Kurt Shintaku's Blog

This is from the README of the Windows Vista Service Pack 1 file.  Why am I posting it?  Because I myself forgot a few cardinal rules of installing Service Packs,  (It’s been a while since I’ve had to do so since I’ve always just installed from the slipstream disc) namely the items I highlighted in red below.

<taken from WVSP1 README>

Before you install SP1, do the following:

• Make sure your computer is running Windows Vista.
• If your computer is running on battery power, plug it in so that your computer does not lose power during the installation.
• Close any open files and programs before installing SP1.
• If you are downloading SP1, select the 32-bit SP1 if you are running a 32-bit edition of Windows Vista. Select the 64-bit SP1 if you are running a 64-bit edition of Windows Vista. To find out which edition you are running, click Start, right-click Computer, and then click Properties. In the System section, you can view the operating system under System type. If you are installing SP1 from an installation disc, the correct version will install automatically.
• Make sure there is enough free space on your computer’s hard disk to install the service pack. The 32-bit SP1 requires a minimum of 7 gigabytes (GB) of free space; the 64-bit SP1 requires a minimum of 13 GB of free space.
• Back up your files to an external hard disk, DVD or CD, USB flash drive, or network folder.
• If the configuration of your antivirus software prevents certain system files from being changed, SP1 installation might fail. Try temporarily disabling your antivirus software. You can usually do this by right-clicking your antivirus icon (which typically appears in the bottom right-hand corner of the computer screen) and clicking Disable. If you disable your antivirus software before you install the service pack, be sure that you are aware of the risks involved, and be sure to enable it after the service pack is installed.

More information on Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is available at the Microsoft Technet site:
http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/library/90a564b9-34af-4a6b-937f-324e1862244b1033.mspx?mfr=true

What a deal.  Listen up Xbox 360 True Believers:  If you own an Xbox 360 you simply have to grab one of these if you can’t grab the $79 deal or you would like the 5 free HD DVDs:

Xbox 360 HD DVD Player
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/x/xbox360hddvdplayer/

Get 5 Free HD DVD’s – Coupon
http://assets.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/hddvd/Xbox360_HDDVDOffer.pdf

These technical overviews provide IT Professionals with information about how a Windows Server 2008 technology works. They may also cover design and planning considerations and basic setup and operating instructions.

These documents are downloadable versions of guides found in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=86808).

• DNS Server Global Query Block List
• Installing Configuring and Troubleshooting the Online Responder
• What’s New in Failover Clusters
• What’s New in Terminal Services for Windows Server 2008

DOWNLOAD: 
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=46dc26d6-af47-43f0-b3de-521831fe09d6&displaylang=en&tm

Yeah, that’s right.  To heck with paying $199 per drive.  Let’s buy these puppies for a mere $79.99.

LINK:  http://www.overstockdealz.com/products.asp?id=9Z500013R

If you don’t buy one of these, you’re NUTS.   Understand me?  UTTERLY NUTS.  Notice that I didn’t say that you had to be an Xbox 360 owner either.  If you own a WINDOWS XP/WINDOWS VISTA machine and you’d like a cheap HD DVD player capable of playing back 1080p video and 5.1 surround sound, you simply can’t pass this up.

THE WAR’S NOT OVER
I’ve had so much fun with my HD DVD Player, I can’t tell you how cool it’s been.  Sure the Warner Bros announcement peed all over everyone’s Cheerios, but it ain’t over until the fat lady sings and I know that there’s a few moves to be made in the war between HD DVD & Blu-Ray so all you HD DVD true believer’s stay tuned.

BUY ONE EVEN IF YOU ALREADY HAVE ONE
That being said, if you’re like me and you already OWN an HD DVD player, buying another for, say your home computer, or another Xbox 360 in your home is perfect because you probably don’t want any extra free HD DVDs like the Amazon.com deal gives for $129.99.  (I have some 70 HD DVD’s an really don’t need any of the freebies)

WHY GET ONE?
Why should you get the drive?  Easy:

1. Upscaling progressive scan DVD player
   If you have a 1080i/p TV or display, you’ll probably like the fact that the HD DVD player is also an upscaling progressive scan DVD player, meaning that your existing standard definition DVD’s from your old collection will look even BETTER on your new 1080i/p monitor using the HD DVD player as the playback drive.
2. Fast boot time… compared to Blu-ray
   High definition discs have a reputation for taking 2-5 minutes to just load up the menu.  Not HD DVD.  When you boot up that Xbox 360 and put that disc in, the movie comes up in seconds.  There’s very little waiting and it’s akin to today’s standard definition player.
3. Connect it to your Windows XP/Windows Vista PC
   This is cool.  You can download and install drivers to connect the drive to your PC and use it as a movie disc player for your home PC.  Additionally, you can play back 3xDVD discs… which are regular burned DVD’s with special codecs on them that allow you to fit about 1 1/2 hours of HD DVD 720p quality video on a single burned disc.  And remember – this is standard DVDs, not blank HD DVDs, meaning you can use cheap media and play it back on your new drive.
4. Great movies & interactivity
   I’m sorry but nothing beats the content on HD DVD movies.  The picture-in-picture commentaries, the split screen comparisons between one scene and another, the on-screen mark up by the directoris, the pop up bubbles that give you more insight into the movie’s direction or actors is just unbeatable.
5. Cheap!
   Let’s not kid ourselves.  $79 is CHUMP CHANGE compared to a Blu-ray player with is at least $399 for a Playstatiion 3.
6. Rentable movies!
   You can simply rent the movies from Blockbuster Online or Netflix if you want to see some HD DVD’s with little movie investment.  I personally like to own the movies themselves so I buy them from Amazon which has free delivery for me since I have Amazon Prime.

Check out this great mash up using database technology & Microsoft Virtual Earth to document speed traps in America.

Speed Trap Mashup using Microsoft Virtual Earth
http://njection.com/speedtrap/

This document describes new features and technologies, which were not available in Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1), that will help to increase the security of computers running Windows Server 2008, increase productivity, and reduce administrative overhead.

These topics apply to the next release of Windows Server 2008, based on the functionality expected to be included in the Beta releases in 2007. They do not describe all of the changes that are included in Windows Server 2008. Instead, they highlight changes that will potentially have the greatest impact on your use of Windows Server 2008 and provide references to additional information.

DOWNLOAD:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=173e6e9b-4d3e-4fd4-a2cf-73684fa46b60&displaylang=en&tm

Asset Intelligence enhances the inventory capabilities of SMS 2003 SP3 by extending hardware and software inventory. Many inventory classes improve the breadth of information gathered about hardware and software assets. T

his update, which is mentioned in the SMS 2003 SP3 help file, is the first periodic update to the Asset Intelligence Knowledge Base tables, containing newly released software information. Please note that this will update the SMS 2003 SP3 Asset Intelligence knowledge base and bring it to the same content level as SCCM 2007 RTM. This update is not intended for SCCM and is limited to SMS 2003 SP3. An update for SCCM 2007 will be provided with SCCM 2007 SP1.

DOWNLOAD: 
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=3653e00b-6a0f-4226-87d7-02d3df2147d7&displaylang=en&tm

Microsoft Enterprise Search Seminar
Microsoft’s Southern California District would like to invite you to attend this informative half-day briefing showing you how Microsoft Search solutions for the Enterprise can help you grow your business.

Influenced by the consumer search experience, and driven by a clear need to provide information workers with timely, customized access to relevant business data, companies are looking for comprehensive search capabilities that span disparate information sources and integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure databases and people and experts.

According to IDC estimates, information workers spend 15% to 30% of their work time just looking for information.  So, providing the people in an organization the ability to quickly find, use and share the right information is critical to helping them make better business decisions, be more productive, and achieve greater business success. 

Microsoft search solutions for the Enterprise address this need by helping to reduce the time information workers spend looking for information, deliver relevant actionable results and drive higher levels of productivity from Enterprise Search.  With Microsoft Search Server 2008, Microsoft Search Server Express 2008, Windows Desktop Search and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, Microsoft provides a robust platform of business-ready search capabilities to quickly, securely and seamlessly connect people with the most relevant business information, people and expertise via familiar, easy-to-use, integrated interfaces.

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to ramp up on our exciting new Microsoft Search product releases. Seating is limited, so please reserve your seat today!

THIS SEMINAR IS INVITE ONLY.  PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION AND EVENT ID:

————————-

Microsoft Offices – Los Angeles, CA
Friday February 22, 2008

Los Angeles
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Microsoft Office
333 South Grand Ave
Suite 3300
Room LA MPR 1
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Phone: (213) 806-7300

Yep.  You read that right.  Gartner ranked Microsoft’s Business Intelligence strategy #1, above all the major players including:

• Business Objects
• Cognos
• SAS
• MicroStrategy
• Tibco

We believe Microsoft’s overall business intelligence strategy, its tools & technology, and its integration have indeed surpassed the long time leaders in the business intelligence space and now the world’s largest G2 consultancy has apparently agreed. 

Meanwhile, Microsoft’s business intelligence product set, PerformancePoint Server 2007 & Microsoft Proclarity, are still DRASTICALLY LESS EXPENSIVE, easier to implement, and have incredibly quick time-to-market relative to the other players in the space.

Microsoft Gets Gartner’s Business Intelligence Top Ranking
The company makes a surprise leap ahead of Business Objects and Cognos in its ability to execute on BI products and pricing.

By Mary Hayes Weier
InformationWeek
February 5, 2008 03:34 PM

Business Objects and Cognos have long been considered the leaders in business intelligence platforms. But in a surprising new report, Gartner ranks Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) ahead of those companies in its ability to execute.

Gartner’s "magic quadrants" are typically annual market evaluations that place software vendors in one of four quadrants within a square: niche players, visionaries, challengers, and leaders. Specific placement within a quadrant depends on a vendor’s ability to execute, which moves them upward, and completeness of vision, which moves them to the right.

Business Objects, Cognos, and Microsoft were placed among the leaders in Gartner’s just-released Magic Quadrant for Business Intelligence Platforms, 2008. But the research firm placed Microsoft above the other two in its ability to execute, including the competitiveness and success of its BI goods and services, its viability and investment in BI, and the execution of its sales and pricing.

…

Continued at: 
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206104502&subSection=News