Microsoft Press

Free ebook preview: “Rethinking Enterprise Storage: A Hybrid Cloud Model”

2013-05-24T14:40:38Z

Greetings. You might already know that we now and then publish free ebooks on new technologies. ( There are 13 here. ) Today we’d like to share a preview of a free ebook that will be available in July: Rethinking Enterprise Storage: A Hybrid Cloud Model , by Marc Farley . Below is Chapter 1, which introduces the ebook’s topic. Please note that this material is in DRAFT form. And enjoy! Chapter 1 Rethinking enterprise storage The information technology (IT) world has always experienced rapid...(read more)

MVA Live Q&A now posted: Programming Windows with Charles Petzold

2013-05-22T20:29:48Z

Greetings. Perhaps you missed our live Q&A with Charles Petzold a couple of weeks ago. The session is now posted here at the Microsoft Virtual Academy . (You must register with MVA to access this free material.) Principal Technical Evangelist Jaime Rodriguez and Charles discussed development for Windows 8, Charles’s new book ( Programming Windows, Sixth Edition ), C++ (including how I “encouraged” Charles to convert all his C# companion code for the new book to C++ [minute 43]), DirectX, the...(read more)

Windows Dev Center: Updates to the game portal

2013-05-20T20:00:00Z

Greetings. I’m John Osborne; I work on content for the Windows Dev Center . Today I’m happy to announce a new series of posts here on the Microsoft Press blog. Each time guidance in the Windows Dev Center is updated or added, we’ll blog about it here so that you know what’s new. And, going forward, you can use the “Windows Dev Center” tag to see only these posts and find our updates more easily. In our first post in this series, we’d like to alert you...(read more)

Jump Starts: Two new Visual Studio events coming up at the end of May

2013-05-17T16:45:00Z

May 28: Testing with Visual Studio 2012 (exam 70-497) Jump Start Join us on May 28 th from 8AM – 5PM for our second live Jump Start about Application Lifecycle Management (ALM). Learn more about software testing with Visual Studio 2012 while you study for exam 70-497. Register here : http://aka.ms/ALM497JS May 29: Administering Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2012 (exam 70-496) Jump Start Join experts Anthony Borton and Steven Borg on May 29 th for a MVA Jump Start about administering...(read more)

Quick news: More capacity added to Build 2013!

2013-05-14T19:40:05Z

Per http://www.buildwindows.com/ , a limited number of additional tickets will go on sale Wednesday May 15 at 9am PDT. You can follow @bldwin for more news about the conference over the coming weeks. ...read more...(read more)

New book: Microsoft OneNote 2013 Plain & Simple

2013-05-11T21:51:00Z

We’re happy to announce that Microsoft OneNote 2013 Plain & Simple is available for purchase. Here’s WHAT you’ll learn: Take notes, organize, and share them Bookmark and tag notes for easier searching Add pictures, drawings, and spreadsheets Handwrite notes and convert them to text Record audio and video notes Access notes from the web or mobile device Here’s HOW you’ll learn it: Jump in wherever you need answers Follow easy STEPS and SCREENSHOTS to see exactly what to do Get handy TIPS for new...(read more)

New book: Exam Ref 70-687: Configuring Windows 8

2013-05-10T21:37:00Z

We’re pleased to announce that Exam Ref 70-687: Configuring Windows 8 is available for purchase. Prepare for Exam 70-687—and help demonstrate your real-world mastery of Windows 8 setup and support. Designed for experienced IT Professionals ready to advance their status—Exam Ref focuses on the critical-thinking and decision-making acumen needed for success at the MCSA level. Focus on the expertise measured by these objectives: -Install and upgrade to Windows 8 -Configure hardware and applications...(read more)

New book: Microsoft Excel 2013 Plain & Simple

2013-05-10T21:29:00Z

We’re happy to announce that Microsoft Excel 2013 Plain & Simple is available for purchase. Here’s WHAT You’ll Learn · Manage your data quickly and efficiently · Filter, sort, summarize, and crunch your numbers · Use formulas and functions to do the heavy lifting · Bring data to life with charts and graphics · Share data between Microsoft Office documents · Work as a team, online and in the cloud Here’s HOW You’ll Learn It · Jump in wherever you need answers · Follow easy STEPS and SCREENSHOTS...(read more)

Quick news: A new managed library to help with debugging

2013-05-07T17:59:56Z

Greetings, developers. In case you missed it, take a look at this post by Lee Culver, a software developer on the .NET Runtime team, which introduces you to a new managed library that allows you to automate inspection tasks and access more debugging info. Below is a quick excerpt from the beginning of the post. The post continues with an example and related code in three sections: “Getting Started,” “Analyzing the Heap,” and “ClrMD Features and Functionality.” Today are we excited to announce the...(read more)

Scott Hanselman: Ah, the thankless life of the Build Master

2013-05-02T16:59:41Z

Greetings. Today we share the Foreword that Scott Hanselman graciously contributed to Sayed Hashimi and William Bartholomew’s Supplement to Inside the Microsoft Build Engine: Using MSBuild and Team Foundation Build, 2nd Edition (ISBN 9780735678163). This Supplement adds coverage of new topics to what Scott calls Sayed and Willam’s “missing manual” for MSBuild. As Scott says, “This updated supplemental edition builds (ahem) on the good work of the previous editions and includes new sections on the...(read more)

Save: Petzold’s Programming Windows 6th Ed with coupon at Amazon.com

2013-05-01T15:46:00Z

A great way to save an extra $10 through May 15, 2013 To find coupons, go to www.amazon.com/coupons How to Redeem the Coupon: To apply a coupon offer to a qualifying item, add coupon in one of two ways: Click on the coupon offer on the item detail page via the "Clip this Coupon" button, or Click on the coupon provided on amazon.com/coupons. After applying the coupon to the qualifying item, add the item to your Cart via the "Add to Cart" or "1-Click" option...(read more)

New book: Microsoft Excel 2013 Inside Out

2013-04-30T16:29:26Z

We’re happy to announce the Microsoft Excel 2013 Inside Out (ISBN 9780735669055) by Mark Dodge and Craig Stinson is now available for purchase. This supremely organized reference is packed with hundreds of timesaving solutions, troubleshooting tips, and workarounds. It’s all muscle and no fluff. Learn how the experts tackle Excel 2013—and challenge yourself to new levels of mastery. Purchase includes a companion ebook and sample files. Topics include: Customizing the Excel workspace Best practices...(read more)

Register now: Free live Q&A session with Charles Petzold on Tuesday

2013-04-29T17:21:49Z

Join us on April 30 at 5 pm PDT for a Microsoft Virtual Academy Live Q&A with programming legend and renowned author Charles Petzold . The focus will be on writing Windows Store apps with C#/XAML, but all of your questions are welcome! Register here . (In case you missed it, Microsoft Press recently published Charles’s Programming Windows, Sixth Edition, 15 years after the fifth edition, to address Windows 8.) Also, Microsoft Virtual Academy will be hosting a Twitter Chat during this event, as...(read more)

From the MVPs: Data Loss Prevention with Office 365 and Exchange Online

2013-04-29T15:29:00Z

This is the 27th in our series of guest posts by Microsoft Most Valued Professionals (MVPs). You can click the “MVPs” tag in the right column of our blog to see all the articles. Since the early 1990s, Microsoft has recognized technology champions around the world with the MVP Award . MVPs freely share their knowledge, real-world experience, and impartial and objective feedback to help people enhance the way they use technology. Of the millions of individuals who participate in technology communities...(read more)

Free Jump Start: May 2, 2013 - Windows Store App Essentials using C#

2013-04-23T02:06:00Z

The Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA) team is excited to announce a new course in the popular “Jump Start” series of live online training events on May 2nd! This core skills course will feature Microsoft Technical Evangelist Jerry Nixon and co-founder of Crank211 Daren May, who will deliver an engaging, demo-rich, live learning experience for developers interested in bulking up their C# app programming skills. This course is also a great way to prepare for Exam 70-484. Register here...(read more)