Microsoft releases Vista Service Pack 1

BANGALORE, INDIA: Microsoft Corporation on Monday released Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista to manufacturing for the first set of languages - English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese.

Vista SP 1 is the first major package of updates and fixes for Windows Vista operating system.

However, current Windows Vista users will have to wait till mid-March to download SP 1. Microsoft will begin delivering Windows Vista SP1 to Windows Vista customers who have chosen to have updates downloaded automatically by mid-April.

Mike Nash from the Windows Product Management group at Microsoft wrote in a blog that the Vista SP1 improves performance, reliability and compatibility.

“Service Pack 1 is a very important milestone because it addresses many of the key issues that our customers have identified with Windows Vista over the last year both, directly and through programs like the Customer Experience Improvement Program,” the blog said.

With Vista SP 1, systems run faster and more reliably than they did with the "Gold" release of Windows Vista. SP1 also includes changes focused on improving the performance of Windows Vista in areas that impact the customer experience the most.

“For instance, with SP1, copying or moving files around your PC, your home network or your corporate network should now be much faster -- up to 50 per cent faster in some scenarios (according to our internal tests). In addition, on many kinds of hardware, resuming a Windows Vista-based PC from sleep is faster on Service Pack 1,” Nash said.

Microsoft’s OEM partners will get SP1 to start producing new PCs running Windows Vista with SP1 pre-installed.

“We will also start the manufacturing process for retail product of Windows Vista with SP1. Both will be available in stores for new Windows Vista customers in the coming months,” he added.

Microsoft also started the process to manufacture DVDs for its enterprise customers who get its software via its Volume Licensing program. The Windows Vista operating system was launched in 2007.

Microsoft also announced the Released to Manufacturing (RTM) of Windows Server 2008 code-named ‘Longhorn’, will be available for purchase to new customers on March 1.

©CyberMedia News