By Roger Howorth

In the days of Windows 2000 I was an outspoken critic of the Windows Server platform. At the time the software was riddled with bugs that left it vulnerable to worms and hackers.

Code fixes to Windows 2000 and major re-writes delivered in Windows Server 2003 dealt with many of the problems, but the graphical user interface was unnecessary for many simple server configurations. For example, the GUI meant that even a simple DNS server needed frequent patching to fix small problems with components that it would never really need. Size often counts when it comes to server systems. In terms of the software environment, I prefer those that are small but perfectly formed.

I discussed these issues with some of the folks from Redmond during the Tech Ed conference in Amsterdam in 2005, and they assured me they were hearing this feedback from many of their customers, they took these issues seriously, and the results would show up in Longhorn, the codename for what is now Windows Server 2008. At the time all one could really do was hope they would deliver on their promises.