Wish you had a chance to test drive the new Microsoft Windows 8 operating system? For 10 of D&H Distributing’s SMB resellers, that wish came true this summer at the distributor’s 2012 Mid-Atlantic Summer Technology Trade Show in Hershey, Pa.
On hand at the event was Microsoft Partner Solutions Advisor Steve Deming, who made the VARs an active part of the beta test. A series of Lenovo IdeaCentre B520 23-inch touchscreen all-in-one PCs were on hand for the testing, each with a Logitech MK320 wireless desktop package.
The participants – who described themselves as system builders/integrators, VARs/solution providers, or those providing software/managed services – explored a number of Windows 8 topics with Deming and then participated in a survey to provide their insights and preferences.
Simon Heintzelman, a technician with Millersburg Information Systems Ltd., a Millersburg, Pa.-based VAR, had this to say about the experience: “It helped us directly identify areas where VARs had questions or concerns, and gave us a better feel for how to help our customers get the most out of the new OS.”