Hector Opens a Can on Craig

I’ll admit it. For years I was a die-hard Intel fan and thought of AMD as the red-headed step-child of the processor market. I would turn my nose up at an AMD faster than a Celeron!

But times change. And ever since I got my AMD Mobile Athlon 64 notebook PC last year, I’ve become a HUGE fan of AMD. I love this thing!. It’s fast, inexpensive, and runs quiet and cool. What’s not to love about AMD??

Well, the competition in the processor market is as hot as ever. And apparently Intel’s days of ‘player hatin’ on AMD have come to an end, or soon will:

AMD Sues Intel — Alleges Unfair Trade Practices
http://redmondmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=6764

AMD dropped a 48-page complaint against Intel (this thing reads like a conspiracy theory novel) and is running full-page ads in half a dozen newspapers in key US markets to gather the public on it’s side. It’ll be interesting to see what effect all this has on chip prices.

Personally, in the AMD vs. Intel battle, I’m rooting for the consumers to win. But if this turns out like all the other technology titan Sumo matches, the only winners will be the lawyers.

Webcast – Microsoft Small Business Partner Initiative

Webcast: WOW w/ TS2: Introducing the Small Business Partner Initiative
Presenter: Ron Grattopp, Microsoft TS2 Presenter
Event Date: Wednesday 7/27/2005
Event Time: 3:00 PM Eastern
Duration: 60 minutes

Want to know what’s happening in the new fiscal year for Microsoft Partners? Tune in to the webcast and get the complete rundown on the new Microsoft Small Business Partner Initiative. Know what you need to do to participate and what benefits you receive as a participant.

Register: http://www.msreadiness.com/wscart.asp?eid=2550

Training Wheels for Would-Be Admins

Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP (Beta)
Powerful new software tools for shared computers in classrooms, school computer labs, libraries, and public places. The Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP helps make it easy for anyone to set up, safeguard and manage reliable shared computers.

Download URL: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7256d456-e3da-42ea-857d-92b716077a84&DisplayLang=en

Outlook 2003 with Business Contact Manager Update

Licensed users of Microsoft Office Small Business Edition 2003 or Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003 are eligible to upgrade to Outlook 2003 with Business Contact Manager Update by downloading it or ordering a CD.

Outlook 2003 with Business Contact Manager Update offers new functionality and performance improvements, including the ability to share customer information (finally) within a PC network and synchronize business contacts with a Microsoft Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC.

Download URL

Thanks go to Gavin Steiner at http://sbscanada.blogspot.com for the link.

Webcast – The Ins and Outs of SBS Service Pack 1

This week, on a special ‘Friday Edition’ of “Wednesdays on the Web with TS2”, our buddy Ron Grattopp will present the webcast:
“The Ins and Outs of SBS Service Pack 1“.

You’ll get the latest information about Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Service Pack 1. Ron will cover what’s included as well as give suggestions for deployment. Don’t miss this opportunity!

Webcast date: Friday June 10, 2005
Start time: 5:00 PM Eastern (GMT -5)

Registration URL:
http://www.msusapartnerreadiness.com/wscart.asp?eid=2378

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) Released

On Monday June 6, Steve Ballmer announced the release of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) at Tech-Ed 2005. WSUS enables IT administrators to deploy the latest Microsoft product updates to Microsoft Windows Server 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP operating systems. By using Windows Server Update Services, you can fully manage the distribution of updates that are released through Microsoft Update to computers in your network.

Windows Server Update Services Home

Download URL

Release Notes for Windows Small Business Server 2003 SP1

Before you install Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 with Service Pack 1, read the release notes to learn about common issues that can impact your installation experience or use of the product. Published 06/03/2005.

URL: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=022677CC-F5AC-4BFB-9AD0-454E89CB98BB&displaylang=en

Microsoft Exam 2nd-Shot Offer Extended

Second Shot Offer Details:

Start date: February 28, 2005
Previous expiration date: May 31, 2005
New expiration date: August 31, 2005

If you register for this offer prior to taking any IT Pro or Developer exam you will get a free exam if you fail on your first try. This offer is available worldwide. As a participant, you will receive one free retake per exam you purchase and fail.

You may register for the initial exam via an exam delivery provider (EDP) Web site, and if you fail, you can call the Pearson VUE or Thomson Prometric call centers to schedule your retake exam. Tell the call center agent you are taking part in the Second Shot promotion. Please wait one day after the failed exam to allow your test results to be entered into the system. All retake timeframes are subject to compliance with Microsoft Certification Exam Retake rules (see FAQ below for more detail).

More details:

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/offers/2ndshot/

Once you register at the Microsoft link above, you will be provided with the discount code. Use that promotional code to register for your exam at Pearson VUE:

http://www.pearsonvue.com/ms/2ndshot