ms MS hints at the death of Windows Service Packs toward 'constant updates

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Microsoft hints at the death of Windows Service Packs toward 'constant updates'

Microsoft's first-time move Tuesday to update Windows 8 before the OS launches is a sign of the company's continued edging toward practices long held by rivals Apple and Google, analysts said today.

On Tuesday, alongside the usual Patch Tuesday security updates, Microsoft shipped four non-security updates specific to Windows 8, which doesn't go on sale until Oct. 26.

Steven Sinofsky, the executive who leads the Windows division, said that the biggest of the updates -- a massive 170MB download for Windows 8 x64 -- targeted performance, power management, media playback and compatibility issues which company developers uncovered and/or addressed since early August, when Microsoft tagged Windows 8 with the RTM, or "release to manufacturing," label.

In Microsoft's terminology, RTM designates the point at which it considers the code completed, and ready to ship to computer makers for installing on new PCs.

Microsoft has never updated a version of Windows between RTM and when the OS hits retail and PCs powered by it reach stores.

"Very interesting," said Jason Miller, manager of research and development at VMware, and a frequently-cited source on patching. "We've never seen them do something like this before. They're definitely changing how they do things to add more features on the fly."

Others also applauded. Andrew Storms, director of security operations at nCircle Security, called it a "welcome change" and added, "End users should be happy knowing they are going to get the latest advancements in their Windows 8 install."

Typically, Microsoft has reserved most major changes for what it calls "Service Packs," collections of previously-released security patches, non-security bug fixes, and new features or improvements of existing ones. Service packs are usually issued every 18 months or so; Windows 7, for example, has seen only one such upgrade in the three years since its Oct. 2009 launch, Service Pack 1 (SP1), which shipped in Feb. 2011.

Source and full article: PCWorld

[ToneKnee]

Companies still need service packs, even normal customers. I rather not reinstall Windows 8 after a year and have 100+ updates to download and install. They should keep the service packs but only limit them to security updates and bug updates.

[~Johnny]

I think the reason for the large update so early was that there were a number of issues to sort out with certain hardware (my own included), that weren't addressed at RTM.

[The Laughing Man]

Companies still need service packs, even normal customers. I rather not reinstall Windows 8 after a year and have 100+ updates to download and install. They should keep the service packs but only limit them to security updates and bug updates.

This, one thing I cannot stand is a fresh install with hundreds of updates. Think of the time span of XP, without SP3 I'm guessing there would be about 600-900 updates from day one. Possibly more due to ranging hardware configurations

[morphen]

Companies still need service packs, even normal customers. I rather not reinstall Windows 8 after a year and have 100+ updates to download and install. They should keep the service packs but only limit them to security updates and bug updates.

They could just make a "yearly update pack" for offline install, containing updates from january to desember, and release them in January the next year.

[.Neo]

Companies still need service packs, even normal customers. I rather not reinstall Windows 8 after a year and have 100+ updates to download and install. They should keep the service packs but only limit them to security updates and bug updates.

Nothing prevents Microsoft from releasing a combo updater similar to what Apple does with OS X.

[CPressland]

Nothing prevents Microsoft from releasing a combo updater similar to what Apple does with OS X.

Yeah, I often wish this was the case when I deploy my Pre-SP1 image of Win 7.

[testman]

They could just make a "yearly update pack" for offline install, containing updates from january to desember, and release them in January the next year.

Yeah... and they could call this "yearly update pack"... a Service Pack...

[ArialBlue]

*Noticed a 169MB update for W8*

[keysteele]

I got another update today too.

[Lord Method Man]

It would be awesome if up-to-date installation ISOs were just made available every 6 months or so for people doing reinstalls.

[Mando]

I recently had to reformat my machine and I couldnt be bothered slipstreaming SP1....bad move hehe sure on a 18-20mbit dsl connection it downloaded all the updates quick engough, however installing the 139 updates took over an hour!

Learnt from that and downloaded the SP1 replacement windows 7 installer fo rmy version of windows for next time :)

It still has a purpose and I use manual network Service Pack Redists all the time, but im a touch impatient, time is money when in work :)

[xendrome]

Yeah, I often wish this was the case when I deploy my Pre-SP1 image of Win 7.

Deploy Pre-SP1 image.... update OS FULLY, re-image for distribution...

[Andrea Borman]

So what you are trying to say is that there won't be a Service Pack 1 for Windows 8 when it is released on sale at the end of this month.

Well now when you buy Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is already included so you don't have to install it. But if you bought your copy of Windows 7 before 2011 then you do have to reinstall Service Pack 1 every time you reinstall Windows.

But where did you read this anyway? I thought what happens is that you buy Windows 8 and about a year later Microsoft release the first Service Pack . That's what they do with the other versions of Windows. Andrea Borman.

[grik]

MS do what you want but get some .ISO?s from time to time with full updates. People pay the software they dont want to keep waiting and installing updates.

Kill the SP or not, most importantly make new ways for paid users get their updated images. If i buy a windows8 key im expecting to download the .ISO in some private account, and if i go there 2 years from now i expect to have the updated Windows8 .ISO, not the same 2 years old .ISO :(

[cooky560 Veteran]

I wonder if all the updates you've missed will be made live into a sort of virtual service pack, so it's still only one download.

[deleted_acc]

i'm sure there'll be cumulative packages (to be honest i think the terminology 'service pack' will be around just for the sake of the press and users who are used to it) but anyone who is a hardcore tester/rig builder or just a simple idiot and needs to reinstall windows frequently should be able to use WAIK and make an own ISO

[Growled Member]

I hope they do away with service packs.Just release the updates when they are ready.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

But where did you read this anyway?

Here.

Source and full article: PCWorld

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On topic, it ain't as bad as it looks. Yes, people who are not going to uppdate to 8 on release, will definitely find it prett difficult to install mulitple updates at a time