Second Beta of 'Monad' Arrives

Microsoft released the second beta of its new command shell code-named "Monad" on Monday. The shell will allow for command-line navigation of Windows and enhanced scripting, similar to how Unix shells currently operate. Originally, Monad was slated to ship within Vista, but the shell is now expected to arrive separately.

According to Microsoft, Monad "allows administrators to quickly write scripts, customize commands, and author their own shell tools." Monad is expected to play a big part in Exchange 12, as an administrator would be able to control and configure the server without having to use the graphical interface.