Office 365 and SBS

Hi folks! So if you haven’ t heard the annoucnement already, SBS 2011 is going the way of the dodo. Microsoft has announced that they will no longer be making the SBS lineup of products.

Why are they doing this? Microsoft wants to drive those particular customers to the cloud and Office 365. Unfortunately this has caused many people to get angry at Microsoft for this forced adoption tactic.

So if you can’t use SBS in your business in the future, what are you going to do? Are you going to adopt the cloud or bite the bullet and use other products? You can read more here.

-RP

Windows Server 2012 Release Date!

Hi folks! So for those of you that are anxiously awaiting Windows Server 2012, it was made available to manufacturing in August. But the release date for the rest of us will be September 4th, 2012!

How can you get your hands on it? You can download an evaluation copy from the TechNet Evaluation Center. Also if you are interested you can attend one of the many launch events across Canada with the Canadian Windows Server 2012 Launch Tour.

You can read more here.

-RP

The CEO Shuffle!

Hi folks! So as you know there’s lots of great news coming out of VMworld this year. What else does VMware have in store for us?

Well for one, CEO Paul Maritz has passed the torch to EMC’s Pat Gelsinger. Then Paul Maritz is moving to EMC!  I’m thinking VMware is getting very serious about fighting Microsoft on the virtualization front and they are pulling out all the stops!

With Windows Server 2012 hot on their heels it’s going to be an interesting battle!

VMware Fusion 5!

Hi folks! For all you Mac users out there, VMware Fusion 5 is available now! If you already own version 4, you can upgrade to 5 for $49.99.

Now you might be asking, why do you want the new version? Well for one, it’s much faster! Suspending and resuming VM’s are lightning quick! This is great on my MacBook Air which is already super fast due to it’s SSD drive.

When using applications in Windows in Fusion, this just makes my experience even better since I don’t have to wait as long to launch those applications. If you want to trial it first, you can just get a trial license from VMware’s website to give it a try, so you have no excuses!

-RP

Replication built right in!

Hi folks! So adding to the VMware news, VMware has decided to include more features in the core product.

Up until now if you wanted replication for your VM’s you had to go to a third party solution or buy VMware’s SRM which is licensed by the amount of VM’s you want to replicate. Well the latest news is going to make you happy!

VMware has announced that regular VMware replication functionality will be available standalone in the core product without having to buy SRM! This will be configured on a per VM basis like you configure it now, but you don’t have to outlay the extra cash for SRM!

Thank you VMware!

Cool feature in Mountain Lion but can you use it?

Hi folks! As you know, I have updated my MacBook Air to Mountain Lion recently and have been using it in my daily life. What are my initial impressions?

It’s a small update to my existing OS X installation and doesn’t really change much to be frank. But at the same time I think it’s worth the upgrade to stay up to date. Unfortunately one of the coolest features called AirPlay mirroring which allows you to mirror your screen to your tv is only available on the newest Mac hardware.

My 2010 MacBook Air is out of luck where this is concerned and it can’t use this feature. Now I will be forced to upgrade to a new MacBook Air when my existing one is serving me just fine. I think this is a bad move on Apple’s part and they should have unlocked this feature for everyone.

-RP

vRAM say goodbye!

Hi folks! So unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve heard some of the most recent announcements from VMware!

They have finally done away with vRAM based licensing! This is great news as most of us users were feeling as if this were a tax on using VMware. So kudos to VMware on a job well done listening to their community and changing the model!

Licensing will now be socket based.

-RP

Apple OS X Mountain Lion

Hi folks! So unless you have been hiding under a rock, you’ve heard that OS X Mountain Lion is available! It apparently has broken all sorts of records and has reached over 3 million downloads in four days!

What’s all the buzz about? Well it offers a few new features and everyone is excited to see them. Sure it’s not a huge overhaul but at such a cheap price , most people just say “why not?” and download it anyways!

I think Microsoft should take a hint from Apple and adopt a similar model. You can read more about the latest features here.

-RP

The Dropbox public folder deadline is here!

Hi folks! For those of you that don’t know, Dropbox is a file sharing/storing service that allows you to store your data in the cloud. For those of you that have used Dropbox for ages, you’ll be familiar with their public folder. It’s a folder you can share with other users essentially.

Well Dropbox is discontinuing use of the public folder and moving to just using shared links. You can click on a folder and share the link to it with your friends so you can easily share files. The last date for public folders is today, and as of August 31st, new users signing up can no longer  get access to it.

Existing users will still have access but it is unknown for how long Dropbox will support this. Stay tuned.

-RP

Educational IT toys!

Hi folks! So as a computer guy, I’m always looking for great way to get my kids involved in IT. Not because I want them to be in computer jobs, but because computers are such a part of our daily lives that I want them to have the proper skills to grow up in this world and be successful.

Well the company LeapFrog makes many products that help you out with just that! I bought my daughter a LeapPad which is essentially a tablet for kids made by LeapFrog. It allows you to buy educational games that your kids can play and it teaches them essential skills such as reading, writing, match, science etc.

You can read more about it here.

-RP