Sorting out the details on Vista SP1 availability
(Update, March 18, 2008 5:21 AM PDT: Amazon.com has listed Windows Vista SP1 as ready for shipment starting Wednesday.)
So, when is Windows Vista Service Pack 1 coming out?
It sounds like a simple question, but the answer is anything but simple.
Without trying to get Clintonesque and say it depends on your definition of is, let's just say there are many different ways of getting the operating system update and each is operating on its own schedule.
In February, CEO Steve Ballmer announced that Microsoft had wrapped up development of the update, but the company cautioned that the update wasn't ready for the masses. Chief among the reasons was that some Vista drivers were rendered inoperable when moving from Vista to Vista SP1.
As a result, Microsoft said it would be mid-March before SP1 showed up for download via Windows Update and Microsoft.com. That appears to be on track and, what with mid-March now upon us, it seems likely that SP1 will be available from Microsoft's servers very shortly.
Less clear, though, is when the OS update would replace the initial Vista on retail shelves and on new PCs.
I pressed Microsoft for some answers here, but got only limited help. On the retail front, Microsoft said in a statement on Monday that "we expect Windows Vista with SP1 will be available as a full packaged retail product as soon as April." So those making pre-orders for Vista SP1 on Amazon.com may have to wait awhile longer to get the product (though people can always buy Vista now and upgrade to SP1 on their own).
On the question of when PC makers would start offering new machines with Service Pack 1 preloaded, Microsoft was even less forthcoming. Although PC makers got the code in February, Microsoft said, "it takes time for our OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) partners to update their assembly lines with code."
"Our partners will begin distributing SP1 on new PCs when they are ready," Microsoft said.
Hmm. OK.
It strikes me that Microsoft is missing out on a big opportunity.
Service Pack 1 is not a bunch of new gee-whiz features that are going to convince consumers to rush out and get the operating system. It's a collection of performance improvements and bug fixes, the kinds of things that were supposed to give the software maker a chance to convince big businesses that Vista has its act together. However, with uncertainty around SP1's readiness and its timing, it seems like Microsoft may be giving the opposite impression.
And that's a shame for the crew in Redmond. Because you don't get a second chance to make a second impression, either.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/17/vista-sp1-officially-coming-tomorrow/
The performance and reliability updates helped, and I installed the release candidate of SP1 as soon as I could and that helped too but I was still tempted to go back to XP.
I decided to give vista another chance, and formatted and re-installed, installed SP1 immediately, then all my apps.
The difference is astounding. I don't know what the problem was with dell's vista installation, but my memory usage is now 0.5-1gb lower than it was under all circumstances. Before after a clean boot I never had less than 1.4gb of memory allocated. Now its 800-900mb. With 2xVS, Sql studio and outlook I am using less than 2gb.
Overall my machine is much, much snappier and doesn't give me any grief. Vista no longer seems slow and bloated. My frame rates in FSX have also nearly doubled, which I'm at a loss to explain as I'm using the same drivers.
So, now I'm officially a vista convert. It makes me wonder how many people buy a new machines with a dodgy preinstalled vista image, they find it slow and bloated, so they re-install XP, find it much better and then go out and bag vista.
So, if you are less than impressed with vista on the machine you just brought try a rebuild.
I ordered more RAM (since it was 64-bit, I though I might as well), but now notice that I don't need it. Still going to install it though, RAM is cheap these days!
Even OS X, because I get rid of 2gig of language files and trail
software. I will say OS X comes with 90% trial/crapware
compared to Windows.
Microsoft needs to realize even with XP back in the day that Dell,
HP and all the rest hurt Windows with the huge amount of crap
they install. I dont understand why Dell and others dont get
this.
That said any OS will be faster after a clean install, one that uses
a registry...way more for sure.
So I guess Vista is finally ready for RTM with SP1? Sorry to late
for me.
Vista has failed, it was released with too many problems and it was far to expensive, its only selling feature DX10 has been a bust.
I and many others have gone back to steady XP and like the rest I will wait for the real son of XP.
I have one machine out of 5 with vista on, its two days old and waiting too see the SP1 before being changed to XP
My new Mac Mini, within (literally) 5 mins, after I turned it on for the first time, I was able to print to HP4215. It didn't even ask me install any drivers. It didn't prompt me for any drivers!
Learn from Apple!!!
But it took me less than a minute to go to HP.com, search for "OfficeJet 4215" and get the driver here:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=2093&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=351106&lang=en
And you could have done it a year ago.
It's a damn shame they can't even support their own 64 bit *****, yet working with their evil step brother Intel on multicore crap. How freaking hard is it to write a few drivers? They have had well over a year to come up with one.
Installed/Reinstalled/Rebooted numerous times.
betting it was "The_Decider"...
And to think, I was worried about compatibility issues when I switched to Mac. In hindsight, it was Window?s that was hindering my productivity.
Note: CNET rated Mac as being the best PC for running Window?s. Who would have ?thunk? it. Do yourself a favor and make the leap. I?m happy I did.
P.S. I am anything but a fanboy so save the comments. We?ve all heard them before.
- ...and here come the explosions...
- by Penguinisto March 19, 2008 4:34 PM PDT
- http://itnews.com.au/News/72401,windows-vista-sp1-wreaks-havoc-on-some-pcs-users-complain.aspx
- Reply to this comment
-
(27 Comments)[i]" Other troubles reported by Vista SP1 users ranged from a simple inability to download the software from Microsoft's Windows Update site to sudden spikes in memory usage. "Went from using 650 MB RAM idle to 1 Gig... I'll be switching back," said "Kurrier." "[/i]
...okay, I just gotta know: What kind of bloated pile of steaming kludge requires 650 MEGABYTES OF RAM just to run itself!?
Damn... just... damn.
/P