Windows Vista SP1

MicroSoft is making the Release Candidate for Windows Vista Operating System available to the public at the URL link above.

I very recently purchased a new computer which came with Vista, there have been many "gliches" in using this new computer with Vista.

I finished installing the Sevice Pack RC about 6 hours ago and I've found significant improvement in the performance and stability of the system.

My personal tips:
1) The download is approximately 448MB in size so you you might want to consider your download speed when and if you choose to download this RC.
2) The install process can take an hour or more depending on your computer and automatically reboots several times, otherwise it is pretty automated.
3) Note again this is a "Release Candidate," this means that it is beyond the Beta testing stage but may not be the actual final final which is referred to as "Release To Manufacturing."
4) I you consider installing it, keep in mind that when it comes time to install the RTM, the RC will have to be uninstalled first, so the overall process of installing the RTM would take longer than if you waited for SP1 RTM.

As I mentioned, I have found significant improvement in just a few hours, for what that's worth. But CYA.

"I understand that Dell still offers the option of XP or Vista."

This is just an assumption but I think if a large original equipment manufacturer still offers XP then the software must also be available.

Banner ad on the Dell web site:

> Needless to say, Microsoft would not be releasing a Service Pack if service wasn’t needed.

I don’t know how to respond to this. First, the concept that MS would be rational just blows my mind — and then the scattered pieces of brain-stuff are tromped and stomped by the concept that MS might someday, ever, release a product that *didn’t* need a service pack...

"I don’t know how to respond to this. First, the concept that MS would be rational just blows my mind — and then the scattered pieces of brain-stuff are tromped and stomped by the concept that MS might someday, ever, release a product that *didn’t* need a service pack..."

It's clear to me that a lot of people have a lot of negative energy dedicated to MicroSoft and particularly Windows.

I have no energy invested in this subject positive or negative.

I am curious though. If I recall correctly, and I may not (I'm old) I read that Windows 95 consisted of over 11 million lines of code. Would this be considered a very large and complex endeavor in the world of software? Does the Windows OS support more hardware configurations that any other OS? If the answer to those two questions is yes, wouldn't service packs and updates be just inevitable?

I'm not trying to defend MSFT, it just seems to me that this is such an world wide scale effort that a commitment to perfection prior to release would result in no release...

Can you still buy XP?

Through June, 2008 (M$ extended the cut-off).

Be aware that post-Vista hardware will likely not have XP drivers available anywhere, so use pre-Vista hardware.

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