Register now and you'll receive a 30-day software trial and a Starbucks gift card for attending!
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Diagnose and Resolve Performance Problems
Maximizing application performance isn't easy, and database is only one component of today's complex, multi-tiered systems. In this free Essential Guide, learn how to follow a solid monitoring practice and troubleshoot issues before they get out of hand. You'll discover how you can ensure optimal SQL Server performance and satisfied users.
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Get Ready for SQL Server 2005 Roadshow in Europe
Get the facts about migrating to SQL Server 2005. SQL Server experts will present real-world information about administration, development, and business intelligence to help you implement a best-practices migration to SQL Server 2005 and improve your database computing environment. Receive a 1-year membership to PASS and 1-year subscription to SQL Server Magazine. Register now!
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Recover Your Active Directory
Get answers to all your Active Directory recovery questions here! Join industry guru Darren Mar-Elia in this free Web Seminar and discover how to use native recovery tools and methods, how to implement a lag site to delay replication, limitations to native recovery approaches and more. Learn how you can develop an effective AD backup strategy – Register today!
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==== Featured White Paper ====

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==== Instant Poll ====

Results of Previous Poll:
The voting has closed in Windows IT Pro's nonscientific Instant Poll for the question, "Do you think the European Union (EU) should assess daily fines if Microsoft doesn't fully comply with the provisions of the antitrust ruling?" Here are the results from the 151 votes:
- 48% Yes
- 44% No
- 9% I don't know

(Deviations from 100 percent are due to rounding error.)

New Instant Poll:
The next Instant Poll question is, "Which of the following would you like to see more of on the Windows IT Pro Web site?" Go to the Windows IT Pro home page and submit your vote for a) Technical articles, b) Breaking news, c) Product coverage, d) Humor and entertainment, or e) Forums and interactive blogs.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/magazine

==== 3. Peer to Peer ====

Featured Blog: As We See IT: News and Views From the Windows IT Pro Editors

Check out the latest technology news on the new As We See IT blog at the following URL:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Blog/index.cfm?action=blogindex&DepartmentID=990

Tip: When should I use multiple storage groups (SGs) and multiple databases in Microsoft Exchange Server 2003?
by John Savill, http://www.windows2000faq.com

Find the answer at the following URL:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=46601

==== Announcements ====
(A complete Web and live events directory brought to you by Windows IT Pro: http://www.windowsitpro.com/events )

Calling All Windows IT Pro Innovators! Have you developed a solution that uses Windows technology to solve a business problem in an innovative way? Enter your solution in the Windows IT Pro Innovators Contest! Grand-prize winners will receive a host of great prizes and a write-up in the November 2005 issue. Contest ends June 24, 2005. To enter, go to http://www.windowsitpro.com/AWARDS/innovators_2005.cfm

==== 4. New and Improved ====
by Adam Carheden, [email protected]

Speed Up Backup Recovery Time
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Tell Us About a Hot Product and Get a T-Shirt!
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