Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 available for beta testers
The Windows Vista Team blog has some additional information on this release, including the announcement of new performance and reliability packages that may be released before SP1 ships:
We also released today five reliability packages via connect.microsoft.com for testing by selected members of the community. These packages consist of numerous improvements to Windows Vista based on user feedback, and while they will also ultimately be part of SP1, we’re working to make them available before the final version of SP1 is released so that your Windows Vista experience is the best
A more detailed account is from the Windows Experience Blog and you will get information on some changes related to speed and search:
The most common way the user will get SP1 will be through Windows Update. That is how I installed SP1 on the HP tx1000. Before getting to the SP1, a series of 3 prerequisites had to be installed first (It was 3 for me since I'm running Windows Vista Ultimate, but users who aren't running Ultimate or Enterprise will only have 2 to install since BitLocker is not included in the other Windows Vista SKUs). I talked to Product Manager David Zipkin who explained what these prerequisites are for. The first prerequisite includes updates to the servicing stack. The second prerequisite is an update for BitLocker-capable PCs (Windows Vista Enterprise and Windows Vista Ultimate) to ensure proper servicing of Bitlocker. And the third and final prerequisite includes some updates to Windows, necessary to install and uninstall the service pack.
I am now downloading Windows Vista SP1 from connect - both x86 and x64 version, a total of 6.8 GB, which should take another couple of hours.
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Comment by antoniosk, on 25-SEP-2007 18:42
So ihave a current Home Prem machine - do I overwrite the current parition with SP1 and does it blow away the key?
Comment by antoniosk, on 25-SEP-2007 19:36
Grrr.... I *really* have to start RTFM!
Comment by chakkaradeep, on 25-SEP-2007 20:59
How to get it from Connect ? I dont see the SP1 Beta program in the available connections :(...i want to have it :(
Comment by chakkaradeep, on 26-SEP-2007 10:58
How to get invited 
Comment by bradstewart, on 26-SEP-2007 11:34
You need somebody from Microsoft to invite you.
I have downloaded the 64bit standalone installer twice now. It refuses to install: "internal error"
Bug filing time I think.
Comment by chakkaradeep, on 28-SEP-2007 09:27
The X86 standalone installer (5 language pack) installed without any errors in my vista ultimate machine.
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Comment by bradstewart, on 25-SEP-2007 09:57
I am downloading the standalone and slipstream version of x64.
Using the standalone for my current Vista install and will dualboot a clean SP1 install.