While some customers are clamoring for Windows Vista Service Pack (SP) 1, others aren’t going to rush out and install an update without testing it first. As mentioned earlier this week, Microsoft is making available for download a service-pack blocker tool for Windows users who don’t want Vista Service Pack (SP) 1 pushed to users’ desktops without their IT administrator’s official OK.
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Microsoft Releases New Windows Server, Vista SP1 Test Code
Microsoft on Wednesday released new test versions of Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista Service Pack, two highly anticipated technologies that are scheduled to be released early next year. Microsoft also revealed partner resources to prepare customers for the release of the server OS, which the company plans to release to manufacturing on Feb. 27, 2008, the same day as a joint-launch event that also will promote SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008. Combined, the three mark Microsoft’s major product release cycle for the year, although the products are not scheduled to be released simultaneously. Vista SP1 is expected to be available around the same time, but in a two-part release, the company said on Wednesday. According to a post on the Windows Vista Team Blog, a stand-alone installer will be released to the Web in both x86 and x64 versions for the following languages: English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese. About eight to 12 weeks after this release, all of the remaining Vista languages will be released in both x86 and x64 versions. Both Windows Server 2008 and Vista SP1 are key releases for the business adoption of the Vista client OS, as many companies have been awaiting the release of both its complementary server OS and first service pack to upgrade their desktops. Windows Server 2008 is an especially important technology for enterprise and business customers, who have been waiting for a major update to the OS for nearly five years. Windows Server 2008 Release Candidate 1 (RC1), the follow-up to Release Candidate 0 in September, can now be downloaded from Microsoft’s Web site. According to the company, more than 1.8 million customers have acquired the evaluation code for Windows Server 2008 to date. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 RC1 is available to users through the Microsoft Connect Web site. More information about the releases can be found on the Windows Server Division Weblog and on the Windows Vista Experience Blog. Microsoft also has made changes to its Windows Server 2008 software certification program for partners, creating a “Works with Windows Server 2008″ program and offering test tools so ISVs can test their applications to ensure they work reliably on the product. The program and tools are available online. Microsoft ran into trouble with Vista because many third-party software vendors didn’t have applications ready for the OS in time, causing compatibility headaches for customers. Partners whose applications pass the “Works with” tests can then submit test results to be validated for “Certified for Windows Server 2008″ status, which has higher technical bars for achievement.
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Windows XP SP3 To Include Vista Elements, Researchers Say
A forthcoming update to the Windows XP operating system will include patches that add pieces of Vista, according to a research group that says it has seen the code. A forthcoming update to Microsoft’s Windows XP operating system will include patches that add pieces of Windows Vista to the operating system, according to a research group that has seen the code.”Contrary to popular belief, Windows XP SP3 does ship with all-new features, not just patches and hotfixes,” said researchers at NeoSmart, a nonprofit group that tracks computer technology. Most of the new features are “backported from Windows Vista,” according to NeoSmart. Specifically, Windows XP Service Pack 3 steals a page from Vista’s product activation model, meaning that product keys don’t need to be entered during setup, said NeoSmart. The feature should prove popular with corporate IT managers, who often need to oversee hundreds, or even thousands, of operating system installations. Vista’s Network Access Protection modules also will show up in XP SP3. The system verifies a computer’s “health” before allowing it access to a network, and has been “one of the more well-received features in Windows Vista,” according to NeoSmart. XP SP3 also will include the Microsoft Kernel Mode Cryptographic Module, which is meant to “provide easy access to multiple cryptographic algorithms,” NeoSmart reports. Microsoft is typically secretive about the contents of its software service packs until they are released, but NeoSmart researchers say they’ve seen the code. Windows XP SP3 is set to debut early next year. Over the weekend, Microsoft reportedly widened the beta test program to include members of its MSDN and TechNet program. Microsoft is in a bit of a Catch-22 with XP. The more it strengthens the OS, the less reason users have to upgrade to the newer Windows Vista, which by many accounts has failed to catch on with computer users in both the home and office since it debuted in January. According to a recent InformationWeek survey, 30% of businesses do not plan to upgrade their desktop systems to Windows Vista.
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Windows Vista Ultimate 64Bit Edition, Worth the Trouble and Expense?
With a brand new system I decided to enter the Vista club. The trouble was, I did not know which Vista I wanted to get. Budget was not a problem, I had set enough aside for Vista Ultimate. That after all is what I really wanted to test. Though I will admit, Home Premium would have sufficed. My system shipped with 2GB of RAM, I wanted 4GB, but the component upgrade was a little more than I would be happy to pay. The system was cheaper than I could possibly build though. For 2GB of RAM 32Bit would be the logical choice, and for 4GB many would think the same. Most do not realize that a 32Bit system will not use all of 4GB of RAM. It can support it but it cannot use it. I had heard warnings and horror stories relating to the 64Bit version, so I was a little apprehensive. I figured that it should be alright, since most of the software that I plan to be using is very modern. The only concern I had was over my printer, which turned out to be unfounded. It all worked. There was one old program that failed to load, but I didn’t lose too much sleep over it.
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