Microsoft expands Vista SP2 testing

Microsoft said on Tuesday that it is ready for broader testing of Windows Vista Service Pack 2, the second collection of fixes for the latest version of the operating system. In addition to bug fixes and performance tweaks, Service Pack 2 adds support for Blu-ray, Bluetooth 2.1, and Windows Search 4.0, the latest version of Microsoft's desktop search technology.

In a blog posting, Microsoft VP Mike Nash said that while Microsoft is offering the customer preview program to all interested parties, not everyone should download SP2 in test form.

"The (test version) is intended for technology enthusiasts, developers, and IT Pros who would like to test Service Pack 2 in their environments and with their applications prior to final release," Nash said. " For most customers, our best advice would be to wait until the final release prior to installing this service pack.

Microsoft announced in late October that it was starting limited testing of the update.

Nash said Vista SP2 is on track to arrive sometime before the end of June. "As of today, we are tracking to ship Windows Vista SP2 in the first half of 2009," Nash said.

[Seanathome]

Wait... Blu-ray? Didn't Vista come with "BD-support" in the beginning?

[Imalittleteapot]

It was explained to me that it didn't come with native BR support. It had to be added via a codec or addon application like a software player. I don't really know for sure though because I have no BR, but SP2 is supposed to add native BR support to Vista so it can use it right away.

[Mr. Dee]

I am a technology enthusiast and I can't bother right now, plus I hear its a rather boring beta. Anyway, I am tied up with Windows 7 Pre-BETA 1 and Windows Live Essentials. :)

[Penguinisto]

Oblig: Maybe this'll bring Windows marketshare back above 90%*... well, maybe not.

Has anyone run anything you can call a benchmark on it yet?

* just for giggles, here's the ref: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9121938

[SeizeCTRL]

Just curious if the iPhone and iPod Touch count in that share increase for OS X? If so then that's not really that big of an impact considering how many iPhones there are now in the global market.

If Windows dropped by .84, and OS X rose by .66, that leaves a .18 for Linux? At the bottom where they mention Linux moving up from .71 to .83, that's could be .12 away from the .84 of Windows, still leaving .06 going some where? Surely CommanderSpock hasn't started some OS/2 Warp rebellion ;)

[Penguinisto]

ROTFL! OS/2! How could I forget!

(nah - it's prolly more FreeBSD and the like eating that .06 segment up)

Net Applications does segregate mobile browsers, IIRC, so I don't believe they count in the total.

[pin_gwin]

I hope SP2 will be just an XP installer, the best solution for all.

[Mr. Dee]

Microsoft is making it just a standalone installer which means you will need Vista with SP1 installed before you upgrade to Service Pack 2. You can install SP2 on a Vista RTM system.

[Imalittleteapot]

Well which is it? Do I need SP1 installed first or can I just install on the RTM version too? Eh. it doesn't matter I already have the SP1 standalone installer.

[Mr. Dee]

You need to have Vista SP1 installed before you can install SP2. That means, your Vista RTM installation must be upgraded to SP1.

[Brian]

Did they say June?

I'll be running Snow Leopard by then!

Sorry, but I'm not interested in downloading a test version of Microsoft Vista on my Mac, after all -- it just works!

:)

[Mr. Dee]

SP2 is not an operating system, its a collection of post SP1 updates for the operating system (Vista).

[PrimitiveLyric]

Why not turn your mac into something that completely messes your system up and makes you go out and buy new components only to feel the frustration that the current vista drivers of your new components don't actually work yet!

[solitare_pax]

Line up the lemmings please!

[Solo9300]

SP2

[Dalkorian]

Oh. I guess w7 will be fista sp3 then. Doesn't matter to me though, I wouldn't infect my worst enemies computer with winblows.

OK, maybe I would on my worst enemies computer ...