It looks like I'm on an XM theme today... A while back, fellow SQL Server MVP
Aaron Bertran pointed me at a
really great article he's written which introduces SQL Server 2005 Express Manager. I'd call it an absolute must read for anybody that tinkering around the XM today because Aaron does a great job of setting Expreience Expectations (read that as “here's what works, here's what doesn't and here's whats in the works.)
Roman Rehak recently posted his thoughts about SQL Express Manager as a replacement of Query Analyzer. In this, he said something that really resonated with me:
See, I was never happy about merging QA and EM into one integrated tool. I like having a light-weight tool that loads in milliseconds, has a query window that takes up the whole screen, with tons of shortcuts that let me keep my hands on the keyboard all the time, etc.
While I'm probably more netural about SSMS than Roman is, this is exactly why I think XM has tremendious potential for many folks coming to SQL Server 2005 from previous editions. It's fast, its easy and just works.
Well, it should just work better with RTM anyway...