Paul’s Picks - 30 Jan 2008

Summaries ofin-depth productreviews on PaulThurrott’sSuperSite forWindows
www.itprotoday.com

Windows Server2008 RC1
Pros: Rock-solid server upgrade, even inprerelease form
Cons: None
Rating:
Recommendations: In steady developmentfor an astonishing three and a half years,Windows Server 2008 is, perhaps, themost stable Windows Server release. Allmajor changes such as Hyper-V, ServerCore, and Microsoft Internet InformationServer 7.0 shipped in previous builds, butRC1 does provide a feature-complete lookat the next Server version.
Contact: Microsoft • 800-426-9400 •www.microsoft.com
Discussion: www.itprotoday.com/article/showcase/windows-server-2008-release-candidate-1.aspx

Office LiveWorkspace Beta
Pros: A true “software plus services”offering; nice Microsoft Office integration;supports Office 2007/2003/XP
Cons: Performance isn’t great; no optionsfor more storage
Rating:
Recommendations: Microsoft Office LiveWorkspace is the first good exampleof the company’s answer to Google’sWeb services. Essentially 500 MBof online storage service with Officeintegration and sharing and collaborationfunctionality, Office Live Workspace isan excellent alternative to Google Docs,combining the best of Office with theanywhere/anytime access of the Web. I’dlike to see more storage options, but itssynchronization capabilities with Officeare impressive, and it should interestvirtually any Office user.
Contact: Microsoft • 800-426-9400 •www.microsoft.com
Discussion: www.itprotoday.com/article/reviews/office-live-workspace-review.aspx