SharePoint 2010 and Windows Virtual PC

SharePoint 2010 and Windows Virtual PC
SharePoint 2010
Pros: Somewhat improved UI for admins and users; many functional additions; can host Office Web Applications internally

Cons: 64-bit requirement could shut out smaller shops; doesn't support IE 6

Rating: Four out of five stars

Recommendation: Microsoft’s collaboration and document management server defies simple description. It's a corporate intranet portal solution, a blogging tool, an online document repository, and a knowledge worker collaboration platform all in one, and it's successfully used for public-facing websites. Now it can even host an internal version of Office Web Apps in tandem with Microsoft SQL Server. It works nicely with non-Microsoft browsers but not, go figure, with IE 6. SharePoint is as big and hairy as ever, but the sheer variety of functionality it offers is astonishing Microsoft MCTS Training.

Contact: Microsoft

Discussion: SuperSite for Windows

Windows Virtual PC and XP Mode (Update)

Pros: Free, no longer requires hardware virtualization support; XP apps run side-by-side with Win7 apps; many users get a free version of Windows XP to run virtually

Cons: Performance isn't great; not as full-featured as rival virtualization solutions

Rating: Three out of five stars

Recommendation: Microsoft's middle-of-the-road Windows Virtual PC (WVPC) had three things going for it when it was released in late 2009: It was (and still is) free. Users of Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate got a free, licensed copy of Microsoft MCITP Certification Windows XP to run virtually (XP Mode). And it offered a semi-seamless way to run (virtualized) Windows XP applications side by side with native Windows 7 applications. Fast forward to mid-2010 and WVPC no longer requires virtualization support in the BIOS and CPU of the computer. But you can't run 64-bit OSs virtually, and if you're looking for a good Help desk or developer solution, WVPC doesn't fit the bill. WVPC and XP Mode are what they were last year: Decent but not best in class.