It’s been hard to get excited about Windows Longhorn Server because the release of the product has seemed so far away for so long, and I never had the sense that it was anywhere close to being feature-complete. To be honest, I still have not found any new features to get overly excited about it, but all of the sudden, Beta 3 has arrived. Last night, Microsoft released the first public preview, so it’s time to start paying attention. 

This week, Microsoft stated that Longhorn Server will be released the same time as Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and that the official product name of Longhorn Server will be announced “in short order,” according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.   

Next week, TechRepublic is going to publish a comprehensive screenshot gallery of Windows Longhorn Server Beta 3. In the meantime, here are some resources to get up to speed:

Are you ready to start looking at Windows Longhorn Server? What are you most interested in learning about the product? Join the discussion.