• Nmap 6 released (most power network scanner)  Also check out Zenmap: 
• Exchange 2010 Service Pack 2 Language Pack Available for Download 
• Windows Vista infection rates climb, says Microsoft 
• Dell: Windows 8 touchscreen devices to be priced higher
• Windows 8 to feature Metro styled boot options menu, will still boot faster than ever
• Microsoft: 350 million Windows 7 devices (pre post PC devices) to be shipped this year
• Windows 8 Secrets: Internet Explorer 10 Will Ship With Adobe Flash
• Chromebooks: What’s gone wrong? My answer: Everything:
• Sysinternals Updates: Autoruns v11.31, DebugView 4.79
• Building Windows 8 :Enhancing Windows 8 for multiple monitors
• Windows 8 Feature Focus: Tiles

• Last chance to win a SolarWinds DameWare NT Utilities license (Remote administration tools) worth $680 USD
• Google Chrome is the world’s most popular browser, beats Internet Explorer 
• Building Windows 8: Creating the Windows 8 user experience
• Microsoft dumps ‘Aero’ UI in Windows 8, ‘Metro-izes’ desktop 
• One of Windows Server 2012′s secret weapons: Hyper-V Replica
• Microsoft quietly launches So.cl website, still a research project
• System Update Readiness Tool for Windows Server 2008 (KB947821) [February 2012]
• System Update Readiness Tool for Windows 7 (KB947821) [February 2012] x86:  x64: 
• No price cuts for Windows 8 upgrades, says analyst

• MAP Toolkit 7.0 Beta is available for download 
• Windows 8 Pro PC Upgrade Cost Is Just $15 
• Building Windows 8: Delivering reliable and trustworthy Metro style apps
• Mary-Jo Foley: Metro doesn’t work My view: Microsoft focused too much on design (like Apple) instead on productivty
• No, Windows RT Isn’t Windows . . . Yet  Right, but only if MS significantly improves Metro’s productivity

Windows 8 sports some fundamental user interface changes. However, Windows 8 also offers a variety of new features that have been rarely mentioned in the media so far. This post is an attempt to list all new Windows 8 features with a short description and reference links.

At the time of this writing, the feature list is probably not yet complete. I will update this list whenever I stumble upon a new feature and post the update in the 4sysops news streams (Twitter, Facebook, RSS, newsletter).

If you know of a new Windows 8 feature that is not listed here, please leave a comment or send me an email. I will then update the list. It would be great if you add a short description of the feature and, if available, a reference where the feature has been described in more detail.

Please notice that this list not ordered. I will add new features I find at the top of the list.

Metro

There is no doubt that the new Metro UI, which some of us know already from Windows Phone, is the most prominent and controversial enhancement. The main point about Metro is that its user interface and the corresponding apps are optimized for touch screens. Cche

Windows 8 Metro

(more…)

• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 2 Community Technology Preview 
• Microsoft SQL Server  2008 R2 SP2 Community Technology Preview Feature Pack 
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 Community Technology Preview – Express Edition 
• Microsoft System Center Cloud Services Process Pack now available for download!
• Microsoft vs. VMware private cloud
• 8 Reasons Windows 8 Tablets will make a Splash in the Enterprise My view: Most Enterprise apps only run on Windows
• Rumor: Intel Windows 8 tablets to arrive in November

• Windows Server 2012 Remote Desktop Services (RDS) 
• Microsoft quietly rolls out Silverlight 5.1 
• Microsoft Releases Malicious Software Removal Tool 4.8 
• Galaxy S3: Did Samsung just out-iPhone Apple? Are we entering the post iPhone age?
• Microsoft, Facebook may be working on smartphone together Oh yeah, and Amazon. I guess the Vatican has plans too

• Microsoft to eliminate its Azure branding in billing portal 
• Ubuntu Will Ship on 5% of PCs Worldwide 
• VSS Crash-Consistent vs. Application-Consistent VSS Backups (post 2 of 2) 
• The Ins and Outs of Windows 8 for IT Pros (45 minutes presentation)
• System Center 2012 – Service Manager Component Add-ons and Extensions

• Last chance to win a Power Admin Server Monitor license worth $5500
• Free ebooks: Great content from Microsoft Press that won’t cost you a penny 
• Microsoft: Office 365 for enterprises now FISMA-certified
• New and Updated Microsoft SQL Server Offerings on Amazon EC2
• Windows Media Center will only be available as an upgrade in Windows 8 
• Windows 8 will likely cost less than Windows 7

• MCSE is back — but can you rely on it?
• Microsoft Kills ‘Confusing’ Windows Live Brand

• VSS Crash-Consistent vs. Application-Consistent VSS Backups (post 1 of 2) 
• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Update 1 
• Internet Explorer rises from the dead, and, whoa, that’s not good for Firefox 
• Apple is “ten years behind Microsoft” on security says security firm Kaspersky 
• Kaspersky: Hey, Apple! Welcome to Microsoft’s world, it’s full of malware 
• Apple Founder Inventor Steve Wozniak: Why I Love My Windows Phone 7.5 Mango  No doubt the better Steve
• Why Windows Phone may succeed — carriers hate Apple  Hate Apple? Yeah, why not
• The REAL reason Microsoft Windows RT devices won’t be able to join AD domains. No: Business will just use Win8 tablets
• Windows 8 interest not picking up, data shows

• 10 Backup & Recovery Questions Every Windows Administrator Must Ask – free webinar by AppAssure 
• Microsoft: Windows 8 ‘Release Preview’ to land in early June 
• Microsoft Security Essentials 4.0 available for download 
• Dropbox and Google Drive Gets smoked by skydrive with new SkyDrive App 
• Microsoft to support Windows 8 ARM tablet enterprise management for ‘bring your own’ PC scenarios
• Forgot to post the latest post PC news: Microsoft Q3 revenue grows almost across the board, beats Wall Street
• Windows Intune April 2012 Pre-Release Getting Started Guide
• Introducing Google Drive… yes, really
• Microsoft revamps IT certifications for cloud, requires recertification
• Microsoft releases documentation on Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server “8 Beta
• Microsoft announces new VDI licensing for Windows 8
• Ed Bott’s Windows 8 Head Start, Consumer Preview Edition, is now available

• Introducing Windows 8 Enterprise and Enhanced Software Assurance for Today’s Modern Workforce
• Introducing Amazon Web Services Marketplace

• Announcing the Windows 8 Editions 
• Microsoft names Windows Server 2012, commits to launch this year 
• Building Windows 8: Reclaiming memory from Metro style apps 
• Intel Shows Off Ultrabook-Tablet Hybrid Running Windows 8
• Intel/Microsoft aim to push down iPad global market share under 50% by mid-2013 
• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012 now available for download
• Microsoft Office 15, SharePoint 15: Early 2013 
• What’s new in Microsoft’s Office 365? There’s a wiki for that
• Microsoft opens April beta of Windows Intune service to testers
• Microsoft readies new version of Windows Intune
• Microsoft Private Cloud Evaluation Software – System Center 2012 plus optional Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 download

• Leaked Office 15 video hints at SkyDrive, 365 integration
• Microsoft roadmap leaks for Office 15, IE 10 and more key products 
• Update Rollup 7 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 3
• Windows Server “8” Group Policy Settings Spreadsheet
• Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter Beta (convert VMware to Hyper-V)
• Intel’s Windows 8 Tablet Checklist Revealed
• Demand for Linux Skills Sets a New Record This Month

• Microsoft User Experience Virtualization and Microsoft Application Virtualization 5.0 Betas Now Available
• Exchange 15 at Microsoft Exchange Conference 2012 (MEC) – September 24-26 in Orlando, Florida
• Chrome beats IE on any given Sunday