As we approach the end of 2009, we have a lot to look forward to in 2010, especially on the Microsoft front. We all experienced the release of Windows 7 earlier this year, with businesses already upgrading to take advantage of all the new features, promising to be more user-centric and easier to work with. Not only that, but some companies are making the most out of their Windows 7 purchase by upgrading to Server 2008 R2 and benefiting from features such as Direct Access*. Not to mention a range of other features including the Active Directory Recycle Bin, improved management tools and virtualisation support, including Live Migration.

Next year will see the release of three new products – Office 2010, SharePoint Server 2010 and Exchange 2010. Communication and efficiency will be the key behind these products, making it easier for team members to communicate and collaborate, no matter where they are based. Today I will focus on Office 2010.

Office 2010

The beta version of Office has been available to download for a little while now, and it boasts some cool new features. For example, Outlook 2010 will be able to manage multiple mailboxes from multiple services, including Hotmail and GMail. Also, there will be strong integration with SharePoint for collaboration purposes. Exchange 2010 will also work seamlessly with Outlook, allowing voicemails and faxes to be sent directly to your inbox.

PowerPoint 2010 need no longer be a simply case of slide after slide of text – there will be some advanced image editing features included, as well as the ability to add video.

Closing a Word document that you haven’t saved since you started working on it 3 hours ago can be a nightmare – Word 2010 boasts a feature that allows you to recover draft versions of recently edited files so that you can jump back to the most recently drafted version. Also, if more than one user needs to work on a document, you no longer need to edit, save, send, open and vice-versa – with an Instant Messenger application, or Office Communicator 2007, more than one user can work on a document at the same time, allowing for greater efficiency and collaboration.

Excel 2010 newest feature is caled Sparklines – the creation of small charts within a single cell that allows you to quickly identify patterns within your data and spot trends at a glance. The integration with SharePoint 2010 will also be greatly improved, allowing team members to share business critical data quickly.

From the screenshots, Office 2010 is looking great – however, Office Ribbon lovers will be eager to know that the Office Ribbon is back. However, Office 2010 is set to make things easier by allowing users to customise their ribbon to suit the way they work.

No release date has been given yet, but expect news in the early part of 2010. In the meantime, why not give it a try yourself? I’ve been testing the beta and I’ll say one thing – if you have been running 2007, the layout will be familiar and getting around will be easy. If you are running 2003, you have a learning curve ahead of you but you’ll get used to the new look in no time at all.

*Direct Access feature only with Windows 7 Ultimate / Enterprise

Following on from my post yesterday, it seems as though the issue, dubbed “Black screen of death”, has been narrowed down to a Malware issue, and not a security update as previously reported. Microsoft have written a brief report on what they believe is the cause.

Prevx are still offering their “fix” from their website, together with instructions on how to run the tool. However, should the fix not work, some users have had to resort to reinstalling Windows.

BBC News have reported on an issue with Windows 7 whereby when a user logs in, all he / she is presented with is a black screen with the “Computer” desktop icon, no taskbar and no other icons. This has also affected Vista and XP users, and has apparently been caused by a security update that was released on the 25th November.

If you are suffering with this problem, Prevx have released a fix that may or may not work which can be found at their blog here*. Microsoft are currently investigating, and have suggested users are to contact Microsoft Customer Support line should they experience an issue. If you are a C Data supported client, then do contact us if you are experiencing any problems highlighted in this blog.

*Please note that C Data are not responsible for content found on external sites. Using this tool is at your own risk.

For the home user, Microsoft have released “Microsoft Security Essentials” (MSE), a no cost antivirus software that will protect home users against viruses, malware and spyware. It succeeds Microsoft Live OneCare, which was a subscription based anti virus solution.

Having tried and tested it ourselves, and based on the reviews, it is actually quite good – it runs quietly in the background without taking too much of your system resources, it can be scheduled to check your system on a regular basis, or you can perform manual checks yourself. So long as you keep it up to date (as you should with any antivirus software), MSE should keep your system safe from the latest threats.

There are limits:

• You must be a home user. The business alternative is Microsoft Forefront Client Security, part of the Microsoft Forefront range of security solutions.
• It is available only on Windows XP, Vista and 7. Your operating system must also be legitimate and registered with Microsoft.

Remember to keep your antivirus software up to date!

Find MSE for download here – http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/.

C Data are not responsible for the content of external sites

As outlined in one of our previous posts (Windows 7 editions), the new version of Windows comes in a variety of flavours, in the same way as previous Microsoft operating systems have (XP Home Premium, XP Professional as an example). If you are buying new hardware, or purchasing a license of Windows, it is important to understand that different editions offer different features. The edition you buy is dependant on what you will be using your computer for.

Here is a list of common tasks that users will perform on their computer, and the edition that is right for them in order to perform their tasks.

Media experiencing (listen to music, watch videos)

Windows Home Premium. Home Premium includes Windows Media Centre, enabling you to listen to music and watch videos, supporting a wide variety of codecs. Also, users with an XBox can stream media to their XBox with the native Windows Media Extender.

Playing games

Windows Home Premium. Home Premium is ideal for the average gamer wanting to install and play games on their home machine. Windows 7 should support the majority of the latest video cards, with the drivers pre installed and ready to go. If this is not the case, Windows will automatically connect to the internet, find the relevant drivers and install them.

Join a company domain

Windows 7 Professional. If your new machine is to be used for business purposes, and requires joining a company domain to gain access to company resources, Professional is the way forward for you as Home editions do not include this ability.

Direct Access and BitLocker

Windows 7 Enterprise / Ultimate. To take full advantage of all the features Windows has to offer, including Direct Access and Bit Locker, Enterprise or Ultimate is the product for you. Enterprise and Ultimate are, in theory, the same edition, except Enterprise is available to businesses on a Volume Licensing agreement, and Ultimate is available to the home user on a single license basis

I’m still not sure…

Remember, Professional includes all the features of Home Premium, Enterprise / Ultimate include all the features of Professional and Home Premium. The simplest way of narrowing down which edition you should go for is:

• If you are going to be using Windows at home for word processing, media playing, gaming, browsing the internet, shopping online, use Home Premium
• If you are going to be working from home or in the office, and you need to gain access to resources on a company network (that uses Windows Server, Active Directory), go for Windows Professional. If you are unsure on what your company uses, contact your network administrator or IT support company
• If you want everything Windows can offer and you are a home user, buy Ultimate edition
• If you want everything Windows can offer and you are purchasing for company use, check to see if your company has/can start a Volume License agreement that you can purchase Windows Enterprise on.

What is Starter / Home Basic?

These are basic editions of Windows 7. First thing to point out about Home Basic is that it is only going to be available in “Emerging Markets”, which excludes the UK. It is, as the name suggests, purely back to basics, with no added features (even no Media Centre!).

Starter will be available, but only as an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). This edition will be distributed mainly on Netbooks, offering the most basic of services.