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Microsoft strikes back at Google on new cloud storage limits

In a very uncharacteristic move, Microsoft is sending out notes to reporters and bloggers on January 12, reminding them that Google's just-announced 1 GB Google Docs storage limit limit pales in comparison to what the Softies already are offering with Windows Live.
Written by Mary Jo Foley, Senior Contributing Editor

A couple of quick hits today from around the Microsoft-related sites and blogs:

Microsoft strikes back against Google: In a very uncharacteristic move, Microsoft is sending out notes to reporters and bloggers on January 12, reminding them that Google's just-announced 1 GB Google Docs storage limit limit pales in comparison to what the Softies already are offering with Windows Live. (I say "uncharacteristic" here because most teams at Microsoft are not willing to comment officially on policies/products from their competitors.)

From an e-mail I received today from a Windows Live spokesperson:

"Just a friendly reminder that Windows Live has been offering its more than 450 million customers 25GB of cloud-based storage space for free through Windows Live SkyDrive since 2008. For more than a year now, Windows Live customers have been able to upload many different types of files to the cloud – including large graphic files, MP3s, PDFs, videos, and more – allowing them to access to their files and information anywhere and everywhere they have access to the Web."

Microsoft also will be offering Office Web Apps users this free cloud storage once Microsoft delivers the final, free, consumer-version of Office Web Apps that will be accessible via SkyDrive, the spokesperson added.

Microsoft seeks Mac users for sneak peek of Outlook for Mac:: As Microsoft officials announced last summer, the company is planning to deliver a new version of Office for Mac before the end of 2010 -- a version that will switch out Entourage for Outlook.

The Redmondians are conducting usability studies for the new Mac Outlook client, with the next one slated for Mountain View, Calif., the week of January 25, according to a blog post by Mac Business Unit User Experience researcher Nadyne Richmond. Richmond is looking for Mac users who use a Mac for work purposes, connect to an Exchange account, and use mail and calendar several times a week. Those interested in getting a sneak peek of Mac Office with Outlook should e-mail her directly via her blog, she said.

(And if you aren't in Mountain View or available that week, more usability labs are on the docket, she said.)

No more support for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2: As of today (January 12), Microsoft is phasing out support for Service Pack 2 on SQL Server 2005. (This means no more mainstream or extended support.) And support for the released-to-manufacturing version of SQL Server 2008 (with no service packs) is slated to end on April 13 of this year. According to a support post from Microsoft:

"Both SQL Server 2005 SP2 and SQL Server 2008 RTM will no longer receive assisted support or security updates from Microsoft after their respective end of support dates. Self-Help online support will continue to be available for a minimum of 12 months after the product reaches the end of support.Self-Help options include public knowledge base articles, FAQs, troubleshooting tools which are typically available from http://support.microsoft.com and the Microsoft Download Center."

Enterprise licensees still have the option of buying custom support for these products. But Microsoft is pushing all users to move to newer versions.

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