14 DAY TRIAL // You too can get a taste of the first service pack for Windows Vista on your copy of Vista today, even though you are not one of the members of Microsoft's limited pool of pre-beta SP1 testers, and without turning to the releases leaked to peer-to-peer file sharing networks. The fact of the matter is that Microsoft has provided for some time two fragments of Vista SP1 to all users of the operating system, but only recently the company got chatty about the refresh and confirmed that bits and pieces of the service pack are available for download today. I am of course referring to the Performance and Reliability Update for Windows Vista and the Compatibility and Reliability Update for Windows Vista.
"As you are aware, service packs are part of our traditional software lifecycle; they're something we do for most major products as a commitment to continuous improvement. But, the servicing situation has changed with the advent of Windows Vista, as we no longer rely solely on service packs as the main vehicle used to deploy system fixes and improvements," revealed Nick White, Microsoft Product Manager explaining that, in the course of evolution, the Windows Update infrastructure has become complementary to the service pack releases.
The two Vista Compatibility, Performance and Reliability Packs have been available for download since early August, first leaked from Microsoft, and then as final releases. Since that point, the Redmond company indicated that the two packs would eventually be delivered via Windows Updates. This week, Microsoft delivered on that promise, and you will be able to either download the two hotfix packs manually through the link above or via Windows Update. And make no mistake about it, the updates are an integer part of the Vista SP1 feast served a little early, just a Microsoft move designed to educate Windows users about the increased relevance of Windows Update vs. the first service pack release. Or will it prove to be less of a move and more of a gambit?
"The Windows Update online service is one new way to deliver many OS improvements. For example, yesterday in advance of SP1 we released via Windows Update two separate improvements to Windows Vista's reliability and performance. We did this prior to SP1 in lieu of requiring customers to wait for these fixes to be rolled into a single service pack. Beyond this, we improve the Windows Vista experience by continuing to work closely with software partners to ensure application compatibility. We likewise align efforts with partners on the hardware side of the business to broaden the range of devices that work with Windows Vista and to constantly improve device driver quality," White added.