Windows Microsoft gives Server 2008 R2 for free to students

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-10378872-58.html?tag=rtcol

https://www.dreamspark.com/Products/Product.aspx?SID=1052827-2-0-ARTICLE-0&ProductId=17

I just NEED this.

I am a student but my school is not on their list.

 

Getting them to add my school on my list.
If that does not work, I will go higher up.

 

Thanks!
I didn't actually need an email address. Once I had signed in with my Live ID I just had to find my uni and then log in to an authentication thing using my username and password. The authentication page seemed to be hosted by my university (its address ended in .dur.ac.uk at least) so I don't think it is an elaborate phishing scam!
Interestingly Durham was listed as "University of Durham" when it is always "Durham University" elsewhere.

 

I hate to say this, but as an IT student I've been able to get this free for a while now, as well as multiple copies of all the other OS's. But tis a nice deal.
As for why? It's for the same reason they give away things like C# Express and the entire XNA platform; the more people using their software the bigger the market share they will have.

 

Going to have to do that aswell I think.

I don't care, as long as I can get expensive software for free, it's a good deal for me!

 

Thanks for posting.

 

I can now officially conclude that I'm running



(converted to a workstation).


My desktop:


(Click to enlarge)

 

This is amazing! Been planning a server build in the back of my mind for a while so I'm pretty excited, attempting to download now...

 

Nice,

Looks like your running dual monitors?? Any chance you have a link to that wallpaper your using? It looks pretty good

 

Yes, 2x22".

Can't give a direct link, but you'll find lots of very nice ones here: http://www.digitalblasphemy.com/

 

I recognised that as a DB 'paper! I'll get an account there the day I can justify a second monitor...

I've got myself logged in to Dreamspark, but given my download limit for the month, I think it'll have to wait until Christmas. Let us know how it goes!

 

OH FOR F***S SAKE

My 6th form isn't listed while the local college is, the staff will all be busy with UCAS and the IT technicians are unlikely to do anything to help.

 

Yay! My olde worlde gaming rig is now running Windows Server 2008. Thanks Bill.

I'm not too hip on Windows, what version of WS08 is this? The GUI leads me to believe it's not Core, but other than that I'm stuck.

 

I get this on msdnaa and dreamspark, super win!!!!

 

I have a question, how does WS 2008 R2 compare to WHS?

 

What do you mean when you say the GUI leads you to believe it's not Core, not Core what? Am I missing something here?

 

you can install windows 2008 as a 'Core' install, with no GUI at all so everything is done from the CLI. its a way of decreasing the attack surface to make it more secure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Server_2008#Server_Core

@ShakeyJake, look in the screenie, its win08 r2 Standard, however, the dreamspark version lets you install any version (ie all the way up to datacenter).

 

Awesome, does anyone know how many keys we get then?

 

you get 1 key.

however, you get a separate key for win server 2008 and win server 2008 r2

 

Aside from the geek cred, is there any actual advantage to running this over Windows7? That website makes a lot of claims, but I'm not convinced.