Sep 15, 2006 | blog
Have you been waiting for a chance to try out Windows Vista? Missed out on the Beta 2 download? Well, now’s your chance!
Microsoft has opened up the Customer Preview Program for anyone to download and test Vista. If you participated in the Windows XP CPP many years ago, this is the same program.
The download is huge, and MSFN has some more information at the link below.
Link to MSFN – Windows Vista RC1 Available Through Customer Preview Program
Jun 7, 2006 | blog
Ok, the floodgates are open – Microsoft has made the Vista CPP available to any interested individual. Expect crazyness to ensue through the weekend.
Check it out here.
May 24, 2006 | blog
Hey, I just want to point out to anyone who is trying to download either Windows Vista Beta 2 or Office 2007 Beta 2 that the download servers are getting hit hard. I’ve read some comments around the blogosphere that MS did not plan well for the release, that there should have been more servers dedicated to the release.
Well that’s all well and good to whine & complain express your viewpoint, but I’d like to see most any project manager try to gauge the market interest in beta software and plan accordingly. Especially when there are so many people talking trash voicing their concern about your products; it gets hard to scope out the potential number of downloads, times, d/l rates, the increase in broadband connections from the last major d/l offered, etc… There are dozens of constantly changing variables in planning for a release like this, and it is nearly impossible to get it 100% at the ‘launch’ – I don’t care who you are or what you produce and sell.
You know, for so many people criticizing Microsoft on their disappointment in the Vista feature set, or their business practices, or whatever other ‘evil’ is credited to them, it is impressive that there are so many people trying out the next versions of their core products. Myself, I’m not surprised – Microsoft has made several significant changes in the last few years. I’ve seen it in the quality of software, timeliness of security patches & updates, the openness of the company, and the helpfulness of the employees that I’ve worked with on a few projects.
Now that so many people are getting Office B2 and Vista B2 to ‘test’ – here is my $.02 for you. This is your chance to improve the product. The next few months while Beta 2 gets polished into release candidates, and ultimately RTM – you have the chance to improve the product.
Do you remember all the things in XP, 2000, or NT that drove you nuts? What if you would have had the chance to at least point them out to MS, so there may have been some focus on the issue before you bought the software. Take this opportunity to submit your feedback to MS – all the contact info is on the Office Beta 2 and Vista Beta 2 websites.
Now… enjoy!
Mar 22, 2006 | blog
So who out there hasn’t heard that the consumer release of Windows Vista has slipped again?
I’m not going to rant on Micrsoft about this – I’m one of those people that belives that any product destined to reside on hundreds of millions of computers worldwide should be as close to perfect as possible.
Kudos Microsoft!
The important thing with an OS upgrade with the scope of Vista is stability. As both a corporate IT architect and a home consumer of MS producs, I have an expectation of technology. Usually I’m the one that accepts the glitches, the anomolies, the problems with most software. I simply either work around them, or understand that that is how the program simply “works”, or don’t even notice. To be precise, I understand how it works and accept the faults as a matter of course.
This outlook of mine has started to change in the last few months or so, and with Vista I’ve changed my expectations more than I thought I ever would. More and more, I am using technology for a reason, not simply because technology is cool. There are tons of cool things out there, electronics, software, golf clubs, whatever… but this time cool isn’t going to cut it. I am anticipating not just “the most stable version of Windows yet” (which incidentally I’ve already had several times – NT, Win98, W2K, XP), but the most usable system as well.
Well here is looking forward to the future – it’ll be closer to a year from now to walk into the store and pick up a retail version of Vista, but it should be worth it.
As an aside – when the public preview comes out, you should try the new OS out. It is definitely different, though not radically so, and will take quite a bit of getting used to.
Dec 31, 1969 | blog
Hey, I just want to point out to anyone who is trying to download either Windows Vista Beta 2 or Office 2007 Beta 2 that the download servers are getting hit hard. I’ve read some comments around the blogosphere that MS did not plan well for the release, that there should have been more servers dedicated to the release.
Well that’s all well and good to whine & complain express your viewpoint, but I’d like to see most any project manager try to gauge the market interest in beta software and plan accordingly. Especially when there are so many people talking trash voicing their concern about your products; it gets hard to scope out the potential number of downloads, times, d/l rates, the increase in broadband connections from the last major d/l offered, etc… There are dozens of constantly changing variables in planning for a release like this, and it is nearly impossible to get it 100% at the ‘launch’ & I don’t care who you are or what you produce and sell.
You know, for so many people criticizing Microsoft on their disappointment in the Vista feature set, or their business practices, or whatever other ‘evil’ is credited to them, it is impressive that there are so many people trying out the next versions of their core products. Myself, I’m not surprised & Microsoft has made several significant changes in the last few years. I’ve seen it in the quality of software, timeliness of security patches & updates, the openness of the company, and the helpfulness of the employees that I’ve worked with on a few projects.
Now that so many people are getting Office B2 and Vista B2 to ‘test” & here is my $.02 for you. This is your chance to improve the product. The next few months while Beta 2 gets polished into release candidates, and ultimately RTM & you have the chance to improve the product.
Do you remember all the things in XP, 2000, or NT that drove you nuts? What if you would have had the chance to at least point them out to MS, so there may have been some focus on the issue before you bought the software. Take this opportunity to submit your feedback to MS & all the contact info is on the Office Beta 2 and Vista Beta 2 websites.
Now! enjoy!
Have you been waiting for a chance to try out Windows Vista? Missed out on the Beta 2 download? Well, now’s your chance!
