Microsoft and Intel are a bit like Mick Jagger and Keith Richards: Past their glory days but still capable of attracting record crowds.

Gone are the days when Microsoft and Intel were hyper-growth companies. But the duo still knows how to rally the channel around big product launches. In this case, Microsoft and Intel want to prep system builders for Windows Vista and Office 2007 running on Intel Core 2 Duo processors. If you’re a system builder, watch for the Ready 2 Rock Road Show, which kicks off Nov. 2 and runs through December.