Windows Server 2008 RC1

The ship is nearing the dock!!! Today we shipped RC1 out to the community which is is a major milestone. We might need another RC before we get to RTM but the quality bar for this release has been pretty high.

Another nice aspect is that you will be able to upgrade from Windows Server 2008 Beta 3, RC0 and RC1 to RTM.

The main download point is at https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/audsel.mspx 

however if you want to quick links you can go to

Windows Server 2008 Standard RC1 (x86 and x64)

Windows Server 2008 Enterprise RC1 (x86 and x64)

Windows Server 2008 Datacenter RC1 (x86 and x64)

Windows Web Server 2008 RC1 (x86 and x64)

Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems RC1

I guess the most disappointing thing for me is that we missed getting the .NET Framework 3.5 ( only .NET Framework 2.0 and 3.0SP1 ) onto the DVD, which means that applications which are developed to take advantage of the new features in 3.5 such as LINQ will have to install the .NET Framework 3.5 on the server after install.

One thing that the press release did not state was the amazing effort that ISV partners have been putting into building applications which support Windows Server 2008 over the past year+ through early adopter programs. This is the piece that I am most proud of. Everyone of the ISV partner and developers that I have met love this new platform.