In response to a question about Windows Vista, Gates, speaking before the Inter-American Development Bank here, said: “Sometime in the next year or so we will have a new version.” Referring to Windows 7, the code name for the next full release of Windows client software, Gates said: “I’m super-enthused about what it will do in lots of ways.”
In a decision that highlights Windows Vista’s hefty system requirements, Microsoft said Thursday that it would allow computer makers to continue to sell the older Windows XP operating system on “ultra low-cost PCs” for an extended period.
Microsoft said it would allow system vendors to preload the Home edition of Windows XP on ULCPCs through June 2010, or one year after the next version of Windows becomes generally available.
Microsoft defines ULCPCs as, among other things, systems that use discount-line processors and lack a separate graphics card. An example of such as system is the Asus Eee PC, which runs Windows XP or Linux and sells for less than $400.
Such low-spec machines would be incapable of running Vista…
Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday posted a major package of updates and security fixes for Windows Vista.
The world’s largest software maker said “Service Pack 1″ will improve Vista’s reliability, security and performance, though many components already have been released during monthly updates since the operating system went on sale just over a year ago.
Industry analysts offered mixed reports on whether the updates make their Vista experience better.
Michael Cherry, of the research group Directions on Microsoft, said the time it took to copy files over a network “returned to normal” with SP1 — meaning the operation felt as speedy as it did using Windows XP, Vista’s predecessor.
But he said one thing SP1 didn’t fix was his ability to wake his PC from sleep mode, which he described as “a hit or miss affair.”
In an effort to get consumers to upgrade their older computers to its newest operating system, Microsoft said Friday that it plans to cut the prices of packaged versions of Windows Vista by as much as nearly 50% in some countries.
Effective with release of the boxed edition of Vista Service Pack 1, expected to be available at stores within the next several weeks, the price for a full, retail copy of Windows Vista Ultimate in the U.S. has been reduced 20% to $320 from $400. The upgrade version of Ultimate has been cut to $220 from $260. The full version of Vista Home Premium falls 19% to $130 from $160, according to Microsoft.
Computer users in Europe and emerging markets will see even bigger price cuts. In the U.K., the price for the full version of Vista Home Premium drops 44% to 131.92 pounds from 233.60 pounds. The list price for Home Premium in South Africa will fall 41% to about Rand 1700.
Microsoft said Vista price cuts in emerging markets — where the company faces the most competition from open source software — will be as high as 48% in some countries…
Microsoft has published a list of programs that will not work or that will suffer from reduced functionality after the installation of Vista Service Pack 1.
The list of programs consists mostly of security applications, such as Trend Micro Internet Security 2008. However, programs such as The New York Times Reader application also feature on the list. Users are advised to install updates from the application vendor to fix the problem.
“Windows Vista Service Pack 1 contains many security, reliability, and feature updates for Windows Vista,” the company said. “A program may experience a loss of functionality after you install Windows Vista SP1. However, most programs will continue to work as expected after you install Windows Vista SP1.”
Over the past few days I posted two sets of benchmarks comparing Windows Vista RTM with Vista SP1 (first post here, second here). These posts generated a lot of feedback, and from reading this feedback it’s clear that what many people are really interested in is not the performance differences between Vista RTM and Vista SP1, but between Vista SP1 and XP SP2.
A few days ago I posted in reply to several TalkBack comments that I wouldn’t carry out these tests until XP SP3 is released. There didn’t seem any point. That didn’t satisfy the crowds who wanted to see Vista SP1 and XP SP2 go head to head. So, to cut a long story short, the pestering continued and I eventually gave in. So what follows are the fruits of nearly two whole days of work at the PC Doc HQ (the test was hampered by the death of a motherboard, something which rendered hours of work obsolete).
How does Windows Vista SP1 compare to Windows XP SP2? Read on …
It seems like it was a busy month at Microsoft’s headquarter and now the IT administrator will have some work to do. Today the software company released 11 patches to fix 17 security vulnerabilities in all the Microsoft’s major applications from Windows (including Windows Vista) to Visual Basic and Internet Explores.
Microsoft rated six of the eleven updates as “critical” which means they fix a vulnerability that could be remotely exploited.
Windows Vista Service Pack One is ready to ship, Microsoft says. PC manufacturers and consumers can expect the update in March. Microsoft has said that SP1 includes Vista OS improvements including reliability, security and performance. For a first look at those improvements read PC World’s review of beta SP1.
Unlike some of the reports and speculation from last week, Vista SP1 is not officially available today. Microsoft said that it will be available to new volume licensing customers beginning March 1. Existing Vista consumers will have to wait until mid-March, Microsoft says, when the download becomes available through Microsoft’s Windows Update Web site. Windows Vista users who have their systems configured to receive automatic updates will get SP1 automatically delivered in mid-April, Microsoft says…
Windows Vista users now have a way to cut down the operating system’s famously large installation footprint with a free software tool.
Developer Dino Nuhagic released version 1.1 of vLite last week. The configuration utility is designed to remove Vista components such as Windows Media Player, Windows Mail, Windows Photo Viewer, Wallpapers and other utilities before installation, creating a new installable image.
The utility can also integrate other components such as hotfixes, drivers and language packs into the new image and has an unattended install function, Nuhagic said…
The Windows Vista Security Guide provides guidance and tools to further protect Windows Vista against real-live threats such as malware and information theft. This solution accelerator recommends the Enterprise Client (EC) configuration for organizations of all types. Only in extreme security situations does the guide recommend the Specialized Security – Limited Functionality (SSLF) configuration, which considerably limits client computer functionality. The Solution Accelerator includes recommendations about how to use new and enhanced security technologies in Windows Vista to better defend the client computers in your organization against malware. The guide also provides recommendations and best practices on how to use encryption and access control technologies in Windows Vista to protect corporate data. Application compatibility testing recommendations are included.
Free Windows Vista/XP themes, icons, screensavers and wallpapers available to give your pc the most unique look available. We pick only the best resouces in each category for inclusion. If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to email me.
