Microsoft is moving head with its next version of Windows Server. Still due to ship before the end of the year, R2 is a relatively minor update but has the advantage of integrating the myriad of service packs and updates that have been released over the past 2 years.
Beta 2 is now available for beta testers for download.
News source: Microsoft-Watch.com
Beta 2 is now available for beta testers for download.
Test configuration and benchmarks
The systems used for testing on which we have successively installed Windows XP SP 2 and Windows XP x64 Professional Edition was provided by Senorg Romania www.senorg.ro.
The configuration of the test system:
- ABIT AN8 Socket 939 with nForce 4 chipset motherboard
- AMD Athlon 64 bit 3000+ boxed processor, cooler included
- 512 MB RAM Kingston Dual Channel 400 MHz
- SATA Western Digital 120 GB hard disk
- ATI Radeon X700 PCI Express cu 256 MB RAM GDDR3 ABIT video card
- DVD-RW Lite-ON optical device
- 350 W power source
- Eizo 1280x1024@85 Hz monitor
For the motherboard, the following drivers were used: nForce 6.53 for Windows x32 and nForce 6.39 for Windows x64, being the last available versions from Nvidia when this test was done.
The driver for the ATI Radeon X700 video card was Catalyst Center 4.5, available on the ATI site both for Windows XP Professional Edition and Windows XP x64 Professional Edition.
The operating systems were Windows XP Professional Edition SP2 and Windows XP x64 Professional Edition SP1 build 1433.
The following benchmarks were used:
SiSoftware Sandra 2005 Professional Edition, both 32-bit and 64-bit
3D Mark 2005 1.20
ScienceMark 2005, both 32-bit and 64-bit bit
Chronicles of Riddick : Escape from Butcher’s Bay, both 32-bit and 64-bit bit

"We are pleased to announce the first of our plans for the Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003 R2 Rewards & Recognition program for their participants. While we are still working on the details, your feedback in newsgroups and BetaPlace has been instrumental in the different packages we are putting together. The overall top Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003 R2 testers can expect to receive such great items as TechNet subscriptions, assorted software packages of your choice, guaranteed Longhorn testing slots, certification manuals, t-shirts, jackets, and many more awesome things we can't talk about yet!"
I wish they would have more incentive programs like these, people's lives are really busy these days so it's not always easy to devote as much time to betas anymore...but this may twist my arm a bit
wow, I've got to get into more MS betas...
Sorry guys, I made an ass of myself. I was told that there was a link to the beta download on this page and didn't even bother to check before opening my big mouth. OOPS!!!!
Last edited by 106773 on 21 Apr 2005 - 23:23
Microsoft stole R2 from Microsoft and is now distributing it, that's so evil !
In fact, its so evil I can't even understand what the fck you're talking about. This is really a dark undercover plan.
*even more confused*
haha
Gonna see if it's good...
cant wait to see the extra crap they have put in to play with =]
ms just made us download 2cds one with r2 and 1 with win2k3sp1
and r2 was only 90meg
I got the beta email. Signed up. Not got a response so one can only assume I didnt get in.
I have W2K3 + SP1 installed.
not to worry. Will have to wait
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