Certification Prep – The 20 Minute Workout

I wanted to make sure our followers were up to date on some of the newer Microsoft news releases regarding the expanded retail distribution for Microsoft Surface with Windows RT; as outlined in their recent post . At the same time another announcement was made regarding information about newly planned Microsoft Store locations for 2013 which include locations in: --  The Shops at La Cantera, San Antonio, Texas --  Dadeland Mall, Miami, Fla. --  Beachwood Place, Beachwood, Ohio --  Westfield San Francisco Centre, San Francisco --  City Creek Center, Salt Lake City --  St. Louis Galleria, St. Louis The announcement was made by Jonathan Adashek General Manager, Communications and Strategy, Sales & Marketing Services Group, Microsoft on the Official Microsoft Blog

Vlad Catrinescu (MCITP, MCSA) has numerous links to all kinds of Windows Server 2012 training on his blog via a post entitled Free Windows Server 2012 Learning Material & Resources! Part 2. Yesterday I posted the "part one" page of his efforts. I wanted to cross post his link to “Part 2” so that everyone here has a reference for all the additional material he's provided. For his “Part 2” page he put up some collected links for the CERTIFICATIONS themselves including additional study materials and the information on the second shot program for the exams. He has another DOWNLOADS section as well as references for study materials with respect to some TEST LAB GUIDES and the WINDOWS SERVER 2012 JUMP START program. Without a doubt this is worth a repost and another shout out - thanks Vlad for pulling all of this into one place for everyone to reference!

Vlad Catrinescu (MCITP, MCSA) has numerous links to all kinds of Windows Server 2012 training on his blog via a post entitled Free Windows Server 2012 Learning Material & Resources! Part 1 I wanted to cross post his link (and I'll be doing so with his part two page tomorrow) so that everyone here has a reference for all the material For the most part, he has combed through the free material for Windows Server 2012 on Microsoft Download Center as well as via the Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA) site as well. He has a DOWNLOADS section as well as references for study materials and sections laid out for VIRTUAL LABS as well as the material as laid out via the Microsoft Virtual Academy. Without a doubt this is worth a repost and a shout out - thanks Vlad for pulling all of this into one place for everyone to reference! 

There are a total of four versions of Windows 8: Windows 8 Windows 8 Pro Windows 8 Enterprise Windows 8 RT Windows RT is available as the pre-installed operating system on Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) devices such as tablets, convertibles and other systems powered by ARM processors. As an end consumer you can’t purchase Windows RT separately and install it on your own. Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro can be found preinstalled on PCs, portable computers (laptops, convertibles, etc.) and workstations that run the x86 and x64 processor lines from AMD and Intel. Consumers are also able to purchase the operating system for from retail outlets and the Windows Store. Both Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro are available in 32 bit and 64 bit editions. Windows 8 Enterprise edition is available to Software Assurance customers via the Volume License Service Center (VLSC) . Customers who are interested in trying out the key feature

As published at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/system-requirements If you want to run Windows 8 on your PC, here's what it takes: Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2 (more info) RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit) Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit) Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver Additional requirements to use certain features: To use touch, you need a tablet or a monitor that supports multitouch (more info) To access the Windows Store and to download and run apps, you need an active Internet connection and a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768 To snap apps, you need a screen resolution of at least 1366 x 768 Internet access (ISP fees might apply) Secure boot requires firmware that supports UEFI v2.3.1 Errata B and has the Microsoft Windows Certification

From MSDN Blogs and Microsoft Press We’re happy to announce that we have released the final version of this free ebook. FREE DOWNLOAD FORMATS: PDF Introducing Windows 8- An Overview for IT Professionals - PDF ebook Mobi Introducing Windows 8-An Overview for IT Professionals – Mobi format for Kindle ePub Introducing Windows 8-An Overview for IT Professionals – ePub format If you prefer a hard copy of the final book, you can order it here for $14.99 from our official distributor, O’Reilly Media. . Is this book for you? Get a head start evaluating Window 8—guided by a Windows expert who’s worked extensively with the software since the preview releases. Based on final, release-to-manufacturing (RTM) software, this book introduces new features and capabilities, with scenario-based insights demonstrating how to plan for, implement, and maintain Windows 8 in an enterprise environment. Get the high-level information you need to begin preparing your deploy

The Complete Cisco Network Training Bundle includes five training courses designed to provide the skills needed for the CCNA and CCNP suite of certifications. Each bundle includes instructor-led training, hands-on exercises, multimedia presentations, and exam simulators. IT University Online In order to keep IT professionals ahead in the digital world, IT University Online cultivates instructor-led training courses in the latest programs and operating systems. The online school focuses on material that is relevant to the current job market. Courses include Microsoft Office, Windows, Cisco, Oracle, (ISC)2, EXIN, ISACA and others Cisco certifications are widely respected in the IT industry and some of the most sought after certifications available in the IT field today! Cisco Certifications bring valuable, measurable rewards to network professionals, their managers, and the organizations that employ them. The Cisco learning bundle is a comple

The Configuring Windows 8 exam (70-687) includes a lot of information as identified on the “Skills Being Measured” outline on the Microsoft Learning page for the exam. As the page defines: The information after “This objective may include but is not limited to” is intended to further define or scope the objective by describing the types of skills and topics that may be tested for the objective. However, it is not an exhaustive list of skills and topics that could be included on the exam for a given skill area. You may be tested on other skills and topics related to the objective that are not explicitly listed here.” What I have below regarding the Windows 8 Keyboard shortcuts will most likely NOT be on the exam but having said that, it is good information to know. There are some of the general keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate around Windows 8: F1  --  Display Help   F2  --  Rename the selected item   F3  --  Search for a file or folder   F4  --  Display the addre

The Configuring Windows 8 exam (70-687) includes a lot of information as identified on the “Skills Being Measured” outline on the Microsoft Learning page for the exam. As the page defines: The information after “This objective may include but is not limited to” is intended to further define or scope the objective by describing the types of skills and topics that may be tested for the objective. However, it is not an exhaustive list of skills and topics that could be included on the exam for a given skill area. You may be tested on other skills and topics related to the objective that are not explicitly listed here.” What I have below regarding the Windows 8 Keyboard shortcuts will most likely NOT be on the exam but having said that, it is good information to know. There are some new keyboard shortcuts introduced with Windows 8: Windows logo key +start typing  --  Search your PC   Ctrl+plus (+) or Ctrl+minus (-)  --  Zoom in or out of a large number of items, like apps pinned to