Microsoft to deliver Windows Vista SP2 before Windows 7
By Tom Warren, 15 October 2008 - 21:17 54 comments
Microsoft has delivered a beta of Vista Service Pack 2 to select hardware and software partners according to sources close to Microsoft.
Last week the company put a place holder online for information about Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 and Windows Vista Service Pack 2. In it Microsoft acknowledges the existence of the beta and claims "No formal product support is available from Microsoft for this beta product".
According to All about Microsoft writer Mary Jo Foley the company will deliver SP2 before the highly anticipated Windows 7 release rumoured in the second half of next year.
It is widely expected that Hyper-V will be included with Vista SP2 alongside the usual OS improvements and hot fixes that a service pack brings.
Microsoft could reveal further information about Vista SP2 at the company's professional developers conference (PDC) next month.
Comments (54)
Elessar - 15 October 2008 - 21:35
Speed improvements would be nice...i have a fairly robust computer and even it lags (all my drivers are current and do not conflict).
The Grasshopper - 15 October 2008 - 21:44
I think that should be the main point to SP2. Speed, Speed, Speed.
Blow out the competition. My 64 bit vista should be faster than lightning compared to XP64bit. I hope they improve the speeds of vista machines everywhere.
+Beastage - 15 October 2008 - 22:13
I think that should be the main point to SP2. Speed, Speed, Speed.
Blow out the competition. My 64 bit vista should be faster than lightning compared to XP64bit. I hope they improve the speeds of vista machines everywhere.
I have no idea how faster it can be... 1 sec to load word/excel/outlook.
Folders with thousands of photos already thumbnailed in database load in 2 seconds, inbdex search is instant.
No operation system can accelerate disk loading or things like that.
Everything Vista gets a chance to cache, index, etc lodas very fast.
+chaosblade - 15 October 2008 - 21:43
Probably just a pack of hot fixes, Like what a Service Pack used to signify in the first place, Before XP SP2. Maybe a couple more tiny 'features', akin to XP SP3's NAP and Vista SP1's Anti-Trust changes.
kiddingguy - 15 October 2008 - 21:55
So... it will kinda be one year after Vista SP1.
Great!
Faisal Islam - 16 October 2008 - 04:34
No. Windows 7's release date is 2013. Remeber Vista. XP released in 2001, Vista in 2006. there have 7 years gap.
usman767 - 16 October 2008 - 06:36
It will be released in first quarter 2010, read the news bro! vista was the exception rather then the rule...
dangel - 16 October 2008 - 08:18
Troll..
ricknl - 16 October 2008 - 12:31
In the West the difference between 2006 and 2001 is only 5 years. Secondly Microsoft released:
Windows XP in 2001
Windows XP SP2 in 2003
Windows Vista in 2006.
SP2 was an exception and they invested time and money in it as much as they invest in a new OS. Back in that time it was a discussion if Microsoft should have released it as a new OS or not.
Mr. Dee - 16 October 2008 - 13:45
In the West the difference between 2006 and 2001 is only 5 years. Secondly Microsoft released:
Windows XP in 2001
Windows XP SP2 in 2003
Windows Vista in 2006.
SP2 was an exception and they invested time and money in it as much as they invest in a new OS. Back in that time it was a discussion if Microsoft should have released it as a new OS or not.
Windows XP was released August 2004.
Julius Caro - 16 October 2008 - 15:02
Windows XP was released August 2004.
u mean xp sp2.
anyway, xp was released october 2001 and vista was released 30 jan 2007.
TheNay - 15 October 2008 - 21:55
If Vista speed is improved i'll switch, but by then I may just wait til Win 7
+TCLN Ryster - 15 October 2008 - 23:01
Yeah, cause Windows 7 with it's hundreds of new features and zero patches is going to run sooo much quicker.
Skyfrog - 15 October 2008 - 23:41
Yeah, cause Windows 7 with it's hundreds of new features and zero patches is going to run sooo much quicker.
What are these hundreds of new features? You do know they've stripped out a whole bunch of programs already (Movie maker, Windows Mail, Windows Messenger, Photo Gallery, off the top of my head) so it's looking like it will be a much lighter install than Vista. As for patches, if it's based off Vista it will be just as up to date, actually more, so why is that an issue? I don't think it's too much to expect that they can optimize the Vista code base and produce a faster OS.
Skyfrog - 15 October 2008 - 23:42
disregard, double post
dangel - 16 October 2008 - 08:24
Oh there will be lots of new features - hopefully we'll have a better idea after PDC.
CyberWolf - 16 October 2008 - 15:14
Oh there will be lots of new features - hopefully we'll have a better idea after PDC.
If you can't run Vista now, You will not be able to run Win7. Hardware specs do not go backwards. Currently Win7 is not a huge change from Vista.
johnbfromtn - 15 October 2008 - 21:56
I'm really big into virtualization, and if Hyper-V is included in Vista SP2 that would really would take the cake. With the way my machine is configured for me now, Vista X64 is faster for me then XP X64 already. Then again when I was running XP X64 I only had 1GB of RAM and now I have 4GB's. We all know that Vista Home Premium that's I'm running would tank completely with only 1GB of RAM.
+Xerxes - 15 October 2008 - 23:44
But what does Hyper-V actually do though? how do you use it? Vista SP2 will only be a roll up off all the post-SP1 updates no more, there might be one or two very minor features/tweaks perhaps but that is it.
To Hyper-V, I doubt MS would release that to all Vista owners, as that would really annoy the Ultimate users. Most likely Hyper-V will be released as an Ultimate Extra, that is if MS even plan to give Vista Hyper-V which I have my doubts.
pmasters - 15 October 2008 - 22:26
So what exactly does Hyper-V bring to a Vista home desktop? I know it allows virtual OS operation but unless it can somehow allow me to run OSX, whats the big deal about Hyper-V? Its an honest question and not a flame. Can someone explain the true advantage seen in a household with Hyper-V?