By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews
After a lot of speculation, leaked builds and closed beta testing – without specific public details about SP1 – Microsoft today posted an announcement on their official Windows Vista blog detailing SP1 and their plans for it.
Now is the time and the time is now: let’s talk about Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). Much has been made of what will or will not be included in SP1 and when it will be released (some accurate, some otherwise). I’m here to set the story straight: we’re in the process of developing and deploying a Beta version of SP1. This post will describe for you what to expect from that effort and how you can be involved in the process.
What is SP1? What is it not?In addition to updates we’ve previously released, SP1 will contain changes focused on addressing specific reliability and performance issues we’ve identified via customer feedback, supporting new types of hardware, and adding support for several emerging standards. SP1 also makes additional improvements to the IT administration experience. We didn’t design SP1 as a vehicle for releasing new features; however, some existing components do gain enhanced functionality in SP1. Source: Official Windows Vista blog
We Say: So, they say they are targeting SP1 for Q1 2008. Based on the delivery of Vista itself, that could mean anytime in 2008. 
Who gives a rip? Does anybody care? An OS waiting for an excuse to be needed by anyone.
If Microsoft continues building ever-CPU-hungrier operating systems with no extra user functionality (only more DRM and heavier graphics), eventually the time will come when, like the Zune and the XBOX360, people just stop buying them.
Like “Another POJ” above, I do hope the time has come. But I doubt it.
I’ve said this time and again. I don’t see the problem with Vista. At first I had a some minor problems that got resolved with new drivers. Does the new operating system use more resources than XP. That’s a definite. But I see that it uses those resources to good use.
The sidebar is useful, I love searching via the windows menu and the change to the users folder is very welcome.
Please stop with the DRM FUD. Is there DRM subsystems in Vista. Of course there is. If you want to play BluRay or HD-DVD on your computer then you should be glad they are there. Microsoft only accepted what the movie industry demanded. I’m not restricted from playing mp3’s, avi’s, mpg’s, ogg’s, and unencrypted vob’s.
No, Mike, the DRM in Vista isn’t a “system”. It’s the foundation of the Vista spec.
Read
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36570
and the article it refers to
http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.html
These are opinions, but based on research. If you have contrary results, I’d be interested to see it.
And I see no reason why MS should have to accept what the movie industry demands. MS never once has accepted what the US government or the EU government demands. And Apple has never accepted what the movie or music industry demands either.
MS did what the movie industry demanded (and according to the linked articles, went rather beyond it), because they wanted to.
[...] Poor Windows XP gets no attention at all any more. The big news this week has been the formal announcement of Windows Vista SP1. But Windows XP will get a service pack, too – SP3. However, it’ll just be a boring rollup of all the fixes since SP2, meaning all you’ll be getting is a new “baseline” to start from. If you install a Windows XP system, or if an OEM builds one, it’ll be SP3 instead of SP2. [...]
From the “Windows Activation Server Outage: Human Error” article:
Steve R says:
“However, if I want to use Windows, I’m pretty much painted into a corner.â€
…you have correctly ascertained the root of your problem. More accurately, though, if you want to use Windows Vista, you are pretty much painted into a corner.
Why use an OS that has no discernable advantages over the 5-year-older version except it uses much more CPU and memory, spends most of its energy stopping you from copying content, and the rest checking to make sure you’re not a pirate?
And not always giving you the benefit of the doubt if it’s unsure, either….
oh, and by the way, CPU speeds and memory sizes haven’t increased all that much since 5 years ago, so there’s not a huge overcapacity as in previous upgrades.
So…. as P-O-J says above – unless you HAD to buy a new PC, what MORON would actually spend money on this piece of crap that Redmond has “Blessed us” with? Have you F***ing sheep had enough?!?!?!?! Has anybody noticed that PCs with XP are now being sold at a premium price, because most poor *suckers* can’t revert back to XP when they buy a PC? Normally, the price of XP would have dropped when the replacement (Vista) comes out, but actually the price has DOUBLED for XP Pro if you try & buy it now….. hmmm, what do they know that we don’t?!?!?!?!?! Why did Dell & Intel announce in the Press that they would not use Vista themselves (corporately) until SP1 came out? If you think it was for stability reasons, I have some bridges & National Parks available to sell you ( for you today my friend, almost Free!) at bargain (Vista that is) prices! They have absolutely NO NEED to go to this next OS Piece of Crap from Redmond…. even MS’s two largest partner’s are stalling on using the latest piece of crap from Redmond…. not only will it cost them Millions to “upgrade”, it won’t do Jackshit for their bottom line (Duh!) or their productivity (can you say “learning curve” for their TECH Support?), it will only hurt their bottom line trying to make this piece of crap that Redmond insists that we need, function in today’s world!!!!!!!!
I challenge ANYBODY – NAME ONE THING that “we” can now do with Vista that we couldn’t do with XP – Name ONE THING!?!?!?!?!?!?!? And PUHlease, don’t mention Security & MicroBlows in the same sentence!!!!!!!!!!!!
[...] We Say: As you may recall, Microsoft officially announced the beta at the end of August, saying beta testing would begin in a few weeks — and here we are. Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]