If you've been waiting for Windows Vista SP1 to come out before
you make the leap to the new operating system, don't, says
Microsoft.
Microsoft's Pete McKiernan, a senior product manager for Windows,
told CNET News.com that one of the purposes of a service pack is to
include all the patches that have been released in one package.
Windows Vista SP1 will have that, but little else for the home
user.
Unlike the buzz surrounding Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista SP1 won't
include a new version of Internet Explorer, and won't include any
new features that are considered must haves. Most of the
enhancements within Windows Vista SP1 are under the hood and for
enterprise customers. In short, Windows Vista SP1 lacks
"wow".
Currently, Microsoft is beta-testing the Windows Vista Service Pack
1 on about 12,000 machines worldwide. As the beta continues, more
users will be invited, but the numbers will not match the estimated
5 million that tried the operating system prior to RTM (release to
manufacturing) last summer. CNET obtained an official copy of the
Windows Vista SP1 beta for review.
What surprised us is that Microsoft is really downplaying this
service pack. Why? Because, unlike Windows XP, Windows Vista
includes automatic updates, so for most users the Windows Vista SP1
release won't be dramatic. At CNET, we found it took about 2 hours
to install SP1 on a newly installed Windows Vista machine, in part
because we had to bring the operating system up to date with
various patches and updates before we could install the
upgrade.
What is included in the "upgrade"? McKiernan called out two
features expected to be within Windows Vista SP1, neither is likely
to excite consumers already on the fence about Windows Vista. One
is an improvement to the BitLocker drive encryption system,
available only in the Enterprise and Ultimate editions of Windows
Vista. Under SP1, BitLocker will be able to encrypt multiple drive
volumes; all drive volumes, that is, except for USB drives.
A second feature touted by Microsoft is support for emerging
hardware and standards. Windows Vista SP1 will support Extensible
Firmware Interface (EFI), Intel standard for the interface between
software, the operating system and firmware, and Extended File
Allocation Table (exFAT), a new Microsoft file system that may
eliminate the need for defragmentation in the future.
McKiernan categorized other expected changes within Windows Vista
SP1 as:
Security enhancements: There is nothing here that the desktop
consumer will notice. Under the hood, Microsoft will provide more
opportunities for third-party security vendors to communicate their
product status with the Windows Security Center. In x64-bit
editions, third-party security vendors can work with the kernel
patch protection, a source of controversy last summer. Remote
Desktop Protocol (RDP) files will be signed. The Windows
Pseudo-Random Number Generator will have Elliptical Curve
Cryptography (ECC) added. And BitLocker will add multifactor
authentication combining Trusted Platform Module (TPM) with a
Startup key stored on a USB device, meaning that the startup key
must match the hardware you are trying to use.
Reliability enhancements: Microsoft has been analyzing crashes of
Windows Vista reported by users and will be making improvements. In
particular, more compatibility with newer graphics cards and
printers; greater reliability with extended displays on a laptop,
various networking scenarios, in systems that were upgraded from
Windows XP, and when Windows Vista enters sleep or resumes from
sleep.
Performance enhancements: Microsoft says SP1 will offer performance
boosts including the speed to copy and extract files, time to
become active from Hibernate and Resume, CPU utilization within
Internet Explorer 7 and CPU utilization in laptops, thereby
reducing battery drain, and shortening the time when browsing
network shares.
None of these is a compelling reason to wait for Windows Vista SP1.
Users who have automatic updates turned on will have a
significantly shorter time when upgrading to Windows Vista SP1 than
users who don't have it turned on or are planning to upgrade or
purchase Windows Vista when SP1 becomes available. That appears to
be Microsoft's message with this release: The more you use Windows
Vista, the better it gets. So why not get started today?
In short, judging by what we've seen, don't expect SP1 to be the
impetus to get you or your corporation to upgrade to Windows
Vista.
guess mayi will not
switch to vista after sp1?
