Windows Vista Service Pack 1 RC is now available through Windows Update.
Experience the WU based Vista SP1 installation by following 4 simple steps. Windows Vista SP1 RC distributed through Windows Update will be applicable to Windows Vista machines that are running on any of the 36 languages supported by Vista RTM.
Microsoft is giving away copies of Vista Ultimate and Office if you will let the Vole closely monitor how you use the software.
While the more cynical amongst us might think that Vole can’t sell its software and so is giving it away, the deal is part of Microsoft’s Feedback programme.
According to its website, the Feedback Program allows you to connect directly with the Windows product team using your computer.
Click for more on Microsoft Giving Away Vista Ultimate, With a Catch »
Microsoft is to withdraw an anti-piracy tool from Windows Vista, which disables the operating system when invoked, following customer complaints.
The so-called “kill switch” is designed to prevent users with illegal copies of Vista from using certain features.
But the tool has suffered from glitches since it was introduced with many Windows users claiming that legal copies of Vista had been disabled.
Piracy rates are lower because it’s harder
Microsoft said Monday that it’s seeing piracy rates for Windows Vista that are half those of Windows XP.
Now cynical me wanted to write this up as “even pirates prefer XP two to one over Vista,” but that wouldn’t be fair. In reality, the decline in piracy rates is largely due to the fact that Vista is much tougher to fake than XP.
“Piracy rates are lower because it’s harder,” Microsoft Vice President Mike Sievert said in an interview Monday.
Click for more on Microsoft: Vista piracy rate is half that of XP »
A new Vista SP1 beta handed out to beta testers.
Mike Walker: To give you guys a sneak peek at the SP1 build. I just installed Vista SP1 with zero issues. The upgrade process seamless and took approx. an hour. There was only one concern however. My box was waiting for about 20 minutes to shut down. Other than that, all goodness.
I have noticed a huge difference in performance of my machine, it’s like someone injected an espresso into my Vista! This is my first day using so I’ll be sure to check back in to let you guys and gals know how things are going.
Some of these new features that are under the covers that screen shots will not be able to show you:
This update addresses issues with Media Center for Microsoft Vista.
In addition to the fixes that are contained in the updates that are listed in the “Hotfix replacement information” section, the October 2007 Cumulative Update for Media Center for Windows Vista resolves the following issues:
Supported Operating Systems: Windows Vista Home Premium; Windows Vista Ultimate.
Features that make Vista a better experience that aren’t marketed much.
Windows Vista has a lot going for it that most people don’t really hear about. It’s understandable because marketing some of these new features would essentially be tantamount to saying “Oops, XP had some problems”.
Moreover, it is often easy to forget just how big of a release Windows Vista really was. While Leopard claims “300 new features” most of those features are minor in nature (Let’s face it, MacOS X is so good that it’s in the enviable position of only needing to evolve, Windows Vista, by contrast, had to play a lot of catch-up). Windows Vista has closer to 10,000 new features when one adds both major and minor updates to the mix.
WinCustomize has an article outlining 10 examples of minor features that rarely get discussed and yet make a small but noticeable improvement to the Windows experience over Windows XP.
Click for more on Ten Cool Things about Vista you may not have heard of »
Leopard vs. Vista: it’s on.
There no doubt, Vista and Leopard are both extremely advanced, feature rich consumer operating systems. But way back in January when Vista launched knew we had little choice but pit the two in a head to head chartngraph Thunderdome competition.
NOTE: This chart is only for out of box features, and does not take into account 3rd party software.
Click for more on Leopard vs. Vista: feature chart showdown »
Despite underwhelming consumers and being snubbed by enterprises, Windows Vista’s numbers keep growing
Despite underwhelming consumers and being snubbed by enterprises, Windows Vista’s numbers keep growing, with Microsoft Corp. saying Thursday that it has now shipped 88 million copies of the operating system, almost double the number of copies of XP in the same amount of time at its launch.
In late July, Microsoft said it had hit the 60 million shipment mark with Vista.
Click for more on Microsoft: 88 Million Copies of Vista Shipped »
Microsoft releases a new update for Windows Vista that improves the compatibility, reliability, and stability of the OS.
Download for 32bit Windows Vista(link, WGA Free) and 64bit(link, WGA Free)
This update, detailed in KB941969, resolves the following issues in Windows Vista:
Click for more on Windows Update: Vista performance pack and DX9c Nov patch »
