SBS Guru's Blog

Hey All,
Last night I had a vision. I saw that you guys need quick, easy access to resources and information. So I’ve rented a donkey, bought a fanny pack and am about to head off on a vision quest. Well, I guess it’s more of an information gathering quest, but nonetheless I won’t be back until I have everything you need. So thanks everybody for checking out my blog. I hope that I was able to help you out, and dispel a few myths in the process. Wish me luck!

Hmm, anyone out there know how to ride a donkey? Never mind, I’ll figure it out. In the meantime, check out these helpful links in my absence: Windows Essential Server Solutions and Windows SBS Community.

Hey guys,
Guess what I'm doing right now, besides stalking SBS myths in my ninja cobra force onesie. Just look to your left under my profile and click on whatever you think is right. If your answer is correct, there'll be a clap of thunder right away, because I'm quicker than lightning, and I just got done playing Thunder God. I love that game.

Must be spring because SBS is in full bloom. People all over the web  have begun sprouting some pretty cool videos. Just found these. They’re hilarious. I guess you could say they’re doing a little spring-cleaning. Hmm, that didn’t make much sense. By spring-cleaning I meant making sweet vids. There, that’s better.

Check out this punch a wizard game! It’s like therapy for your head. I guess most therapy is for your head, unless it’s physical therapy, and this sure is physical.
     

   
Video: The Danger Zone

Something very unexpected happened today. I got to meet the other SBS Guru, Wayne . It was a bit weird how he magically appeared in my office. He must have been hiding in my closet for days. But he left a very useful list of links you can use to get free support! Anyways, it was nice to meet you Wayne. It’s always good to meet a fellow myth conqueror.

Oh, because you asked, here is that card Wayne left for me:

  
Video: Hijacked!

First, I want to say ‘thank you’ to Stuart Crawford for mentioning my blog in his online hit, “Small Business IT Radio.” I’m a big fan of the show. Secondly, I am going to climb on top of my desk and do 10 jumping jacks in a cape, golden boots, and a rhinestone hat. Why? Well, Steven VanRoekel said I was fictional, and I just want to prove to everyone that I am, in fact, real. If I wasn’t real could I do this … or this? Exactly. Although if I’m fictional, maybe I don’t have to do my expense reports. Or even better, perhaps I don’t need to pay my credit card bill. Or time sheets. Hey, this is starting to work out in my favor…

Seriously, if you guys have a few minutes, check out the show. They do a great job of squashing some fat, juicy myth bugs that have been crawling around the internet. Make sure you wear shoes.

Also, I hope you’re getting excited about SBS 2008. If not, maybe you’re not real. Or at least not human, because 2008 may just blow your mind. Thanks again, Stuart!

This week’s blog is top secret. That’s why I’m under my desk, talking very, very quietly. Can you hear me? Good. When you’re reading this in your head, pretend I’m whispering. I just popped a breath mint, sorry, I had some wicked sour cream and onion breath and I’m going have to get close so you can hear me. Better? OK, here goes:

Although Windows Server for Small Business Server is priced slightly lower than SBS, $479 retail compared to SBS at $599, you’re getting the short straw! Don’t do it! Sorry, didn’t mean to yell. OK, whispering again. Sure WSfSBS is slightly cheaper, but you don’t get the applications, wizards or integration tools found in the full SBS 2003 R2 product. Yes, no Exchange, Outlook or Shared Fax Service. And yes, its limited to 15 CALs with no supported upgrade paths! That’s like getting a candy jar because it looks cool, even though there’s no actual candy inside it. And if you don’t have candy, no one has candy, and there’s nothing SWEET about that. I guess you could say that joke was pretty sweet, Ha! Sorry, that was loud.

Score! Just found a half eaten chocolate bar, must have fallen out of my pocket last week. Oh well, 5 day rule! It’s still good. I’m gonna get out from underneath my desk now.

Right after my first energy drink (and third donut) this morning, I got an e-mail.
“Dear Tom, what’s so great about Remote Web Workplace?”

Well, in a word, it’s the greatest thing ever to happen to SBS. My own personal opinion, actually. I don’t know that it’s written down anywhere in so many words.

Anyway, Remote Web Workplace (RWW) is the French fries to the SBS double cheeseburger with secret sauce. Seriously, it makes something great, greater. It’s like Superman’s cape. Without it, Superman would still be strong and bullet proof, but would he be able to fly? Well, I have no idea. But probably not. And SBS can’t really fly without RWW. Literally. With RWW, you can use your SBS anywhere. On the fly, if you will. Ouch. Sorry about that.

Not that there’s anything wrong with Terminal Services. TS is great! TS lets you host/manage apps from the server instead of manually on every PC. Which is a blessing if you need it. But if there aren’t tons of client/server apps in your client’s network then RWW is fantastic as it gives users access to everything on their PC, including their apps. With RWW all you need is an internet connection! So, say you’re in the backyard, or Asia Minor, whatever. As long as there is an internet connection you can access your desktop, check your company’s internal web site, and even connect to the company’s application-sharing server, in the event TS is required. It’s the icing on the cake, or should I say the silicon on the microchip! True, I am on a bit of a sugar high right now. But keep sending the e-mails, I’m happy to tell you what I know!

So, my first extreme blogging picture came out pitch black because I decided to take it with a no flash camera while extreme blogging from underneath my deck. Maybe I’ll just post a picture of the spider bites I got as proof. Still, I think I’ll stick with the sport. It’s good exercise.

Lately I’ve been into a new sport called “extreme blogging”. Basically you blog in the most extreme place you can, and then post a picture of yourself doing it on your spaces page. You are witnesses to my first extreme blogging experience! You’ll never guess where I am. It is pitch black and I’m pretty sure there’s creepy crawlies on my leg. This is too extreme. I gotta get out of here.

   
Video: Ultimate Server Rave

We are in Code Green, people.

Not sure where that is on the code color scale, but I imagine it has something to do with pickles, seeing as how we’re in one.

Here’s the deal, many of you guys told us that SBS’s sweet spot is businesses of 50 people or less, so we said that SBS 2008 had a user limit of 50 PCs. See, we thought that way you’d see an apples to apples thing. Or pickles to pickles. Well that’s not the whole truth. The truthier version of the story is that SBS 2008 (as in 2003) has a 75-user limit. We sold ourselves a little short so you knew we “got” you. Crud. Well, the SBS belt has a couple extra belt holes, if you will. Don’t need to use them, but they’re there if you need them. Done and done. We were just trying to connect, next time we stick to the facts. Thanks SBS Diva for sending me the link on this issue, I’ll be your myth-conqueror anytime.

    
Video: Hack That!

Hey all. Looks like there’s a little bit of a ruckus going on about the site. Sweet! I’m excited people are taking some notice. Participating in forums all over the interweb is great. Check it out: Identity Theft, Haven't Tried Small Business Server in a While?, SBS Then and Now, Punish the Wizard Here. Keep it up, there are tons of ambassadors out there like me. And if you have a comment, please leave it. I’m off to squash another myth bug. Crawling on the windowsill. Creepy, crawly, squish!

  
Video: Technology Piñata

Alright, so hopefully the video got you in a wizarding mood. If not, I have a great joke. No, seriously. Why wouldn’t the wizard wear a baseball hat? Ready for it … Because there was no point in it. HA! Man, I am good.
 
Okay, on to SBS. I am still getting a lot of emails about wizards like, “If I could run my Wizards through an automated car wash, I’d gently toss them into the rotating scrub brush to watch them get continuously slapped by the bristles rotating at 200 RPM.” To this I say, watch my video. I also say, I don’t think you totally understand. Wizards are like an automated car wash, you just need to use them right. Manually configuring all the settings takes so much longer, like washing your car by hand.  Why wouldn’t you want to use the wizards? It’s like owning your own personal automated car wash. Use your tech-knowledgey people.
 
Wizards make sure you’re setting up everything you need, and even set the ball in motion for things you may need to configure down the road. Plus, wizards make sure that you’re taking advantage of all the seriously magical SBS features. Enchanting! Actually, there are some great articles for those wizard phobic users out there, off the top of my head: The Great SBS Wizard Challenge, Sean Daniel’s take on wizards and SBS Diva’s blog, where she promises to hunt you down if you don’t use them (and explains why).
 
Don’t misunderstand; it’s not that SBS thinks you don’t know what you’re doing or how to do it. Just that they can help you implement your own magic. Wizards are actually your own little apprentice! But, like I said in the video, if you’re still itching for an epic wizard battle try my Punch a Wizard game for a total knock out. And make sure you get to the third round. Uppercut!

   
Video: Wizards