So we have been hearing all this hub bub about Vista service pack 1. Wasn't this suppose to be theservice packless operating system? Am I the only one who remembers hearing that? Well it looks like Microsoft has got their panties all knotted and bunched up because they are lashing out at blogs to stop spreading mis-information. Look who's talking! People have been getting take down notices left and right to pull the "mis-information" and propeganda. Am I missing something here? Well here is a round up of information:
Microsoft wants you to be informed about the current state of the Windows
Vista SP1 beta.
(Not really, but they are pretending they do….)
Here is the
latest official missive on Vista SP1 from Microsoft headquarters:
“There will be a Windows Vista service pack and our current expectation
is that a beta will be made available sometime this year. Service packs are part
of the traditional software lifecycle — they’re something we do for all
Microsoft products as part of our commitment to continuous improvement, and
providing early test builds is a standard practice that helps us incorporate
customer feedback and improve the overall quality of the product.
“Service packs are just one example of the work we do to constantly
improve the Windows experience. We also deliver improvements to Windows via
Windows Update, which is an excellent channel for providing our customers with
the most significant updates as they happen. And, since Windows Vista launched,
we have continued working with partners to improve overall device coverage and
application compatibility. There are now more than 2.1 million supported devices
and more than 2,000 logoed applications for Windows Vista. We think customers
will have a great experience using Windows Vista today.
“Spread the word to stop misinformation.”
I agree. It is time to stop the misinformation, the bulk of which is coming
from Microsoft right now.
Who said there would be a public beta of Vista SP1 this week? I’ve been
saying Microsoft would extend
a beta of Vista SP1 to a selected group of testers in mid-July, most likely
this week. (Microsoft has got testers so panicked now about being fingered as
sources of leaks that even if and when they do get the SP1 code, I’m doubtful
anyone will dare say anything.)
Here’s a little more of an update, courtesy of the Bink.nu site:
“So the only release (of Vista
SP1) that’s occurring is a limited Beta to a very small, very select group of
advance customers. A public version of the Beta is not being released this
week, nor next, nor in July, nor anytime in the immediate future.”
(Update:
Looks like the powers-that-be at Microsoft got to Bink. This part of the
statement has been removed. Oh well.)
Yeah, I’ve had no luck in getting Microsoft to provide a date for if or
when there will be a public beta of SP1, either. Nothing but no comments. All I
know is Microsoft has told some testers they are shooting to get SP1 out by
November. Maybe they meant a public beta of SP1…not sure.
If Microsoft is
going to such great lengths to keep the status and feature set of a service pack
secret, what will they do when it’s finally time to start talking about Windows
Seven? Will wiretaps be involved? Scouring employees’ phone records for calls to
unapproved numbers? Logging people’s private IM sessions? I better get out my
long blond wig and heels (again)….
Just remember folks: It’s just a service
pack. Something that should
be seen as good news for the many businesses and individuals that still
prefer to wait for a fix pack from Microsoft before rolling out a new product.
[ZdNet]
