US & Canada residents can now order for free (fee only applies if an express delivery method is requested) Windows Server 2003. The evaluation copy can be used for 180 days.
Get Windows Server 2003 Evaluation Kit for Free
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
no, free(little ‘f’) as in we want to give you time to test this out in your labs so you get addicted to it and managment sees it and requires that you use it.
Opinionists have been saying for awhile that Microsoft would eventually be giving their OS away. Could this be a sign of things to come?
First they “invent” shared source
Then they start opening the WinCE source
And how we can even an evaluation cd from MS?
Boy, good things happen when there’s competition in the horizon!! The presence of linux can only be good for this industry!
>> fee only applies if an express
>> delivery method is requested
Huh? Not true as far as I can see. You still have to pay shipping about 11 dollars. Sorry, I’ll rather add a few dollars and fork that over to Mandrake.
No, you don’t have to pay shipping. In the shipping web page, select the “standard” delivery method. Windows Server 2003 Evaluation is then $0. I just ordered it and it is $0.
So, just mean you get a evaluation of the headaches to come. All you hackers get your copy today and figure out how to hack the os, a great hack would be to redirect http://www.hotmail.com to http://www.linuxmail.org, hehe.
Ordered mine. I’m no MS fanboy but I do like it when companies give evals of software that have deployment possiblities in a corporate enviroment without giving too much info away.
I suggest people to be more fair when commenting. Windows Server 2003 is a good OS, it has nothing to do with the Win9x codebase.
Sarcasm and unfounded “jokes” are not that clever anymore, too old.
How about free spyware.
It is up to you to install third party sh*t or not. Besides, Windows Server 2003 is not here to run the latest DivX movie player or KaZaA that comes with Gator spyware. It is here to serve. Therefore, I don’t believe it is for most of you around here who comment in such a slanted way.
I got Windows XP Pro evaluation for the cost of the MS mag back in 2001, this isn’t the first time MS has done something like this though admittedly buying the magazine for the software isn’t the same as having it completely free.
“And how we can even an evaluation cd from MS?”
As far as I know, MS has been giving out evaluation CDs before.
Anyone think the evaluation copy will be cracked somehow? I really wouldn’t doubt it.
This is not an April Fools’ joke, I am serious. I could not believe this myself until I did this deal a month ago, and MSFT delivered everything right on schedule. Unbelievable! And the only requirement is that you provide a corporate tax number for your corporation (in my case as an independent contractor I have my own incorporated company and used that). There are absolutely no real restrictions whatsoever other than this (they do say that this is intended for Microsoft oriented businesses only, but they do not in any way force you to prove this). You do not have to be an MSDN or TechNet member or Microsoft Certified Partner or have any real relationship with MSFT whatsoever, other than the implied idea that you are an “MS shop” (and answer some general purely survey questions about your company)!
“The Microsoft Action Pack Subscription is designed to provide you with the essential and up-to-date sales, marketing, training, and campaign tools and resources to get you on track quickly for new Microsoft products, solutions, and marketing strategies. Better still, it also includes core Microsoft products such as Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Advanced Server, Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000, Microsoft Small Business Server 2000, Microsoft Exchange Server 2000, Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server, Microsoft Office XP, Microsoft FrontPage®, Microsoft Visio® 2002, and much more!”
Note: More recent editions of this (quarterly) subscription will have the latest “2003” editions of everything in them. Also, with each of the software items you generally get 5 WMA licenses with each one. The licenses are NFD (Not-For-Distribution) but you can essentially use the software within your ‘company’ any way you like. The subscription can be renewed annually. Other software included is Publisher 2002, MapPoint 2002, Project Professional 2002, Visio Enterprise 2002, etc. etc. Unbelievable!
“…The software included with the subscription can be used for internal use, testing, evaluation, demonstration, training, and educational purposes only…The Microsoft Action Pack Subscription is restricted to resellers, consultants, value-added resellers, value-added providers, system integrators, developers, system builders, hosts, service providers, and IT professionals who sell Microsoft products or provide solutions based on Microsoft products and technologies to third-party customers…your company does not need to be a Microsoft Certified Partner to order…you aren’t required to have a Microsoft Certified Professional on staff to subscribe to the Microsoft Action Pack Subscription, but it is recommended.
Overview
http://members.microsoft.com/partner/salesmarketing/partnermarket/a…
The Microsoft Action Pack Subscription
http://members.microsoft.com/partner/salesmarketing/partnermarket/a…
There are links besides the US one for other countries here:
http://members.microsoft.com/partner/salesmarketing/PartnerMarket/A…
The above MSFT deal only allows one subscription per corporation. A single company cannot have multiple subscribers.
Yes, you certainly can use this software at home, if you have a home-office and do actual work on your PC instead of sitting around and playing Unreal Tournament all day, I guess. This is exactly how I have deployed most of my software under this license, in fact.
When I try to order it, it says shipping and handling: US$11.90, when I choose standard. With Express, it says: US$29.25.
So it seems you do have to pay shipping.
There are probably already working cracks for it. I’ve got the free RC2 here that worked with a crack which I believe was originally intended for a Longhorn version.
The software included in the Action Pack is the fully functional version and is not “time limited” in any way like the evaluation versions are. It is the real thing.
Also, the NFD license states that “internal use” is fully acceptable. Internal use is allowed anywhere in the licensee’s own corporate environment so ignore what the jealous little troll a few posts back said. In fact, MSFT allows you to buy “extra” CALs (Client Access Licenses) for any of the server products in the Action Pack if you are using them precisely because full internal use is allowed, otherwise it wouldn’t make sense to be able to buy extra CALs, would it?
>> When I try to order it, it says shipping and handling: US$11.90, when I choose standard. With Express, it says: US$29.25.
>>
Same here. Eugenia, maybe it depends on postal code or city. Maybe your area code isn’t being charged for shipping.
Just ordered my copy for free, no kidding. I live in NYC, maybe the shipping charges depend on place of delivery.
MS have been doing this for a long long time. I remember getting a Windows NT 3.5 evaluation CD many many years ago. Didn’t really know much about at the time, I was just told it was a very stable environment.
I could not understand why but if you want to runs IIS from MS you could try the Linux version…
http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?mode_u=on&mode_w=on&site=www.ms…
FACT: MS have always given away free trials of all their products
FACT: Server 2k3 *is* a good product
FACT: the “M$ hat0rz” on this site are getting really annoying lately
FACT: the team here at osnews provide a great service, so please don’t ruin it for the rest of us
>> could not understand why but if you want to runs IIS from MS you could try the Linux version…
>>
Hahaha, you almost got me fooled there! In case you weren’t kidding, please read the attendant FAQ:
http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/accuracy.html#impossible
–First they “invent” shared source.
Yes, from MS’s eyes, you are sharing your girlfriend or wife with other guys everyday—except touching and those key points.
–FACT: Server 2k3 *is* a good product
Before your testing, how can you tell? But i believe it should be–because Linux/BSD is getting better and better now.
This is absolutely NOT the first time Microsoft has done this at all.
They did the exact same thing with Windows 2000. Sorry to spoil your SlashTrolls’ days.
and it *is* a wonderful Server OS.
Or, “how to be a liar and a thief.” Get some morals (and a brain).
You are not a liar and thief…. it is not like they can use the Server OS for gaming…at least not on the RC1 you couldn’t… If you make your buisness MS Only then that i all good and well, and you aren’t a “liar and thief”.
Kevin,
That note was written in response to “Gil Bates’s” article of the same name. What me implied was not very honest, nor was it moral.
What ‘Gil Bates’ said was that “they do say that this is intended for Microsoft oriented businesses only, but they do not in any way force you to prove this”, so obviously he was not planning on making his “buisness MS Only”, which means it wouldn’t be “all good and well”.
Actually, my business is totally MSFT only, idiot, so there. I was just making it clear to people out there that MSFT is not at all hardcore about enforcing the standard of you having to be an “MS shop” to get this deal so they can take advantage of it, even though MSFT states clearly that this is what is expected.
With the billions they’ve got they should be giving something back to the developers, resellers and integrators who helped make them so filthy rich in the first place and I feel no shame whatsoever in taking advantage of MSFT in any way that I can. By all means, feel free to go to shop.microsoft.com and pay the full amount for that $10,000 of software if it makes you feel so happy (f*ck, I can’t believe I’m having this conversation).
As soon as I saw this article, my eyes instantly lit up. Free? After all, my dart-board is starting to wear out and the AOL cd I keep my coffee on has burnt through the plastic. Honestly though, wouldn’t a download version be cheaper (bandwidth is cheaper than boxes/cds) and it would allow non-us/canadian users to have easy access also. After all, Microsoft can at times be ignorant, but not as ignorant to believe that most of it’s customers are american/canadian.
It already has been cracked. The timebomb only consists of a special SETUPREG.HIV that is on the CDROM. By editing this file (specifically the line that has to do with the timebomb length) and saving the file to your hard drive, create an ISO of your “Free” CD, and slipstream in the cracked SETUPREG.HIV that you have made. You can also use Tweak NT 1.21 to remove the timebomb after installation, but you must remove the timebomb before you activate the product. TweakNT is as simple as clicking a box, and pressing apply then exit. Cracking setupreg.hiv takes some (but not much) brains. If you do not want to edit setupreg.hiv on you own, just search google for a craked version
Just download the 3-in-1 via eMule.
Generally speaking, I don’t like MS products. They just don’t fit me. Yes, XP is a good deal better than 98. Yes, they’ve made great strides in the stability area. This is all true. It’s just that I prefer linux. No big deal. But, being the open-minded guy I am, I orgered it. I’ll give it a try. Why not. If it works, good for MS. Be nice for them to start making better products. If it sucks, whatever, it was free. I could use a new drink coaster, anyway, so I guarantee the CD will see use one way or another.
Why does’t M$ provide an iso? Isn’t it economical?
I am not a big fan of Microsoft, but I can’t see any value in hacking the product. I just ordered it(my shipping was free) and I’ll give it a fair evaluation. I expect I’ll go back to Linux after 6 months, but it will be good to be able to make a real test. Thanks to Eugenia for this notice and to Microsoft.
–FACT: Server 2k3 *is* a good product
Before your testing, how can you tell? But i believe it should be–because Linux/BSD is getting better and better now.
Some of us have been running it since early betas in our labs, and believe me the improvements to Group Policy and the entire AD schema alone make it the product it is. The attempt at ‘secure out of the box’ is just a bonus
The programme you mention is nothing new as The SCO Group has had something similar to that for years, however, when I heard that Microsoft had it, I thought the email I received was another piece of spam.
As for the anti-Microsoft backlash, I may not be the greatest Microsoft fan in the world, however, from my experience, yes, you can bag the 9x series, it was crap, however, the nt series, from my experience has been rock solid. If you stick to quality/reliable hardware from reputable vendors, you system will be as rock solid as you want it. The people I do come across who do have problems are those who have every piece of spyware and pointless crap loaded onto the computer. Of course the thing is going to go tit’s up because of something some dodgy third party programme did and no, this does happen with *NIX and *BSD as well.
we’ll see if it’s a good server OS after it’s been out for awhile, i tend to judge server’s based on how many holes are in it… if the trend continues with 2003 as past microsoft products, well, it won’t be any more spectacular than 2000… i won’t say it’s great until i see how secure it is in the real world under mass use…
That is a pretty pathetic way of judging an OS, I could point to Redhat Linux 8.0 and the number of security fixes released within the first 2months. Instead of making such judgements based on that rubbish, how about sit down and do the hard yards yourself and research and test the software yourself, that is what you’re paid to do as an admin.
They have been doing this for a long time, far before you got a hold of your copy of the XP Demo. Back in 1997, I got a copy of Windows NT 4.0 through a similar demo, didn’t have to pay a dime for shipping.
And yes, there was a crack for that NT4 demo in those days. The CD allowed you to do an full install, but was supposed to stop working after 120 days. Oddly enough, on my machine, it remained working indenfinately until I reformatted the disk and replaced NT with OpenStep 4.2- without a crack or any lame tricks with turning the clock back. I have no clue why! I imagine there will be some trick with this Win2003 CD as well, but I imagine it is a bit harder to crack than this ol’ NT4 CD was.
Last year Microsoft offered a Windows XP Pro “Collector’s Kit” that included an XP Baseball, Eddy Reliable Trustman Bobble Head, Ballplayer Bubble Gum, and Joe Fast Speedman cards for $ 35.00. At least they have a sense of humor when they offer these goodies to folks in the MS channel.