In-Depth Features


Mr. Windows

Jim Allchin, considered by many as the father of NT and the brains behind Longhorn, talks about the future of rich clients and why you should trust Microsoft to power your next PC.

LCS 2005: Business-Grade Messaging with All the Extras

Microsoft's IM environment has matured into an enterprise-class tool, but it packs in more features than most users really need.

Manage and Administer Groups in Active Directory: Part Two

In part two of a series, find out how you can simplify the management of organizational changes in Active Directory with minimal effort.

Build a Better Business Case

Need cash for your next big project? Don't sweat it -- IT managers share their time-tested tips for prying open the corporate wallet.

Halt: Who Goes There?

Biometric devices offer more security than standalone passwords. Here are three products that go beyond the basics for authentication and verification.

It's Groove Baby!

Redmond's newest CTO hopes to make his mark on Microsoft's collaboration efforts, and perhaps much more.

WSUS: Better Name, Better Product

Readers report that Microsoft's Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) tool is a vast improvement over its predecessor SUS.

An Open Look at Groupware

Open source groupware is better than ever, but for those seeking to replace Exchange, some caveats apply. Jim Conley examines the state of open source groupware and why it matters in a Microsoft shop.

The Microsoft Survey

Love Microsoft? Hate it? Somewhere in between? It's all of the above in the Redmond magazine survey of your attitudes toward the world's most important computer company.

Enter the Longhorn PC

System requirements proving hard to nail down; breakthroughs for some scenarios.

Patching Made Simple

Patching your servers is an art that takes time to master. Here's a paint-by-numbers kit to help you get started.

NetMeeting: Still Going Strong

Besides Web conferencing, readers have found many other uses for Microsoft's NetMeeting.

How Does X64 Measure Up?

What works on 64 bits will always work faster, but early adopters will have to accept some limitations. Danielle Ruest and Nelson Ruest put X64 through its paces.

Desktop Linux: Ready for Prime Time?

Several popular Linux distributions are poised to take on Windows on the corporate desktop.

Longhorn: Big Hat, No Cattle?

Microsoft is battling the perception that there's little to get excited about in the long-awaited and much-ballyhooed Longhorn.

Keep an Eye on Those Servers

The right server management tool closely monitors your network and offers proactive responses to most common problems.

Content Cops

Many businesses expect IT to use the equivalent of a radar gun and monitor employees for infractions. But laying down the law can have serious repercussions, both for employees and the IT departments doing the watching.

The Good and the Bad of MBSA

Microsoft's free vulnerability scanner works well—as long as you don't have to stretch it too far.

6 Steps to a Simpler Network

There's a saying in IT that "complexity is the enemy of security." It's also the enemy of efficiency, troubleshooting and other critical network functions. Here are six ways to untangle that crowded web you've weaved.

Managing in Isolation

Remote management has never been a Microsoft strong suit, but Windows Server 2003 is helping users manage servers that no IT staff can touch.

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