Syncfusion offers the Essential Studio WinRT (XAML) for FREE via coupon code

Syncfusion offers the Essential Studio WinRT (XAML) for FREE via coupon code BuildWinRT


Essential Studio WinRT (XAML) is an Enterprise-class toolkit for building Windows Store applications.

No credit card required to get this deal.

Although this allows you to save $399, the WinRT platform was a total failure of Microsoft and is practically dead.

Free Microsoft Press eBooks including: Office, Office 365, SharePoint, SQL Server, System Center, Visual Studio, Web Development, Windows, Windows Azure, and Windows Server

Microsoft offers over 50 ebooks for FREE, including: Office, Office 365, SharePoint, SQL Server, System Center, Visual Studio, Web Development, Windows, Windows Azure, and Windows Server. eBooks are available in EPUB, PDF, DOC and MOBI formats.

The following ebooks are available for FREE download:

• Office & Office 365
  
  
  
  • Deployment guide for Office 2013
  
  
  • Microsoft Office 365 for professionals and small businesses: Help and How To
  
  
  
  


• SharePoint
  
  
  
  • Explore SharePoint 2013
  
  
  • Deployment guide for SharePoint 2013
  
  
  • Test Lab Guide: eBook for SharePoint Server 2013 Intranet and Team Sites
  
  
  • Create a Balanced Scorecard (SharePoint Server 2010)
  
  
  • SharePoint Server for Business Intelligence
  
  
  
  


• SQL Server
  
  
  
  • 5 Tips for a Smooth SSIS Upgrade to SQL Server 2012
  
  
  • A Hitchiker's Guide to Microsoft StreamInsight Queries
  
  
  • Data Mining Extensions (DMX) Reference
  
  
  • Data Quality Services
  
  
  • High Availability Solutions
  
  
  • Master Data Services
  
  
  • Monitor and Tune for Performance
  
  
  • Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) Reference
  
  
  • SQL Server Distributed Replay
  
  
  • Transact-SQL Data Definition Language (DDL) Reference
  
  
  • XQuery Language Reference
  
  
  • Extracting and Loading SharePoint Data in SQL Server Integration Services
  
  
  • Integration Services: Extending Packages with Scripting
  
  
  • Multidimensional Model Programming
  
  
  • Optimized Bulk Loading of Data into Oracle
  
  
  • Planning Disaster Recovery for Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services in SharePoint Integrated Mode
  
  
  • SQL Server 2012 Tutorials: Reporting Services
  
  
  • SQL Server 2012 Tutorials: Writing Transact-SQL Statements
  
  
  • SQL Server Community FAQs Manual
  
  
  
  


• System Center
  
  
  
  • Cmdlet Reference for App Controller in System Center 2012 SP1
  
  
  • Technical Documentation for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
  
  
  
  


• Visual Studio
  
  
  
  • Better Unit Testing with Microsoft Fakes
  
  
  • Dependency Injection with Unity
  
  
  • Developer's Guide to Microsoft Enterprise Library (Second Edition)
  
  
  • Testing for Continuous Delivery with Visual Studio 2012
  
  
  • Upgrade Team Foundation Server 2012: the ultimate upgrade guide
  
  
  
  


• Web Development
  
  
  
  • ASP.NET Multi-Tier Windows Azure Application Using Storage Tables, Queues, and Blobs
  
  
  • ASP.NET Web Deployment using Visual Studio
  
  
  • Developing Modern Mobile Web Apps
  
  
  • The Entity Framework 4.0 and ASP.NET Web Forms - Getting Started
  
  
  • Getting Started with the Entity Framework 4.1 using ASP.NET MVC
  
  
  • Project Silk: Client-Side Web Development for Modern Browsers
  
  
  
  


• Windows
  
  
  
  • Administrator's Guide for Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) 5.0
  
  
  • Administrator's Guide for Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring 1.0
  
  
  • Administrator's Guide for Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) 7
  
  
  • Administrator's Guide for Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) 8.0
  
  
  • Administrator's Guide for Microsoft User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) 1.0
  
  
  • Developing an end-to-end Windows Store app using C++ and XAML: Hilo
  
  
  • Developing an end-to-end Windows Store app using JavaScript: Hilo
  
  
  • Prism for the Windows Runtime: Developing a Windows Store business app using C#, XAML, and Prism
  
  
  • Programming Windows 8 Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
  
  
  
  


• Windows Azure
  
  
  
  • Autoscaling Application Block and Transient Fault Handling Application Block Reference
  
  
  • Create Your First Application: Node.js and Windows Azure
  
  
  • Developing Multi-tenant Applications for the Cloud on Windows Azure (3rd Edition)
  
  
  • Drupal on Windows Azure
  
  
  • Exploring CQRS and Event Sourcing: A journey into high scalability, availability, and maintainability with Windows Azure
  
  
  • Migrating Data-Centric Applications to Windows Azure
  
  
  • Moving Applications to the Cloud on Windows Azure (3rd Edition)
  
  
  • Using Windows Azure Mobile Services to Cloud-Enable your iOS Apps
  
  
  • Using Windows Azure Mobile Services to Cloud-Enable Your Windows Phone 8 Apps
  
  
  • Using Windows Azure Mobile Services to Cloud-Enable your Windows Store Apps in C#
  
  
  • Using Windows Azure Mobile Services to Cloud-Enable Your Windows Store Apps in JavaScript
  
  
  • Windows Azure and SQL Database Tutorials
  
  
  
  


• Windows Server
  
  
  
  • A Guide to Claims-Based Identity and Access Control, Second Edition
  
  
  • Introducing Windows Server 2012
  
  
  • TCP/IP Fundamentals for Microsoft Windows
  
  
  
  

Large collection of Free Microsoft Press eBooks including: SharePoint, Visual Studio, Windows Phone 7, Windows 8, Office 365, Office 2010, SQL Server 2012, Azure (PDF, XPS, Mobi, Epub)

Microsoft Press offers free download of 50+ eBooks in PDF, Mobi, Epub, XPS, Doc, Docx formats.



Full list of free Microsoft Press ebooks in this collection:

• Moving to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010


• Programming Windows 8 Apps 2nd Preview


• Programming Windows Phone 7


• Programming Windows Phone 7 (Special Excerpt 2)


• Office 365 - Connect and Collaborate virtually anywhere, anytime


• Microsoft Office 2010 First Look


• Security and Privacy for Microsoft Office 2010 Users


• Getting started with Microsoft Office 2010 - For IT Professionals


• Planning guide for Microsoft Office 2010 - For IT professionals


• Deployment guide for Microsoft Office 2010 - For IT professionals


• Operations guide for Microsoft Office 2010 - For IT professionals


• Technical reference for Microsoft Office 2010 - For IT professionals


• Understanding Microsoft Virtualization R2 Solutions


• Introducing Windows Server 2012 - RTM Edition!


• Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2012


• Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2


• Configure Kerberos Authentication for SharePoint 2010 Products


• Business continuity management for SharePoint Server 2010


• Deployment guide for SharePoint Server 2010


• Get started with SharePoint Server 2010


• Governance guide for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010


• Profile synchronization guide for SharePoint Server 2010


• Remote BLOB storage for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010


• Technical reference for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010


• Upgrading to SharePoint Server 2010


• Getting Started with SharePoint Server 2010


• Planning guide for sites and solutions for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, Part 1


• Planning guide for sites and solutions for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, Part 2


• Planning guide for server farms and environments for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010


• Capacity planning for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010


• SQL Server 2012 Tutorials: Analysis Services - Tabular Modeling


• Microsoft SQL Server AlwaysOn Solutions Guide for High Availability and Disaster Recovery


• Transact-SQL Data Manipulation Language (DML) Reference


• QuickStart: Learn DAX Basics in 30 Minutes


• SQL Server 2012 Tutorials: Analysis Services - Data Mining


• Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services Multidimensional Performance and Operations Guide


• Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) Reference


• SQL Server 2012 Upgrade Technical Guide


• Backup and Restore of SQL Server Databases


• SQL Server 2012 Tutorials: Analysis Services - Multidimensional Modeling


• Master Data Services Capacity Guidelines


• Digital Storytelling


• Free Tools in the Classroom


• Windows Live Movie Maker in the Classroom


• Windows 7 in the Classroom


• Microsoft Office Web Apps Teaching Guide


• Microsoft Office in the Classroom


• Developing Critical Thinking through Web Research Skills


• Bing in the Classroom


• Moving Applications to the Cloud, 2nd Edition


• Windows Azure Prescriptive Guidance


• Windows Azure Service Bus Reference


• Intro to ASP.NET MVC 4 with Visual Studio (Beta)


• Deploying an ASP.NET Web Application to a Hosting Provider using Visual Studio


• Getting Started with ASP.NET 4.5 Web Forms (Beta)


• Introducing ASP.NET Web Pages 2


• Own Your Future


• Windows 7 Power Users Guide


• Deploying Windows 7 Essential Guidance


• Welcome to Windows 7


• What You Can Do Before You Call Tech Support (Windows 7)

Free PDF ebook from Dell and Wiley&Sons: Windows 8 for Dummies

Windows 8 operating system is very counter-intuitive. So you should find the book "Windows 8 for Dummies" by Andy Rathbone very useful. It covers many aspects of Windows 8 from its new Start Screen to Windows Apps and Desktop mode.



Windows 8 For Dummies eBook Table of Contents :

• Chapter 1: The New Start screen


• Chapter 2: The Traditional desktop


• Chapter 3: Storage: Internal, External, and in the Sky


• Chapter 4: Working with Apps


• Chapter 5: Engaging the Social Apps


• Chapter 6: Getting Connected and Having fun through the Start Screen


• Chapter 7: Ten things you'll Hate about Windows 8 (And how to fix them)

Download PDF ebook from Wiley&Sons for free (11 MB)

How to upgrade (a pirated version of) Windows 7 to Windows 8 Pro

Microsoft allows to upgrade your Windows 7 to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 only. The offer is valid until December the 31st 2012 or earlier. The most interesting thing is that there is a paradox when some legal customers of desktops and notebooks with Windows 7 pre-installed fail to get an upgrade to Windows 8 while some users of pirated versions of Windows 7 were able to get the upgrade for only $14.99. Microsoft will probably close the loophole unless it is interested at legalizing pirated versions of Windows 7 by any mean.

How to upgrade (a pirated version of) Windows 7 to Windows 8 Pro

1. Navigate to the Windows Upgrade page and select your region. Let's assume you have chosen "United States - English".


2. Hit the "Continue" button.


3. The "Register for the Windows Upgrade Offer" page will load. Enter your name, cell phone number, e-mail, CAPTCHA. Agree with the terms of use and the privacy statement. Obviously you have bought your Windows 7 computer 2-5 weeks ago from one of major retailers and your computer model is very popular ;) Enter the details of your purchase including the date of your purchase, retailer and computer model (Remeber that the upgrade offer is available for recent purchases only). Hit the "Continue" button.


4. On the next page enter your name, phone number and your e-mail.  Hit the "Continue" button.


5. Microsoft trusts its customers and will send you a coupon code by e-mail. This coupon code will allow you to buy Windows 8 Pro (a downloadable version) for only $14.99. All further instructions are included into the e-mail.


6. Download the Upgrade Assistant and launch it.


7. If you decide to skip the compatibility check, make sure your hardware is indeed compatible with Windows 8.


8. Choose a payment method (like credit card), enter your billing address. Make sure to use the coupon code which is sent by e-mail. It will cut the price down to $14.99.


9. Also make sure not to order a backup disc. The setup wizard allows you to save the downloaded copy of Windows 8 Pro as an .ISO image file (you may burn it onto a DVD disc using freeware software like ImageBurn). Also it allows you to create a bootable flash drive with Windows 8 Pro.


10. Hit the "Buy" button.


11. After paying for your order you will receive a Windows 8 Pro licence key.


12. Enjoy!

Note that PCs purchased with Windows 7 between June 2, 2012 and January 31, 2013 are eligible for the Upgrade Offer. Eligible PCs are new PCs with a valid Windows 7 OEM Certificate of Authenticity and product key. Windows 7 Home Basic, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate versions are eligible, while Windows 7 Starter Edition is not eligible for this offer.

System requirements to use Windows 8:

• Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2


• RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)


• Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)


• Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver

More details can be found on the Microsoft web-site.

Windows 8: Special limited time offers from Microsoft

Special offer #1: Upgrade Windows XP, Vista, 7 to Windows 8 Pro for a special price

For a limited time, upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for a special price of $39.99.



Offer valid from October 26, 2012 until January 31, 2013 and is limited to five upgrade licenses per customer. To install Windows 8 Pro, customers must be running Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista, or Windows 7.

Note that this is a downloadable version. You can get Windows 8 Pro shipped to you for $69.99.

Download Windows 8 Pro for $39.99

Special offer #2: Add Windows Media Center to Windows 8 Pro for FREE

If your PC is running Windows 8 Pro and you'd like to get Windows 8 Media Center Pack so you can watch and record live TV with Windows Media Center, you can take advantage of the following special offer:

For a limited time, get Windows 8 Media Center Pack for free.

Get a free license for Windows Media Center for Windows 8 Pro

Get Visual Studio Professional, Web Matrix, Windows Server 2012, SQL Server 2012 Web Edition for FREE

Microsoft WebsiteSpark members get up to $1400 in annual Windows Azure resources to design, develop and deploy their sites in the Cloud. To qualify, you must be a company with 10 or less employees, or an individual. You'll get up to three years of access to Visual Studio Professional and Web Matrix, as well as recent additions Windows Server 2012, SQL Server 2012 Web Edition, Expression Studio 4 Premium, and Windows Azure Cloud benefits.

10 free PDF, XPS, EPUB, MOBI ebooks from Microsoft Press (MS Office 2010, Office 365, SQL Server, Windows Server, Visual Studio,...)

Microsoft Press offers 10 eBooks for free in PDF, XPS, MOBI and EPUB formats:

• Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2012


• Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2


• Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2


• Understanding Microsoft Virtualization Solutions (Second Edition)


• Microsoft Office 365: Connect and Collaborate Virtually Anywhere, Anytime


• First Look Microsoft Office 2010


• Security and Privacy for Microsoft Office Users


• Deploying Windows 7, Essential Guidance


• Moving to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010


• Programming Windows Phone 7, by Charles Petzold