So many Microsoft many products and initiatives, so little time. Let's dive in The week began with a deep dive into Microsoft SQL Server 2008, penned by our own Database Underground blogger, Sean McCown, who gave the product a rousing 9.4 — and we don’t give Excellent ratings lightly around here. Sean was over the moon about the 2008 edition’s performance and manageability.Fans of Randall Kennedy, our Enterprise Desktop blogger, know that he has already reached grim conclusions about Windows 7. And Executive Editor Galen Gruman went as far as posing the big question: “If Windows 7 is a dead end, what’s next?” J. Peter Bruzzese countered that all this bad-mouthing of Windows 7 is way, way premature in his blog post calling for an end to snap judgments about Windows 7. Meanwhile, contributor David Strom provides a clear-eyed assessment of Microsoft Azure, with advice for developers who want to stake a claim on the company’s new platform in the cloud. Editor-at-large Paul Krill provided details on BizSpark, a new Azure-based program for providing software and services to startups.And what of Microsoft alternatives? The hit of the week was our Linux Admin IQ test, a challenging geekfest that kept readers guessing. As for the Mac alternative (or is it becoming everyone’s first choice?), Tom Yager awarded a 9.1 to the new Macbook Pro, which he terms a no-nonsense “mainstream commercial notebook that can last five years.” If you ask me, from Azure to Windows 7 to new browser-based versions of Office apps, last week’s lineup of product and technology intros at Microsoft’s PDC (Professional Developer’s conference) was a tour de force. But all that technology and marketing won’t stop the rise of cheaper or more usable alternatives. Technology Industry