Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

After almost a year of hemming and hawing over how and when to acknowledge publicly its plans for Windows Vista Service Pack (SP) 1

Microsoft finally released on August 29 its officially-approved schedule and feature set for the awaited update.

Vista SP1 will go to selected beta testers by mid-September, officials said. The final “gold” release of SP1 is now slated for some time in Q1 2008.

Microsoft told selected testers earlier this summer it planned to release the final Vista SP1 in November 2007, around the same time as Windows Server 2008 went to manufacturing.

Microsoft also announced on August 29 that it has delayed the release to manufacturing of Windows Server 2008 until Q1 2008.


When the SP1 lands in the first quarter of 2008 are we really getting what Vista should have been at launch?

Microsoft might dispute that notion, but I wonder. After all, SP1 is chunky and we’re not talking just pleasantly plump. The list of bug fixes is long with stuff–better printer driver support, reliability with external displays, more speed copying files, improved log-on–you’d expect to be in the first go round.

For the beta release, you’ll need 7GB of free disk space to install the x86 version and 12GB of free disk space for the x64 package. (Most of this space is for temporary files and for the Vista image-based installer.)

For home users with a reliable Internet connection, Microsoft plans to offer an Express update option that should require only a 50MB download; the stand-alone installer, which includes support for all languages and all Vista editions, checks in at a hefty 1GB. The final release might be smaller, but not much, if history is any guide.

Hmm.
Microsoft still is telling customers not to wait for Vista SP1, and to proceed with testing and upgrades now. After hearing about what’s coming in SP1, I can’t imagine anyone planning to move to Vista not waiting for SP1.

When you look at the sheer volume of additions/fixes/etc. in SP1 you’d be a dunce not to wait for it before pondering Vista. In some corners, the SP1 is an indictment of the first Vista, which you could argue wasn’t ready for prime time in the first place.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is also releasing the third service pack for Windows XP. That gives you two good reasons to hold off on Vista.


Company officials said on Wednesday that the Windows team plans to deliver a near-public beta of XP SP3 (it’s going to all TechNet and Microsoft Developer Network subscribers) by mid-September.

The final version of XP SP3 is slated to hit some time in the first half of calendar 2008.

The new target for Windows Server 2008 (Longhorn) RTM is Q1 2008.

Microsoft officials said that the launch party for Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 still will happen on February 27, 2008. No word so far if Windows Server 2008 will RTM before or after the launch party. (SQL Server 2008 isn’t slated to RTM until Q2 2008. Visual Studio 2008, however, is still expected to RTM before the end of 2007, last I heard.)

cheers rope

sounds a bit like selling a 4 wheel car with three wheels and a spare that fits another car but with modification at your cost, will fit the one you were sold.

Ommitting the radiator, because one has not been designed yet, but with a bucket of water, you can drive 4 ks if you have a header tank.
The fuel tank is 80 ltrs but you can't fill it because theres no opening.
The fact the steering wheel is in the head rest of the front seat is ok because using a mirror you can see where you have been.
And with the top rolled down the fact that the windows are covered is over come by cutting a hole in the roof to stick your head out.
Solid rubber tyres over comes flat tyres, but the suspension, requires new shocks every 4 hrs driving.
The servicing is good because you can make it to a service centre if in a radius of 4ks, the maximum distance one can travel.

Ahh Vista - did you see that if you're playing an MP3 then your network connections grind to a halt?

http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/21/1441240
http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/26/1628200

Yep... addressed in SP1

A great example of how over-engineering can stuff up a product. A 400MHz machine running Win95 can play an MP3 and send over a network, yet a 3GHz machine running Vista can't. WOOT, good work guys.

yep, thats progress for ya!!