Three cheers for Microsoft Learning Support

Moving a whole world from procedural coding to Object Oriented principles takes a lot of things, not least of which is training.

However, while schools and colleges try to achieve government set targets and companies outsource resources rather than investing in them, Microsoft offer a hand of friendship to the poor worker/ learner.

If your interested in following a career in programming using the latest tools and techniques, or your the parent of a child who asks you where they can learn how to program, or your a teacher looking for assistance in helping your children but cannot afford the hefty prices that are sometimes charged to get your own skills up to date, now you have somewhere you can go!

Head for learning help from Microsoft where this fantastic company has kept alive the idea that they started with knowledge sharing with Encarta many years ago. Now they are sharing their resources with you so that you can learn about the latest software development techniques at your own pace.

Get your dirty machine clean and fresh again

Ever ended up with an unstable machine that you can't just blow away and re-install, due to time constraints? Well yo would be amazed at how often you come across this kind of situation now that computers are in widespread use, as are Beta versions of very enticing products!

The nice people at VMware have come up with tools that can help with a solution. You can save the complete machine as a virtual machine. Blow away the contaminated machine and then transfer the good bits back at your leisure.

The tools are made available free to you by Vmware. Download VMware Converter and use this to convert your current machine into a virtual machine and store it somewhere safe, a new external hard disk is much cheaper than a replacement machine, which I have seen some desperate users resort to.

Then go to Download VMware Server to load the newly created virtual machine, having restored your machine to its factory installed state.

Give and take wins again

It is always better to give and take rather than just taking all the time. Now it is definitely becoming a fashion of goodness. Join in at Liftshare Solutions

TechNet Virtual Lab: SQL Server 2005 Upgrade

These virtual labs get better and better. Now you can do a no risk upgrade attempt without threatening your real live system here. Then when you feel confident you can do it for real where you are!

What's New in SQL Server 2005 SP2

Go here to find out!

Be softer with your computer hardware

I am one of those people that cannot part with old hardware. However, often you have to resort to open versions of equivalent software for the older machines because of the ruling that each computer that the software can run on needs its own license. This is true even if your never ever going to run the software on two of your machines simultaneously.

What Google has done and others are moving towards are Internet based equivalents of software which free you from some of these licensing practices.

However, today I stumbled across a piece of software which allows the user to install their software on a removable device which can then be attached to any host running a compatible operating system.

This leaves the host machines totally clean while allowing their resources to be used by the software on the removable device to pick up and put back data only on the removable device.

How cool is that! Now go and try it at www.mojopac.com where you can download a free 30 day trial.

Update Now it is even cooler, you can get a version for FREE

A charity event in the memory of David and Bob Bridges

For all instructors and/ or students that knew Bob Bridges and who I cannot reach via email.