As the official launch nears, this review of Microsoft's long-awaited Windows Server 2008 shows that the new OS delivers pretty much as expected. The good news is that review does confirm that the new OS is speedy, more secure and easier to manage than previous versions. The no-surprise news is that the lack of virtualization hurts it. The twist is that its network-access control features are wanting.

The fact that its NAC scheme, (which Microsoft calls Network Access Protection -- NAP) is not compatible with non-Windows and older versions of Windows is particularly troublesome. It is also par for the course for Microsoft these days. Rather than make its product the go-to choice for any client, Microsoft would rather pretend the world wants Vista.

Go to Microsoft Subnet for more news, blogs, opinion.

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