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Section 1.14. Trying Out SharePoint

1.14. Trying Out SharePoint

I recommend using the 30-day free trial of SharePoint before installing it on Windows 2003. There are three good reasons for this: it's free, it's painless, and it's quick. Then, if you like it go ahead and put it on your server.

To get a free SharePoint site, go to http://www.sharepointtrial.com/default.aspx. Follow the signup instructions and wait for email confirming your site has been created. If everything goes correctly, you'll get a new SharePoint site that looks something like Figure 1-19.

animal 1-19. Creating a free trial site before installing SharePoint

You can then experiment with sharing workspaces and lists, or you can just mess around with your new SharePoint site for a while, changing the home page, adding users (choose Site Settings Manage Users), adding a welcome announcement (choose Add new announcement), or posting your vacation pictures (choose Pictures Create Picture Library). Get a feel for what it can do.

SharePoint is a foundation for building sites that solve specific problems. The general site types Microsoft includes (team sites and workspaces) are a starting point, not an end point. If you have more specific needs, look for SharePoint add-ons (sometimes called accelerators ). Some accelerators, such as workflow management systems, are already available from multiple vendors . See the "Resources" section for a link to a set of Microsoft accelerators you can try for free.

1.15. What's SharePoint Not Good For?

SharePoint is an excellent way to create data-driven web sites, in my opinion, but there are other times where I don't think it's the best choice. For example, SharePoint isn't a substitute for a code management library, such as SourceSafe. (Microsoft is working on this for Visual Studio 2005, however, so watch out!) Also, SharePoint's integration with Microsoft Office, Windows, and .NET means that users of other operating platforms (Mac, Linux) or non-Microsoft browsers may have problems using the sites.

In particular, SharePoint authentication does not seem to work with Internet Explorer for the Macintosh or Mozilla prior to Version 1.7.2. In addition, SharePoint pages look different in FireFox, Mozilla, and Netscape Navigator than they look in Internet Explorer. You can compare these differences by using different browsers to view public SharePoint sites such as the last two listed in "Resources." (Users of these other platforms can still get to the files, but they can't really take advantage of SharePoint's integration and management features.)

1.16. Resources

To get	Look here
Free trial versions of SharePoint	http://www.microsoft.com/sharepoint/
SharePoint Portal Server pricing	http://www.microsoft.com/office/sharepoint/howtobuy/default.mspx
Online SharePoint tutorial	http://www.usingsharepoint.com/SPTraining/
A great SharePoint FAQ	http://wss.collutions.com/
A great SharePoint demo site	http://www.wssdemo.com/
SharePoint accelerators	http://www.microsoft.com/office/solutions/accelerators/

Chapter 2. Getting Started

There are several ways to get SharePoint Services. The biggest choice is whether to host SharePoint on your own server or whether to buy the services from a hosting provider. The primary advantage of hosted services is that you don't need to wrangle with installing and maintaining SharePoint yourself. The main disadvantage is that you lose some of the flexibility and control you get from using your own server.

In this chapter, I show you how to get started using a hosted site; then I explain how to install SharePoint on your own server. These two tasks build on each other: if you create a hosted site first, you'll be better prepared when you install SharePoint. Even if you don't intend to host your own site, you can still develop some advanced skills by completing the chapter.