14 DAY TRIAL // Following the advent of Windows Vista Service Pack 1, Microsoft geared up to dispel the negative aura which was orbiting around the RTM version of the operating system. As soon as the latest Windows client hit the shelves back in January 30, 2007, negative feedback started flowing, focused on hardware and software compatibility issues, the limitations introduced by the added security mitigations such as User Account Control and Patch Guard, and the overall performance in comparison to Windows XP. Microsoft dealt with the vast majority of Vista issues with the release of SP1 available since March 18, 2008, while the environment of hardware and software products designed to integrate with the operating system matured to the point where incompatibility problems are a thing of the past.
The evolution of Vista from RTM to SP1 and what qualifies the platform for at least a second look in terms of adoption and upgrades are the subject of a TechEd talk featuring elite Microsoft evangelists and bloggers. The talk centered on deployment Vista at TechEd North America 2008 proves that corporate customers are still steering clear of the operating system. Some are sticking with Windows XP, not with SP3, while others are looking to Windows 7 as alternatives to Vista. Still, Microsoft is not throwing in the towel and is working to convince customers that Vista is worth it, and that SP1 is the panacea for the flaws associated with the RTM build.
"At TechEd, I had the opportunity to sit on a panel of bloggers and answer any and all questions people wanted to come and throw at us. We had a mixture of pre-submitted questions and audience questions, and overall it was great fun. Have a look, and if you don't think we were given hard enough questions, then we hope to do this again at TechEd EMEA," revealed Chris Jackson, an Architect and the Technical Lead for the Windows Application Experience SWAT Team.
The beginning of the talk is reserved for the issues that have managed to keep away customers and fail to catalyze adoption frenzy. From performance, to the trade-off between security and flexibility, to application compatibility and driver support the speakers discuss various aspects of the operating system now at Service Pack 1 stage. The talk is available here, but you can also download it for Windows Media Player.
Windows Vista SP1 can be downloaded from here.