Submitted by AnandTech takes a very thorough look at Vista SP1, and they conclude: “As far as the Vista user experience is concerned, users shouldn’t expect any significant changes with SP1. In this respect Vista SP1 is much like any other Windows service pack, rather than being another XP SP2. To that extent if you threw a pre-SP1 system and a post-SP1 system in front of us, we’d need to do some low-level benchmarking to identify which one was using SP1. In day-to-day use, the difference is not obvious outside of the specific improvements we’ve talked about.”
at least they look like they’re doing something.
Edited 2008-02-27 19:26 UTC
You may want to look at the extensive SP1 change log.
Because by the looks of it, they’re putting on a hell of a show.
Edited 2008-02-27 20:00 UTC
They are doing what everybody else in the operating system business is also doing: Providing bugfixes and closing security holes.
That is why I would not expect the changelog to be small, or the system to behave differently.
If the system behaved fundamentally different, that would mean that the user interface was wrong the first time around.
This is true, which is why my initial response was done in a sarcastic matter.
It’s business as usual in the bug fixing world for Operating Systems, but others would like to downplay any forward progress made by Microsoft on Vista.
The change log is really extensive, and SP1 is really a step forward in usability.
Additionally, I’d take all performance benchmarks with a grain of salt. It takes a day or two for the caching mechanisms in Vista to get up to speed after a system update.
Just something to consider.
They didn’t get around the OEM hack either, they didn’t close the loophole Microsoft claimed to have done, it’s a pretty hit and miss affair.
Microsoft could have never closed that loophole anyway, some would say there was no loophole in the first place.
This is true, but either way I think this service pack represents a fundamental shift in Microsoft’s stance on piracy.
The WGA “lock me out of my computer” hell is over, replaced with the virtual equivalent to a slap on the wrists.
They’re beginning to treat paying customers less like criminals, and acknowledge false-negatives in their authentication software.
If this service pack is like previous Windows service packs have been, you will get much better results if you slipstream the service pack into your setup disc (assuming this is still possible with Vista) and install clean than you will if you install SP1 onto an existing setup. It’s the same concept of upgrading one version of Windows on top of another vs a clean installation. The latter leaves you with a system that runs much smoother.
Of course, I realize that a lot of enterprises can’t do this. However, if they were smart, they have waited until SP1 to deploy Vista anyway
Edited 2008-02-27 22:43 UTC
Waiting til SP1? We’re waiting until Windows 7 is released. There’s is zero benefit to Vista in the corporate IT environment.
Unless you allow your employees to play DirectX10 games in their work boxes.
Ahh yes. The new “Crysis Team-Building” seminar. Wouldn’t be too bad, I’d sign up for it.
Nuke it from orbit guys! It’s the only way to be sure….
–bornagainpenguin (tongue fully in cheek)