In an update to the official Windows 7 developer blog, Microsoft has put an end to recent speculation regarding the state of Windows Vista’s second service pack to date.
Microsoft blogger and employee Mike Nash cited Microsoft’s continued commitment to improving Windows in the announcement. “We are committed to continually improving Windows, and we’ve been getting some questions about the timing of the next service pack for Windows Vista,” he said. As a result of that commitment, Microsoft has outlined the first stage of a release schedule which starts with an October 29 deployment of the fresh beta to select Technology Adoption Program participants. Nash also revealed that Microsoft’s timetable for the final iteration of the new service pack will depend on both feedback and polish. “The final release date for Windows Vista SP2 will be based on quality,” he said.
Nash was quick to ease concerns about a repeat of the several incompatability issues that plagued Vista’s first service pack. “We expect Windows Vista SP2 will retain compatibility with applications that run on Windows Vista and Windows Vista SP1 and are written using public APIs,” he said. He also pointed to a “single serviceability model” which is intended to reduce deployment complexity by covering both Windows Vista and Windows 2008 with a single update.
In traditional fashion, the new service pack will contain the updates previously provided by SP1 in addition to subsequent fixes. Nash also outlined some new features that are expected to debut in the final version of SP2:
- Windows Vista SP2 adds Windows Search 4.0 for faster and improved relevancy in searches.
- Windows Vista SP2 contains the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth Technology.
- Ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista.
- Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify Wi-Fi Configuration.
- Windows Vista SP2 enables the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones.
Nash and Microsoft encouraged users not to hold off on the deployment of Vista’s current service pack while waiting for SP2. “While we will recommend SP2 when it ships, your best bet today is Windows Vista SP1,” he said.
In closing, Nash promised that additional details and future updates to the newly-minted service pack will be released directly to the Windows 7 development blog.
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