Windows Vista and Server 2008 SP2 out Dec 2
Windows, posted: 2-DEC-2008 22:47
MSDN and Technet subscribers will have access to Windows Vista and Server 2008 Service Pack 2 on Dec 2 US time, Microsoft tells me in an email from the local office.
Hang on... isn't Vista SP2 due to be publicly released in February next year, with RTM in April, as per TechARP? That's probably still the case, because Alexandre Leite of the Windows Product Marketing Team at Microsoft says:
On Tuesday, December 2, Microsoft will announce the availability of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2 to MSDN and TechNet subscribers via a blog post to the Windows Team Blog, Windows Server Blog, and the TechNet home page. Other Microsoft sites will also point to the blogs, including the Windows Vista home page and the Springboard Series Site. As part of the December 2 announcement, Microsoft will pre-announce the broad availability of the SP2 Beta as part of the Customer Preview Program (CPP) on December 4.
A little confusingly worded, but it seems SP2 is still in beta. However, with a February 2009 release date and holidays coming up, I'd say it's close to the final version.
Here's a summary from Microsoft on what to expect in SP2 for Vista and Server 2008:
Desktop:
* Inclusion of Windows Search 4.0 for improved indexing performance, broader indexing scenario inclusion, as well as new Group Policy integration for Windows Search
* Integration of the Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless which contains Bluetooth v2.1 support, the most recent specification for Bluetooth wireless technology
* Some graphics enhancement to reduce glitches when streaming high-def content with specific hardware configurations
* Setup & Deployment improvements to detect incompatible drivers blocking service pack installations
* Provides a Service Pack Cleanup tool which helps restore the hard disk space by permanently deleting previous versions of files updated by SP2
* Performance improvements when resuming from hibernate where a wireless connection is no longer available
* Power Management improvements
* Print Server and Spooler performance improvements for printers in Windows Vista and Server 2008
Server:
* Inclusion of Microsoft’s Hyper-V technology for Server
* Backwards compatibility with Terminal Services licensing keys
* Better manageability features with DFS/FRS console, and Storage Resource Manager (i.e.: Quota Filter and File Screening Filter)
* Improved error reporting in DFSR to help identify incorrectly configured deployments which lead to failed replication
* Updated power policy driving significant Power Management improvements
The list above looks good, but we'll see what SP2 is like when the beta becomes more widely available.
Other related posts:
Today’s incomprehensible Windows security warning
Today's strange Internet Explorer 8 error message
Microsoft takes the wind out of Windows 7's sails
Hang on... isn't Vista SP2 due to be publicly released in February next year, with RTM in April, as per TechARP? That's probably still the case, because Alexandre Leite of the Windows Product Marketing Team at Microsoft says:
On Tuesday, December 2, Microsoft will announce the availability of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2 to MSDN and TechNet subscribers via a blog post to the Windows Team Blog, Windows Server Blog, and the TechNet home page. Other Microsoft sites will also point to the blogs, including the Windows Vista home page and the Springboard Series Site. As part of the December 2 announcement, Microsoft will pre-announce the broad availability of the SP2 Beta as part of the Customer Preview Program (CPP) on December 4.
A little confusingly worded, but it seems SP2 is still in beta. However, with a February 2009 release date and holidays coming up, I'd say it's close to the final version.
Here's a summary from Microsoft on what to expect in SP2 for Vista and Server 2008:
Desktop:
* Inclusion of Windows Search 4.0 for improved indexing performance, broader indexing scenario inclusion, as well as new Group Policy integration for Windows Search
* Integration of the Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless which contains Bluetooth v2.1 support, the most recent specification for Bluetooth wireless technology
* Some graphics enhancement to reduce glitches when streaming high-def content with specific hardware configurations
* Setup & Deployment improvements to detect incompatible drivers blocking service pack installations
* Provides a Service Pack Cleanup tool which helps restore the hard disk space by permanently deleting previous versions of files updated by SP2
* Performance improvements when resuming from hibernate where a wireless connection is no longer available
* Power Management improvements
* Print Server and Spooler performance improvements for printers in Windows Vista and Server 2008
Server:
* Inclusion of Microsoft’s Hyper-V technology for Server
* Backwards compatibility with Terminal Services licensing keys
* Better manageability features with DFS/FRS console, and Storage Resource Manager (i.e.: Quota Filter and File Screening Filter)
* Improved error reporting in DFSR to help identify incorrectly configured deployments which lead to failed replication
* Updated power policy driving significant Power Management improvements
The list above looks good, but we'll see what SP2 is like when the beta becomes more widely available.
Tag(s):
Other related posts:
Today’s incomprehensible Windows security warning
Today's strange Internet Explorer 8 error message
Microsoft takes the wind out of Windows 7's sails
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Comment by kent, on 3-DEC-2008 22:22
Bah humbug. No MCE TV Pack 2008