There's been a steady amount of buzz around the ‘net recently about Windows Vista adoption, sparked by a blog post last week questioning Windows Vista adoption rates and most recently by some great number crunching by Computerworld. In light of the various claims, I thought I would offer up some perspective on Windows Vista deployment numbers ... and what experienced industry watchers, like Forrester and CDW, are saying about Windows Vista.

First, you've heard us say before that we've sold more than 180 million Windows Vista licenses (40 million of those in the last quarter alone) and that major enterprises like Continental Airlines, the United States Air Force, Virgin Megastores, Charter, Avanade, Eastman Chemical and PPG are deploying seats by the thousands (and in some cases by the tens of thousands).  That's still true. You can read about these and other Windows Vista deployments at Microsoft.com/casestudies.

Consistent with findings from other reputable sources, Forrester Research just published a new report on enterprise OS adoption. According to the abstract: "Forrester's month-on-month study of more than 50,000 of our clients' OS preferences confirmed that users are on track with enterprises' initial Windows Vista deployment plans. IT operations folks are at a critical inflection point and should deploy Windows Vista to: 1) stay current with Microsoft's and independent software vendors' (ISVs') support life cycles; 2) help minimize today's security, management, and productivity challenges; and 3) better position your business to eventually embrace "Windows 7," because Windows Vista investments will ultimately pay off with better compatibility for this next release." Even the Wall Street Journal is picking up on this and in his blog post over the weekend, Ben Worthen includes some nuggets from the report like: "between October 2007 and June 2008 the percentage of visitors running Vista climbed from 5% to 8.8%." Ben also says that "it's pretty safe to assume that the operating system's image problems with the general public will soon be a thing of the past."

What about the guys on the ground who are selling, installing and implementing Windows Vista? Not surprisingly, they're seeing growing demand too. For example, CDW, one of the nation's largest technology resellers and system integrators, found in their third Windows Vista Tracking Poll that Windows Vista is "gaining traction" in the business market, with 48 percent of respondents saying their organization is using or evaluating Windows Vista. That compares with 29 percent in CDW's February 2007 poll. You can check the Seattle Times commentary on this.

The chorus of industry commentators, analysts, partners and real enterprise users confirm what we already knew - businesses are buying, using and liking Windows Vista. If you haven't already, try it and decide for yourself.  

VMWare takes a giant leap past Microsoft and Xen by providing EXSi as a free download.
I used VMWare server a lot I created a Load Balancing and a Clustering SQL server on a single Laptop. This was done for a usability test for ABN-AMRO.

But now with EXSi this takes a whole new level, this will lower the difficulty with baremetal restores (those are the one we hate do we? )

Download it at http://www.vmware.com/products/esxi/ remember to check if your server on the HCL list

Check it out!

Printers are one of the most common types of external device. Today, many computer manufactures bundle printers with new computers-it's hard not to have a printer. Printers used to come with one of two types of connectors: serial or parallel. Today, USB printers are very common. In corporate and small-office/home-office (SOHO) environments, networked printers are common. Ubuntu supports an amazing number of printers; making Ubuntu work with most printers is relatively easy.

Changing Paper Size
Before you install your first printer, be sure to set the system's default paper size. This is found in the file /etc/papersize. The default paper size probably says A4 or letter-this depends on the geographical location you selected during the installation. If the default paper size is not set right, then every printer you add to the system will be configured with the wrong default paper size. Changing /etc/papersize after you create a printer will not alter any already existing printers. If you have multiple printers that take different paper sizes, set the value in /etc/papersize before adding each printer.

To change the default paper size, edit the /etc/papersize file and change the value. Common values are A4, letter, and legal. A4 is a commonly used standard paper in Europe. Letter and legal refer to the 8.5" × 11" and 8.5" × 14" paper sizes common in the United States. Less common paper sizes that I have come across include A5, B2, C2, ledger, and 10 × 14.

Paper sizes, such as A0, A1, A2, B3, C4, and D4, refer to ratios from a larger piece of paper. For example, A0 has a total area of one square meter. The A0 dimensions are 841 × 1189 mm. A1 is half of A0's longest direction: 594 × 841mm. A2 is half of A1 (420 × 594), and so on. As a result, 16 sheets of A4 cover a surface area of 1m2. Other paper types follow the same ratios-four sheets of B2 can fit in one B0 sheet. B0 is 1000 × 1414 mm and C0 is 917 × 1297 mm.

Specific fields use different paper sizes. For example, A is common in publishing and C is used in construction for building plans. If you have a large printer or plotter, be sure to set up /etc/papersize with the right default before adding the printer.


Adding a Printer
Adding a printer under Ubuntu is straightforward. Go to System -> Administration Printing to open the printer applet. From there, you can double-click New Printer to configure the device.

The first step in adding a printer requires specifying which kernel device communicates with the printer. The default choices are a local printer using a USB or parallel port, or a network printer. Although the local printer configuration is easy (simply select the detected USB printer or parallel port), networked printers require additional information.
• CUPS Printer (IPP)-The Common Unix Printing System allows the sharing of printers between different Unix computers. You will need to provide a URL for the printer, such as ipp://server/printer_name.

• Windows Printer (SMB)-More common than CUPS are Windows printers. In small offices, a user with a printer directly connected to their Windows host can share the printer with the network. You will need to provide the Windows host name, printer name, and any user name and password needed to access the device.

• Unix Printer (LPD)-The Line Printer Daemon protocol is one of the oldest and most reliable network printing options. Most stand-alone network printers support LPD. For this option, you will need to provide the host name and the name of the LPD print queue.

• HP JetDirect-This is another common protocol for stand-alone printers. You only need to provide the host name (and port number if it's not the default 9100).

The second step for adding a printer enables you to specify the type of printer. If your exact printer model is not listed, chances are good that there is a model that is close enough. In the worst case, you can always select one of the generic printer options. Finally, you should name the printer. Give it something descriptive so you can recognize it later.

>>> Read more about Sharing Printers in Ubuntu < <<

Source of Information : Hacking Ubuntu Serious Hacks Mods and Customizations

This Post explains how to review and make changes to your Outlook Mobile Service account. Changes might occur if you change your account name as it appears in Outlook or your mobile service password, or when you want to further customize your account configuration.
Change the name of your Outlook Mobile Service account
1. On the Tools menu, click Account Settings.
2. Select the Outlook Mobile Service account that you want to change, and then click Change.
3. Click More Settings.
4. Under Account Name, type the name that you want.
Change the password for your Outlook Mobile Service account
To help keep your system secure, it is a good practice to change your password regularly.
Use strong passwords that combine uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Weak passwords don't mix these elements. Strong password: Y6dh!et5. Weak password: House27. Passwords should be 8 or more characters in length. A pass phrase that uses 14 or more characters is better. For more information, see Outlook Support
It is critical that you remember your password. If you forget your password, Microsoft cannot retrieve it. Store the passwords that you write down in a secure place away from the information that they help protect.
Note You should change the password saved in Outlook only after you change the Web Service password for your Outlook Mobile Service account. Follow the instructions provided by your mobile service provider to change your Web Service password.
1. On the Tools menu, click Account Settings.
2. Select the Outlook Mobile Service account that you want to change, and then click Change.
3. Under Logon Information, in the Password box, type the password that was provided by your mobile service provider or the password that you created.
Note You have the option to have Outlook remember your password by selecting the Remember password check box. If you select this option, your account is vulnerable to anyone who has access to your computer.
4. Click OK.
5. Click Close.

Enjoy downloading!