Longhorn Server

I've been writing a lot recently on Windows Longhorn Server, and I think it's the best release of Windows Server to date. That might not sound like much. After all, isn't that what we all expect? But Microsoft has really done a lot of things right.

Security is easier, management is better, needs are anticipated and addressed, and so on. The team has taken the best core code improvements from Vista and baked them for almost an additional year, ensuring stability while adding great features. This is one release that you're going to want to deploy immediately in some scenarios, and eventually to the rest of your operation as well. Expect Longhorn Server in the second half of the year, probably in the fourth quarter.

Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista

Details are still sketchy on what this service pack will include, mainly because the gold -- or RTM -- release still has yet to reach the majority of consumers (business customers and volume license agreement participants have had access to Vista code since mid-November). However, one can expect any security or critical updates for Vista that are released to be rolled up in typical service pack fashion, along with a couple of other goodies (maybe EFI support instead of being stuck booting a BIOS) and new features.