Kurt Shintaku's Blog

We’re happy to announce the release of our newest free ebook, Introducing Windows 10 for IT Professionals, Preview Edition (ISBN 9780735696969), by Ed Bott.

Here’s the introduction:

I’ve written about Microsoft Windows for nearly a quarter-century, and in all that time I have never worked on a project like this one. Then again, I’ve never seen anything quite like Windows 10 from Microsoft, either.

This book is a preview, a work in progress about a work in progress. It offers a snapshot of the Windows 10 Technical Preview as of April 2015, on the eve of the BUILD Developers’ Conference in San Francisco.

By design, this preview edition has a limited shelf life. After Microsoft releases Windows 10 to the general public this summer, I’ll revise and expand the content in this edition to reflect the finished product.

Windows 10 represents a major transformation of the PC landscape. For IT pros who’ve grown comfortable managing Microsoft Windows using a familiar set of tools and best practices, this version contains a startling amount of new. A new user experience. A new app platform. New security features and new management tools.

My goal in this book is to help you sort out what’s new in the Windows 10 Technical Preview, with advance notice of features that will be available in the finished product but aren’t yet implemented. I’ve tried to lay out those facts in as neutral a fashion as possible, starting with an overview of the operating system, laying out the many changes to the user experience, and diving deep into deployment and management tools where it’s necessary.

Although I’ve written in-depth guides to Windows in the past, this book is not one of those. It’s also not a review. Only you can decide whether, and how and when, to incorporate Windows 10 into your enterprise, based on your own organizational requirements. This book is designed to serve as a rough guide so that you can get more out of your evaluation of the Windows 10 Technical Preview.

By design, this book focuses on things that are new, with a special emphasis on topics of interest to IT pros. So you might find fewer tips and tricks about the new user experience than your users want but more about management, deployment, and security—which ultimately is what matters to the long-term well-being of the company you work for.

The Windows 10 Technical Preview offers anyone an opportunity to not just try out the next version of Windows but to provide feedback about the new operating system, in real time, to the team that is building it. I encourage you to share your feedback about this book directly with me. E-mail your comments to me at feedback@realworldwindows.com.

Ed Bott
April 24, 2015

Read the announcement here:

• BLOG: Free ebook: Introducing Windows 10 for IT Professionals, Preview Edition
  http://blogs.msdn.com/b/microsoft_press/archive/2015/05/01/free-ebook-introducing-windows-10-for-it-professionals-preview-edition.aspx

Download the .PDF version here:
(ePub/MOBI coming soon)

• MS PRESS: “Introducing Windows 10 for IT Professionals, Preview Edition” (6.39 MB)
  http://aka.ms/IntroWin10Preview_pdf

I wanna clear something up here because I think there’s some confusion as to what we have available. 

There are TWO completely different “beta” releases out there for Office running on Windows:

• Office for Windows 10
  (http://blogs.office.com/2015/02/04/next-chapter-office-windows/)
• Office 2016 for Windows
  (http://blogs.office.com/2015/03/16/announcing-the-office-2016-it-pro-and-developer-preview/)

OFFICE FOR WINDOWS 10:

• Slated for release at the same time as Windows 10
• Shipping for free with Windows Phones & small Windows tablets
• More information: http://blogs.office.com/2015/02/04/next-chapter-office-windows/

Office for Windows 10 is a preview release that is designed specifically as a “touch first” application suite and created as a Universal app.  In other words, it leverages the “metro” or “flat Windows” design UI principles & runs full screen in tablet mode on Windows 10.

The touch targets are larger throughout the user interface to accommodate the size of user’s fingers, relative to a mouse pointer, and gestures are predominantly available (in addition to traditional UI functions) for more convenient navigation.

Equally importantly, Office for Windows 10 isn’t just for desktops:  It’s also available for Windows 10 for Mobile Devices, i.e. phones, etc.  If you look at the snapshot below you can see the analogous UI between the two screen sizes for Office on Windows 10 on a desktop/tablet & phone.

Manageability & distribution, as a Universal/“metro-type” Windows app, is handled using the new Windows Store.  This is key in that the new Windows Store has the distinction of being a converged store for desktops, laptops, tablets & phones, thus making available Office “universally” available for all form factors.

Note: While this suite is designed to be a great solution for tablet & mobile users, a caveat that I have not completely verified however is the compatibility between this suite & traditional Office plug-ins & add-ins.  I’m 95% certain that most Office-installable modules that are used to integrate Office apps into line of business systems (like CRM/Document Management solutions, FAX automation tools, or 3rd party components like Outlook productivity add-ins) do not work in this new UI.  I suspect that the UI itself make integrating any of these 3rd party add-ins likely difficult, even if the same APIs were available.

OFFICE 2016 FOR WINDOWS:

• Slated for release H2CY15
• No pricing announced
• More information: http://blogs.office.com/2015/03/16/announcing-the-office-2016-it-pro-and-developer-preview/

Office 2016 for Windows is the spiritual & logical successor to today’s existing Office 2013 and the current release of client-installable Office software delivered through Office 365.

It’s a x86/x64 Windows application suite designed as a “desktop first” suite leveraging mouse & keyboard as it’s primary input tools, running on the Windows desktop & enabling windowed usage – as opposed to full screen usage – as its primary view.

One of the major improvements (and exciting ones for me personally) is the integration of feedback about Click-to-Run deployment – specifically Enterprise Management.  Historically we’ve deployed Office 2013 Pro Plus through .MSI packages running under a single SCCM 2012 R2 installation.  With Office 365 Pro Plus, that’s still possible however maintaining the desktop installations is difficult.   Read more about this here: http://blogs.office.com/2015/03/19/office-365-proplus-it-control-and-management-update/

Unlike the Office for Windows 10 suite, Office 2016 for Windows is designed for compatibility with applications that are integrated with Office 2013, so this including plug-ins, add-ins & API level integrations with 3rd party document management & workflow systems.

StevieB posted on the Surface Blog today that we acquired advanced digital pen technology from N-trig Ltd.

Read what Stevie said here:

• Investing To Innovate With Pen
  http://blog.surface.com/2015/05/msft-acquires-pen-tech-from-n-trig-ltd/

We are releasing a NEW 20-page white paper, entitled, “Trusted Cloud: Microsoft Azure Security, Privacy, and Compliance”.  The paper describes the key points of the Azure approach to enabling trust.

• WHITEPAPER: “Trusted Cloud: Microsoft Azure Security, Privacy, and Compliance” (April 2015)
  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=392408&clcid=0x409

(If you want to learn about Network Security: You can download the full whitepaper from Microsoft Azure Network Security Whitepaper V3. This update describes capabilities available as of January 2015 and the above highlights are just some of what you’ll see in this recent v3 version)

We have a downloadable guide for reviewers of the Office 2016 for Mac Preview.

The new and modern Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac Preview is the Office you know and love, thoughtfully designed for the Mac. It is powered by the cloud via Office 365, so you can access documents anytime, anywhere on any device. With the newly designed Ribbon, tools and formatting are organized just like in all the Office apps across platforms and devices. The modernized user experience—optimized for the Mac with full support for retina displays—allows you to enjoy working on your Mac Through seamless integration with Office 365, OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, and SharePoint, you can access your files across devices by signing in with your Office identity (your Microsoft account or your work or school email).

The Office 2016 for Mac Preview has many exciting features, including:

• Newly designed Ribbon organizes tools and formatting in a manner similar to Office for Windows.
• Modernized user experience is optimized for the Mac, with full support for retina displays.
• Seamless integration with Office 365, OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, and SharePoint means you can access your files across devices by signing in with your Office identity. 
• Format object task pane delivers greater object manipulation capabilities.

Download the .PDF (26 pages, 8.7MB) here:

• DOWNLOAD: Office 2016 for Mac Preview Guide
  http://1drv.ms/1PbWzgg

We’ve created new versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote for your Mac. Download our free Quick Start Guides to learn the basics.

To view or print the PDF versions of our Quick Start Guides on your Mac, download and install the free Adobe Reader software.

Note   Office 2016 for Mac is currently in Preview and the content in our Quick Start Guides is not yet final. Text and images may not match your exact experience until the finished versions of these apps are released.

Download the .PDFs from here:

• DOWNLOAD: Office 2016 for Mac Quick Start Guides (Preview)
  https://support.office.com/en-in/article/Office-2016-for-Mac-Quick-Start-Guides-Preview-5bccb480-0e5b-4b51-b072-66d3793ccad8

Just published a couple days ago, this addresses the challenge of needing technical documentation around how to deploy Office 365 Professional Plus using SCCM 2012 R2.

If you use System Center Configuration Manager to deploy software, such as Office, to users and computers in your organization, you can also use that existing Configuration Manager environment to deploy Office 365 ProPlus. By using Configuration Manager, you can control which users and computers get Office 365 ProPlus, where they get the installation files from, and when the Office 365 ProPlus installation occurs.

For example, you can control network bandwidth usage by placing the Office 365 ProPlus installation files on a distribution point within your organization’s network, instead of having users install Office 365 ProPlus directly from the Internet. Keep in mind, however, that even if you’re installing Office 365 ProPlus from a location within your network, the computer where Office 365 ProPlus is installed still needs access to the Internet to be able to activate Office 365 ProPlus.

Here’s an overview of the steps to deploy Office 365 ProPlus by using Configuration Manager:

1. Prepare the Office 365 ProPlus installation files

2. Create an application in Configuration Manager

3. Create a deployment type for the application

4. Distribute the application to distribution points

5. Deploy the application

The steps that follow are for System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, but you can also deploy Office 365 ProPlus by using System Center 2012 Configuration Manager or Configuration Manager 2007 R2.

…

Read at the source:

• TECHNET: Deploy Office 365 ProPlus by using System Center Configuration Manager
  https://technet.microsoft.com/library/dn708063.aspx

Thought some of you in Burbank/Glendale would be interested in this: 

The Surface 3 Launch is right around the corner!  Microsoft Store Glendale Galleria would like to invite you to visit our store on Launch day.

Come help us celebrate the release. 

Surface 3 Launch Event:
May 5^th, 2015 Tuesday – 10am-1pm

We will be hosting an Internet Café in the morning.  We will have experts in the store to help any questions regarding the Operation and how to best utilize it for your business, school, or personal use.

If you Pre-Ordered your Surface 3, you will have the advantage to pick it up.  Let our experts assist with setting up the device for you while you enjoy breakfast.

Fiesta Event:
May 5th, 2015 Tuesday – 1pm-7pm

Join us in the Afternoon for our Afternoon Fiesta!  We will have light snacks, drinks, and swag.

Our experts will continue to show the exciting Surface 3 and assist with any questions you may have about the device.

Location:
Microsoft Store Glendale Galleria
2140 Glendale Galleria, JCPenney Court
Glendale, CA 91210
(818) 637-7739

Introducing the Office 365 Network Bulletin!

Every day, tons of valuable information grounded in real-world experience with Office products is shared on the Office 365 Network. To help you get the best of community content in an easy to read format, we’re launching the Office 365 Network Bulletin, a new quarterly publication that delivers insight into the people, ideas and trends emerging on the Office 365 Network.

This inaugural issue includes perspectives from community members on the value of YamJams, pointers on helpful groups to join, as well as a sneak peek at what’s coming up at Ignite.

Check it out!

• DOWNLOAD: Office 365 Network Bulletin – Spring Edition (7 page, .PDF, 687.03 kB)
  https://www.yammer.com/api/v1/uploaded_files/34927714/download 
  (Alt download: http://1drv.ms/1EwgjIO)

Are you a Minecraft mod developer?  Ready to step up to the world’s best Integrated Development Environment?

We just announced today at Build 2015 that we’ve released a Visual Studio add-in for “Minecraft” mod devs. 

It’s called the Minecraft Mod Developer Pack and it’s available for download, for FREE, right now.  Here’s the announcement:

• VISUAL STUDIO BLOG: Hello Minecraft modders! Visual Studio <3s Minecraft
  http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudio/archive/2015/04/30/hello-minecraft-modders-visual-studio-loves-minecraft.aspx
• DOWNLOAD: VisualStudio add-in for “Minecraft” mod devs
  https://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/043ab247-8771-4bb1-92af-d76e542724ad