Microsoft stuck a shiny piece of coal in VMware's Christmas stocking Thursday morning when it sent its competitive - hithertofore repeatedly delayed - hypervisor-based server virtualization technology Hyper-V out for a surprise public beta. The Hyper-V beta wasn't supposed to come out until the first quarter. It hasn't changed final release though. It's still penciled for within six months of when Windows Server 2008 RTMs. VMware, which had almost clawed its way back to $100 a share after half-real, half-imagined competition fears knocked it down to close to 70 bucks right after Thanksgiving, lost $3.23 to settle at $96.