Windows 7 SP1 to Feature Performance Improvements

Although Microsoft has already started sharing the first details about Service Pack 1 for Windows 7, fact is that information on what the major update will bring to the table continues to be scarce. A third-party source claims that the Redmond company is planning performance enhancements for the first upgrade to Windows 7. The information has yet to be confirmed or denied by Microsoft, as the software giant continues to keep SP1 information under a tight lid in Redmond.

Windows 7 SP1 will bring to the table a performance boost for BitLocker Drive Encryption, according to TechARP. BitLocker is an encryption feature offered initially with Windows Vista and perfected with Windows 7, which now allows customers to encrypt hard disks and removable storage devices such as USB drives, to protect information from unauthorized access in various scenarios involving, among others, PC loss or theft.

At the same time, the website reports that storage-related performance fixes are also coming, although no specific details were shared. It seems that some of the performance improvements have already been delivered through Windows Update, while others will only be offered with SP1.

What Microsoft has said so far is that customers should be expecting nothing more than a minor upgrade for Windows 7 SP1. Brandon LeBlanc, Windows communications manager on the Windows Client Communications Team, noted in mid-March 2010 that SP1 would comprise minor updates already offered through Windows Update, as well as additional refreshes of a similar nature. But then again, it seems that existing Windows 7 RTM customers agree that SP1 is not a necessity for the operating system.

“By the end of 2009, a strong majority of US consumers were aware of Windows 7. Windows 7 hit the market at the end of October so it’s pretty great to see that within just 2 months after launch a large portion of US consumers knew about Windows 7. Forrester also found that consumers who adopted Windows 7 in Q4 were generally very satisfied with their Windows 7 PCs,” LeBlanc stated.

Microsoft has so far confirmed two new features for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 SP1, namely RemoteFX and Dynamic Memory, both kicking up a notch the company’s virtualization stack. You can read more about them here.