Kurt Shintaku's Blog

I love my new Samsung Series 9.  This is the first ultraportable laptop that I’ve ever used that TRUMPED my previous full-sized laptop.

The biggest difference (besides the obvious size/look & feel differential) is the switch from Core2Duo to Core i5 w/ Sandy Bridge architecture.  The performance on this thing is stunning.

I created the following table from a variety of sources to compare it to “the other guys”.

Other noticeable differences:

• TEMPERATURE
  Runs cool… even when SpeedBoosting!  Not gonna burn your lap… unlike the MacBook Air which may leave a scorch mark on a wooden boardroom table.
• CHASSIS
  The laptop is encased in “Duralumin”, a metal composite used to build jet airliners for it’s strength & lightweight.  It is of very sturdy construction as a result.
• NETWORK PERFORMANCE
  The Series 9 has a native, integrated gigabit network adapter with actual performance of up to 1Gb/sec data transmission rates due to its integration with the PCI-E bus.  The Macbook Air’s lesser 100Mbps network adapter is a USB adapter that not only takes up a USB slot, but is relegated to USB data channel performance.
• SALES TAX
  An interesting thing about the Samsung is that you can buy it out of state and avoid paying sales tax.  For example:  In CA, you can pick up the Samsung from Amazon and be tax free & shipping free.  Not so much with the MacBook Air:  Apple’s likely got a store in your state and if that’s the case, you’re paying sales tax.  This is roughly a $140 premium for really no value.
• WIRELESS DISPLAY
  Something that no one seems to mention is because the Samsung Series 9 leverages the integrated graphics processor – the HD 3000 – on the Core i5, Intel’s Wireless Display technology or “WiDi” is available to the user.  This allows users of the Series 9 to wirelessly transmit their laptop screen at 1080p full 30fps to their consumer HD TV using a WiDi receiver, requiring no additional hardware on their PC.  Great for video sharing!

A few great links for the Samsung Series 9:

1. Samsung’s official site for the Series 9 including marketing photos:
   http://www.samsung.com/ca/consumer/office/mobile-computing/performance/NP900X3A-A01CA/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail&returnurl=
   &pid=ca_mobilecomputingtype_keyvisual1_np900x3a_20110504
2. TechRepublic’s very excellent hardware tear down of the Series 9:
   http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/itdojo/samsung-series-9-worthy-rival-to-apple-macbook-air/2607
3. Tej Babra’s look at the Intel WiDi Wireless Display feature of the Series 9:
   http://www.tejbabra.com/index.php/reviews/samsung-series-9-laptop-review-with-intel-widi/

Announcing Microsoft Virtualization Jump Start Training Videos!

Just after MMS 2011, Microsoft Learning hosted another new and exclusive Jump Start virtual training event – “Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals.” We are thrilled to announce availability of the HD-quality video recordings – FREE – on TechNet Edge, MS Showcase, the Zune Marketplace, iTunes! Additionally, every module will be made available (with assessment questions) on the Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA) later this month.

Who is the target audience for this training?

• IT Professionals, Virtualization Engineers, Data Center Managers, IT Decision Makers, Network Administrators, Storage/Infrastructure Administrators & Architects.
• Microsoft customers and partners currently using VMware.
• Companies using VMware searching for real-world answers as they consider whether or not Microsoft Virtualization truly fits their needs.

What’s the high-level overview?

• The 15-hour course is broken into three sections: (1) Platform, (2) Management, and (3) VDI
• “Team-teaching” approach led by Microsoft partner and virtualization architect, Corey Hynes, and Microsoft Technical Evangelist, Symon Perriman
• Every module is an engaging discussion, packed with best practices and real-world demonstrations

Where do I go for this great training?
The HD-quality video recordings of this course are on TechNet Edge. If you’re interested in one specific topic, I’ve included links to each module as well.

• Entire course on TechNet Edge: “Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals” Jump Start
• Links directly to specific modules
• Virtualization Jump Start (01): Virtualization Overview
• Virtualization Jump Start (02): Differentiating Microsoft & VMware
• Virtualization Jump Start (03a): Hyper-V Deployment Options & Architecture | Part 1
• Virtualization Jump Start (03b): Hyper-V Deployment Options & Architecture | Part 2
• Virtualization Jump Start (04): High-Availability & Clustering
• Virtualization Jump Start (05): System Center Suite Overview with focus on DPM
• Virtualization Jump Start (06): Automation with Opalis, Service Manager & PowerShell
• Virtualization Jump Start (07): System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012
• Virtualization Jump Start (08): Private Cloud Solutions, Architecture & VMM Self-Service Portal 2.0
• Virtualization Jump Start (09): Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Architecture | Part 1
• Virtualization Jump Start (10): Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Architecture | Part 2
• Virtualization Jump Start (11): v-Alliance Solution Overview
• Virtualization Jump Start (12): Application Delivery for VDI
• Links to course materials on Born to Learn

Where can people learn more?
Clearly, virtualization experts worldwide are taking a new look at Microsoft Virtualization. After this Jump Start, we hope you’ll want to learn why. Check out the Microsoft Learning “Virtualization Training Portal” to better understand virtualization-specific certifications and where to find instructor-led classes to help you and your team. Of course, these videos will also be posted to the Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA) where you can learn at your own pace.

Justin Campana has a special web site dedicated to optimizing your Windows 7 tablet/slate device for touch control.

His configuration was designed for the Asus Eee Slate EP121 Tablet PC but it should work for any slate.

He has a set of free tools that he uses to get the interface that you see on the right.

• Justin Campana’s Touch Optimizations for Windows 7
  http://windows7tablet.blogspot.com/

Over 100,000 customers are actively using the beta of Office 365 and will go into production on June 28th.

There is a 73 page document that goes over the different steps for running a trial.

Adoption procedures are grouped into the following scenarios:

• Scenario 1: Signing Up for a 30-Day Trial
• Scenario 2: Performing the “Start Here Tasks”
• Scenario 3: Adding a Custom Domain to Office 365
• Scenario 4: Managing Exchange Online
• Scenario 5: Managing a SharePoint Site Collection
• Scenario 6: Preparing Your System for Office 365
• Scenario 7: Using Exchange Online
• Scenario 8: Using SharePoint Online
• Scenario 9: Using Lync Online
• Scenario 10: Getting Support
• Scenario 11: Converting a Trial Account to Paid Subscription

DOWNLOAD:  Microsoft Office 365 Guides for midsize business and enterprises
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=26123

The release of the Microsoft Software Product License Dependency Reference Guide makes it easy for anyone licensing a given server product to understand what other licenses need to accompany it in production to be compliant.

The information provided in this guide is intended to help you understand the licensing requirements of software that is used together with one or more Microsoft products. (For example, to use SQL Server software, a server needs to be assigned both a SQL Server license and an operating system license.)

You should read and use this guide in conjunction with the terms and conditions under which Microsoft products are licensed. If you acquire licenses under the Microsoft Volume Licensing Program (for example, Enterprise Agreement or Select License), you should refer to the product use rights for the products and the program agreement under which the licenses are acquired. The type and number of licenses required may vary based on how and where you deploy the software.

• DOWNLOAD: Microsoft Software Product License Dependency Reference Guide
  http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=18272

Microsoft Security Essentials is the #1 anti-malware product in North America & is closing in on becoming #1 worldwide.

…

Microsoft increased substantially since OPSWAT’s last report, rising to the top of the market and surpassing Symantec, who held the lead for the past three consecutive
quarters. As mentioned for global market share, Microsoft’s rise could be linked with the visibility and easy installation of their antivirus soware through Windows Update as well as its compatibility with other leading Microsoft products. AVG also rose this quarter to hold the second leading position for the second consecutive quarter. Symantec rounds out the top three with 14.47% of the North American market.  For the first time in OPSWAT’s past three reports, AVAST is not one of the top three vendors in North America, possibly related to the altering breakdown of the data’s countries of origin.
Several countries where AVAST has led in past reports accounted for smaller percentages of this report’s data.

…

Read more at:

• OPSWAT:  Security Industry Market Share Analysis Report
  http://bit.ly/kCWHlE

It bears repeating: 

NO, Silverlight is not going away.

In terms of Microsoft’s official response, it has been very consistent since questions in this area first surfaced:

• 2010-09-01: http://team.silverlight.net/announcement/the-future-of-silverlight/
• 2010-11-04: http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2010/11/04/silverlight-questions.aspx
• 2010-11-01: http://team.silverlight.net/announcement/pdc-and-silverlight/
• 2011-04-04: http://team.silverlight.net/announcement/standards-based-web-plug-ins-and-silverlight/

A friend in our Developer & Platform Evangelism group, as an attempt to clarify and dispel the doubts without going into too much detail, wrote the following:

• There are a lot of things Microsoft did not mention in our recent announcements with Windows 8 (http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2011/jun11/06-01corporatenews.aspx) and the BUILD conference (http://blogs.msdn.com/b/somasegar/archive/2011/06/01/building-a-bright-future.aspx), which Mary Jo-Foley based much of her opinions on. But that does not imply the technologies not highlighted are being de-emphasized or phased out
  
• Silverlight, latest in version 5 beta, has a lot more capabilities than HTML, and will continue to be developed and enhanced to stretch the boundaries of a cross-platform application platform. It will continue to be innovated at a faster pace than HTML and JavaScript
  
• Microsoft has always focused on bringing optimized solutions for addressable problem spaces; not really about one-size-fits-all. Silverlight and HTML5 have some overlaps, but they also differentiate in some areas. It’s important to understand the project requirements and then choose the appropriate technology. In general, rich and more complex apps that are not intended for mass consumption are ideally suited for Silverlight (more robust dev tools, runtime, performance, security models, app compatibility, manageability, and richer user experiences, etc.). Apps that are intended for mass consumption (e.g., public-facing websites for millions of users) that need enhanced user experiences from what HTML4 offers today, should use HTML5
  
• Silverlight is also being optimized as the native application platform across Windows-based devices (it will still work on MacOS and Linux; just Microsoft using Silverlight on more device platforms) – such as Windows desktop, Windows Phone, and more to come (thus Microsoft’s own dependency on it is increasing)

Wanna take a tour of the upcoming Windows 8 user interface?
(Yes, it’s officially codenamed “Windows 8”)

Here’s some press content about the new user interface and what has been demonstrated and announced:

• As showcased at All Things Digital D9 by Microsoft President, Steven Sinofsky:
  http://allthingsd.com/20110601/up-next-at-d9-microsoft-windows-president-steven-sinofsky-live-at-d9/
• Microsoft’s Press Release on Windows 8:
  http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2011/jun11/06-01corporatenews.aspx

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 Beta 1 rides the next wave of System Center releases with support for System Center Configuration Manager 2012.

For Lite Touch installations, MDT 2012 improves the overall client-side user experience, while also providing behind-the-scenes enhancements for partitioning, UEFI, and user state migration.

These features, combined with many small enhancements, bug fixes, and a smooth and simple upgrade process, make MDT 2012 Beta 1 more reliable and flexible than ever.

• Download the beta materials on Connect:
  https://connect.microsoft.com/site14/Downloads/DownloadDetails.aspx?DownloadID=8689

Key Benefits:

• Fully leverages the capabilities provided by System Center Configuration Manager 2012 for OS deployment.
• Improved Lite Touch user experience and functionality.
• A smooth and simple upgrade process for all existing MDT users.

Tell us what you think!
We value your input. Download the beta on Connect and tell us what you think!Please submit your feedback through Connect and direct any support questions you may have tosatfdbk@microsoft.com.

Availability
This program is now open. The beta review period will run through August 2011.

Tell your friends
To join the beta review program for Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012, visit Microsoft Connect:
https://connect.microsoft.com/site14

Learn more

• Visit the MDT home page:http://www.microsoft.com/MDT
• Get the latest news straight from the MDT team:http://blogs.technet.com/mniehaus/
• MDT works with the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit and Security Compliance Manager to help you plan, securely deploy, and manage new Microsoft technologies—easier, faster, and at less cost. Learn more at http://www.microsoft.com/solutionaccelerators.

Designed to help reduce the cost and complexity of data compliance, the Data Classification Toolkit for Windows Server 2008 R2 helps organizations consistently identify, classify, and protect data across multiple file servers.

Using out-of-the-box classification knowledge, this toolkit gives organizations visibility into how data is distributed across their organizations to help them apply the right policies, protect critical data, and identify potential data storage efficiencies.

• Download the beta materials on Connect:
  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=217117

Tell us what you think!
We value your input. Download the beta on Connect and tell us what you think!Please submit your feedback through Connect and direct any support questions you may have tosecwish@microsoft.com.

Availability
This program is now open. The beta review period will run through June 29, 2011. Beyond June, we will continue to accept your feedback until the beta is available. The feedback received after June will be considered for future releases.

Tell your friends
To join the Beta Program for the Data Classification Toolkit for Windows Server 2008 R2, visit Microsoft Connect:http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=217117

Learn more

• Visit the Data Classification Toolkit page on TechNet:http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=217654
• For the latest IT GRC Solution Accelerators, visit the Compliance home page:http://www.microsoft.com/GRC

Thank you for your interest in the development of the Data Classification Toolkit. We look forward to receiving your feedback!