Free SBS 2008 Exam Prep chapers - of course there is a hook! You have to come to "Warp to the Next Generation of Small Business Server Specialists" session at WPC (Microsoft's World Partner Conference in New Orleans July 13 - 16) which is basically a 1 hour exam prep. At warp speed!

At least the book is still on track for mid-August and the editors are doing a great job homogenizing the content to ensure world wide readers won't get offended by American idiomatic expressions such as "Does a bear sh*t in the woods?". Ok, I really didn't put that in there, but you know what I mean.

The book has plenty of practice exercises, so plan on having at least two server machines or a Virtual Server with plenty of RAM. You will find that getting your hands-on practice will carry you a long way as the exam weighs heavily on that. Also if you can grab an old copy of SBS 2003 grab it now. Hold on to it as one chapter covers migration and that requires SBS2003. There is no  longer a download link available that I can find and the book will not ship with software DVDs. There will be one companion CD, but you will have to download or order a copy of SBS 2008 from the TechNet Evaluation Center. If you order the Evaluation version to be shipped to you, you will receive the Premium Edition. (Just too many DVDs to be in the back of a book)

Hope to see you in New Orleans during the Small and Midsize Business Partner Segment!