New here with MCDST question

This is my first post I've been reading for a few days just found this site from a link on another forum, I'm A+, MCP 70-270, MCDST and MCITP Vista Enterprise and Consumer so far, took them all in the last 2 months to just knock out all the OS exams. I have a background in web design for the last 6 years or so and really like working on the OS and server side of things, I've done a bunch of that in my spare time as an it counsultant, working on my MCSE have 290 schedule for Dec 8 but my question is after reading a bunch of peoples advise in threads like this one or where do I start etc... I see a lot of people advising to start with the 680 exam for windows 7 but that makes no sense to me. I just saw a pie chart of OS and XP was over 70% of current usage, so why would something like the MCDST ever be out of demand as a cert? I can understand Windows 2000 being a legacy OS but XP seems as much in use now as it was a few years ago. Am I completely off base here?

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SephStorm

Good question. I personally would advise XP, Despite the success of Windows 7, many companies won't even consider rolling out Win7 for at least six months. I don't know though, As someone who has never done a MS exam, I am planning on tackling MCDST as my first two, I was heavily conflicted between going for the "outdated" but recognized MCSA, or "updated" but newer MCITP Server Administrator. (Yes, I was told that SA=MCSA, EA=MCSE)

RobertKaucher

gocubs wrote: »

I see a lot of people advising to start with the 680 exam for windows 7 but that makes no sense to me. I just saw a pie chart of OS and XP was over 70% of current usage, so why would something like the MCDST ever be out of demand as a cert? I can understand Windows 2000 being a legacy OS but XP seems as much in use now as it was a few years ago. Am I completely off base here?

You already have an XP based certification. Microsoft has not gone back in time and rewritten the features of Windows 7 so that it is totally different from XP, really they have added features. MCDST + MCSA/MCSE 2003 with Win 7 as the client exam makes sense to me. This shows that you are firmly grounded in the present with technologies in use today (XP and Server 2003) but also that you have an eye on the future and are keeping your skills up-to-date and relevent. If I were starting on my MCSE today having already completed MCDST, I would not consider taking the XP exam unless it was specifically requested by my employer. Most employers do not look at the individual MCP exams you have taken anyway. They look at your cumulitive certs.

If a person is looking to break into IT at the support level and has a plan of getting certified over the next 6 months I would still say go for the Windows 7 exams. XP will still be hanging around for another few years, but if your taking your exams in mid 2010 Win 7 is going to be important. I am not saying DON'T take any XP exams (maybe you should). But on a tight budget, if you have to go "either or" I think you will get more bang for your buck from starting with Win 7.

Here is my perspective as a person who has done hiring in IT in the past:

1. It's 2010 and Windows 7 has been out for almost a year. I am starting to deploy it in my environment. Here comes this newbie with an XP cert and all he knows is RIS. Now I have to train him in Windows 7 deployment and make sure he is familiar with all of the new features of 7. These features are the entire reason we are migrsting any way.

2. Here is a another entry level newbie with Windows 7 certification who has used XP for the past 7+ years. He knows XP because he's been using it for a long time and because most of the concepts learned from his Win 7 studies will be easily transferable to XP because he has used both. I don't have to teach him as much about deployment and the new group policy features we will be using when we roll out Win 7.

Who do I choose?

SephStorm

Just piping in here, is RIS not used in Win7 deployment?

RobertKaucher

Nope. Anyone doing a Windows 7 or even Vista depliyment would want to take advantage of the cool features that come with the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK). This includes the ability to mount disk images and inject drivers and other cool stuff. It's very different from the old RIS system.