Launched on 27 February, Windows Server 2008 is designed to run on 32-bit and 64-bit processors from Intel and AMD, including multicore versions -- many of which were unheard-of when Windows Server 2003 was first released.

Virtualisation is fast becoming a fixture in all IT operations, but is unfortunately missing from the launch version of Windows Server 2008. However, it will be integral to the new suite when Microsoft delivers its Hyper-V virtualisation hypervisor, which is due in August. A beta version of Hyper-V is currently included on the x64 version of the Windows Server 2008 installation media. US pricing for Windows Server 2008 ranges from US$999 for the Standard edition up to US$3,999 for the Enterprise edition.

As well as supporting the latest hardware technologies, Windows Server 2008 is easier to install and manage. ZDNet UK's (the sister site of ZDNet.com.au) lab tests, we found that the installation process has been streamlined and it's now much quicker and easier to install a new server system. The installation utility asked for our country and licence number, and then a dialogue box offered full or Server Core versions of the Standard, Enterprise or Datacenter editions. Had we run the installation tool in an existing Windows Server 2003 system, the option to upgrade or make a clean install would also have been offered. After selecting the target disk partition, the installation tool proceeded to the end without stopping.