MSDN and Virtual PC 2005

I saw on the microsoft web site that Virtual PC 2005 would be available to certain msdn subscribers on octopber 1st, which is today, but no new download for it. Has the release date changed or has soomeone changed their mind about releasing this product?





Microsoft have decided to not make available Virtual Server 2005 for MSDN subscribers. Instead, the company has arranged a special promotion:

The VS and MSDN teams have collaborated to create a special offer for Virtual Server 2005 Standard and Enterprise Editions which are being made available only to MSDN Universal and MSDN Enterprise subscribers between October 1, 2004 and March 31, 2005. This is a special promotional offer.

MSDN Universal and Enterprise level subscribers are being granted special access to Virtual Server 2005 Standard and Enterprise Editions as downloads from MSDN Subscriber Downloads only. Virtual Server 2005 Standard and Enterprise Editions will not be made available by fulfillment or in the monthly subscription shipments.

This is the full retail, production version of the product and does not include the typical MSDN restrictions of running only in dev/test environments and can be run in production (except on XP Pro).

I don't hope marketing will get its way in this, as it will certainly disappoint a large number of existing MSDN users. As a Universal accountholder the company I work for pays a lot of money for it yearly and besides that I expect to get the same access to the product portfolio as new accountholders...
I don't mind it being available as a download only though. I only don't like the feeling of the existing MSDN community paying indirectly for acquiring new MSDN users through some clever marketing scheme.

Yes, where's my Virtual Server 2005?!

*taps foot*

You could go ask Mike Kinsman - he's on the MSDN Subscription team and has started blogging

Edit: someone's asked the very same question in the comments on his first blog post

Thanks for that! *subscribed*

I don't see that Virtual Server 2005 is available for download with my msdn universal subscription.
Will it be listed in the "Platform" area like Virtual PC 2004?

Not sure, if you subscribe to the RSS feed that's prolly gonna be the quickest way to find out.

I'm in a bit of a hurry for it, I've told my MD that we want a new server for VS, and we've now got it, but the software isn't in sight!

I was on the beta for Virtual Server, it's a good product! Looking forward to getting it!

I called MSDN Subscribers customer service today, and they told me that Virtual Server 2005 is not available for download from msdn, and they weren't aware of any offer for new universal or enterprise subscribers to make it available to them either.

They assured me that Virtual PC 2004 was available for download, and said it was basically the same, to which I gently disagreed.

Hmmm.

jaxSharif wrote:

They assured me that Virtual PC 2004 was available for download, and said it was basically the same, to which I gently disagreed.

2004 and 2005 are Extremely different... 2005 is a server which allows use of the VirtualPC over a browser. 2004 doesnt allow that. Thats a huge difference.

darklotus wrote:

2004 and 2005 are Extremely different... 2005 is a server which allows use of the VirtualPC over a browser. 2004 doesnt allow that. Thats a huge difference.

I just talked to the msdn online concierge (woo!) and that fine person said:

Virtual Server 2005 will not be included within MSDN Subscriptions as Virtual PC 2004 includes much of the
functionality needed for most developer scenarios. However, we have been working closely with the Virtual Server 2005 team and anticipate putting together a special offer for MSDN subscribers in the coming weeks.
Please continue to watch the MSDN Subscriptions Home Page and MSDN Subscriber Downloads for additional
information.

For the life of me, I can't figure out what is so precious about this software that it cannot be thrown into the msdn grab bag. There are so many feature-rich apps available already, it seems arbitrary to say, "anything but virtual server 2005.". I mean, seriously, take my foxpro, just gimme vs2005.

Upon further checking of my MSDN account. I finally saw Virtual Server 2005 pop-up in the Special Offers section of MSDN. I guess better late the never.

Of course, this happens, *after* I install 2004..