The Springboard Deployment Learning Portal is an online assessment and learning tool, designed to help IT Pros identify their knowledge strengths and information gaps around Windows 7 deployment.  Based on interactive assessment responses, the participant is provided targeted learning to help them gain critical deployment know-how, keeping them at the top of their game.

I tried it myself and I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of the tests, and the tips it gives to learn more about it.

So if you are deploying Windows, Office within your environment – whether it is via MDOP, WDS, RIS or SCCM – take a quick dab at the tests and see where you can learn more.

To turn it on, and improve the quality of your text/reading – simply do to the following:

Go to Settings, either via the Start-menu or HTC Sense.
Tap on Menu in the lower-left corner, and select All Settings.
Tap on System.
Tap on Display.
Tap on the tab ClearType.
Tick the box and tap OK in the upper-rightcorner.

I personally recommend restarting the phone once you have turned it on.

Enjoy the improved text/font rendering!

Note;

• I did upgrade Windows 2008 R2 with all of the patches available at that time (as of 8 June 2010)
• I was using a 180 day trial of both Windows 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition and SQL Server 2008 R2.
• I installed Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP2 via the Server Manager of Windows Server 2008.
• All of the software is 64-bit
• I used a HyperV virtual PC to test this out, which was connected to the actual network and Active Directory

Just be sure to select the option to use the local database during the installation of WSUS (I installed SQL locally on the same machine) The reason why I did this is to run a trial of SCCM 2007 R2 (Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager) on that machine. That same machine will then also replace a current WSUS instance on another server.

Expect more on this in the future!

The version of Facebook Mobile that was installed was version 1.0.0.7 (from the top of my head) You can verify your version by going into Facebook, then at the home-page click Menu followed by About.

Now to upgrade to a higher version, you can use Microsoft Marketplace (which should already be installed on your phone) Simply search for Facebook and it should find it. Install it as normal of course (as a tip; be sure to set Microsoft Marketplace to store it’s files on your SD-card)

If however it doesn’t, click on Menu followed by Settings. Change the region to United States – English and click on Save. Now try the search again and it should find it just fine.

I have of course made sure that the HTC Sense UI still maintained the Facebook functionality amongst my contacts – which I find incredibly handy. It of course did – and I have since rebooted the phone (You might be asked to reboot your device as well)

So now I am running with a far more usable version of Facebook mobile on my HD2. Oddly enough the app still is in Dutch, but you can’t have your cake and eat it :-)

In short; please be patient as I continue to try and get the Bing Search to work.

I am quite sure that some of you are wondering why I would use Bing Search as opposed to Google Search. Well, simply put – Google has more then enough of my data already. It’s time to split some of it up. Bing in itself is quite a nice engine, be it a bit picky. I’m sure we’ll get that sorted though :-)

Thanks for hanging in there with me.

PS: Don’t forget to subscribe using RSS to keep up-to-date on the news here.

Overall, I am a happy consumer. However, just like with everything I have some pet peeves with it:

• Installing Google Mobile made the device incredibly slow. Uninstalling and then rebooting the phone did not fix it. So I had to resort to the hard reset option (source: HTC HD2 Leo Hard reset – Soft reset.) Not so happy with that. I am happy with how fast I could get my stuff back (Microsoft My Phone and the Google Active Sync took care of that)
• The screen is like a magnet for finger-smearing… ;-)
• Although not specifically the phone that caused it; I had to setup a completely empty Windows Mobile Device Center profile (with nothing ticked) so WMDC on my PC wouldn’t keep bouncing up and down like a Jack Russel on crack every time I connected the phone.
• I also noticed when manually setting up the Active-sync profile SMS syncing was showing. So far I haven’t found anything on this matter from Google, so I am not using it (anyone?)
• It doesn’t use the storage-card for message/attachment storing by default.
• I’ll admit that it’s not as big of an annoyance as I first thought it would be – but it’s in Dutch, which I am of course. But still!

Here is how to set up the HTC HD2 (which is a Windows Mobile phone) to sync with Google (for GMail, Contacts and Calendar)

Setting Up Your Windows Mobile Phone for Google Sync : Mail, Calendar & Contacts Sync – Google Mobile Help. (via: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Mobile/thread?tid=07d0ffdde51ec2ab&hl=en

Just plain awesome…

—– Update 18 March 2010 ——
In case the Google help page doesn’t work, is offline, or if you are just too lazy ;-)

—– Copied from Google Help page ——

To set up Google Sync on your Windows Mobile device, please follow the steps below.

Important Note: Make sure that you have backed up any Contacts and Calendars from your phone to your computer before proceeding.

Getting Started
1. Open the Active Sync application on your device’s home screen
2. Click Set up your device to sync with it.
3. Enter m.google.com as the server address.
4. Ensure that the SSL option is selected.
5. Click Next.
6. Enter your full Google Account email address as the User name.
7. Enter your Google Account password as the Password.
8. Leave the Domain field empty. If your device requires you to enter a domain name, enter google.
9. Click Next.
10. Check Contacts, Calendar, or Email, depending on which you’d like to sync. (Tasks is not supported and will lead to an error if checked.)
11. Click Finish.
12. Press the Sync softkey on the left to synchronize.

You’ve now set up Google Sync for your Windows Mobile device.

Hope this helps!

If you compare that to say Steam, InstantAction and the likes, Windows Live really wasn’t even remotely competing. Shame though, because it has a lot of potential.

Well that has now been rectified and from what I understood and heard – they will also start to offer games and content on Windows Live – just like XBOX Live. Finally… :mrgreen: