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.
One small catch is that Microsoft will not offer the update to a small subset of Vista PCs that have been found to have "problematic" device drivers. Those drivers, Microsoft says, were not installed properly initially and when Vista SP1 is installed OS problems ensue. For those systems, "if Windows Update determines that the system has one of the drivers we know to be problematic, then Windows Update will not offer SP1," according to the Windows Vista Team Blog.
No word on how many systems are impacted by this driver flaw. Microsoft says the fix for those systems is to reinstall the driver in question, however does not indicate what software program(s) create the driver problem.
Also over at the team blog, Mike Nash of the Windows Product Management group gets further into everything SP1 is looking to fix, including software compatibility and security. Many of the updates were made as requested by the consumers with the Customer Experience Improvement Program, Online Crash Analysis, and Windows Error Reporting.
Feb 4, 2008
Vista SP1 is Complete, Update Available in March
Microsoft's Yahoo Bid is Really About Biz Apps
At first blush, Microsoft 's proposed acquisition of Yahoo for $46.6 billion is about growing its consumer advertising and portal business to better compete wit Google. And that's certainly part of the mix, but perhaps lost in the discussion is how such an acquisition could help Microsoft execute its software-plus-services strategy for delivering business apps over the Internet faster and better, said several analysts. That strategy could help Microsoft compete with Google's own business-apps initiative, they said.
"Yahoo has very efficient datacenters, as does Microsoft," noted Rob Koplowitz, a Forrester Research analyst. By combining their datacenters -- and, more important, their engineering talent -- Microsoft should be able to move faster and more efficiently on delivering business apps over the Internet, something that Microsoft has done at a fairly slow pace so far. "Yahoo's engineers can help," he noted, "And you know that there'll be engineers who are freed up" after the acquisition, should it go through.
Google Apps Threat
"Although Google Applications have yet to make a real dent in the Microsoft Office giant, they do pose a long-term threat," said David Mitchell, a senior IT researcher at the consultancy Ovum. "As a defense against this position, Microsoft needs to accelerate its own move into online services. The online engineering capabilities that Yahoo has will undoubtedly offer Microsoft the potential to bring new services to market" and will help Microsoft stay competitive.
Koplowitz said he does not believe Microsoft is trying to buy specific technology from Yahoo to fill a hole needed to compete against Google's business offerings. Microsoft wants more talent and capacity to follow its existing strategy, he said. Google's approach is to offer pure Web-based apps, which he noted are more mature than Microsoft's Web-delivered apps. Microsoft's approach is to extend its 450 million Office desktop seats through additional software delivered via the Internet. The strategies have some overlap, but because they are different, Koplowitz expects Microsoft and Google to take different technology paths rather than try to copy each other.
Microsoft's acquisition of Yahoo would also bolster the company in another area where it has fallen behind Google: search, said Charlene Yi, a Forrester analyst. "Microsoft is interested in search because it provides a beachhead into businesses -- especially small and medium-sized ones that don't have a direct relationship with Microsoft," she said, as businesses typically buy Office software from retailers and resellers. Google is using search to forge those direct relationships and then offer business apps that compete with Microsoft's plans.
Sony VAIO NR160E/T
Sony’s NR notebooks are designed to be affordable, fashionable, and decent all-around PCs that aren’t bottom of the barrel nor top-of-the-line. Think “midrange notebook” with a fancy shell. They are available in three different colors, have a unique textured surface, and are middle-of-the-road in terms of specs and performance. Though we like the aesthetic the NR’s a bit sluggish and has a ton of bloatware (pre-loaded software that eats up precious resources). Though it would be semi-easy to remedy these two negatives, out of the box the NR is a smidge disappointing.
“...this is a notebook for the family, not enthusiasts or business travelers..”
Processor Brand Intel
Processor Class Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed 1.5 GHz
Mobile Technology Intel Centrino Duo
Installed Memory 1 GB
Maximum Memory 2 GB
Memory Technology DDR II SDRAM
Cache Size 2 MB
Storage Hard Drive Capacity 160 GB
Included Drives DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM
CD Write Speed 24 X
CD Rewrite Speed 24 X
CD Read Speed 24 X
DVD Read Speed 8 X
DVD Write Speed 8x (DVD±R), 4x (DVD±R DL)
Display and Graphics Display Size 15.4 in
Display Type TFT active matrix
Graphics Processor Intel GMA X3100
Resolution 1280 x 800 pixels
Battery Battery Life 4.5 hour(s)
Battery Type Lithium ion
Communications and Networking Modem Speed 56 Kbps
Network Support Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g
Software Operating System Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
Connectors Interface Provided S-Video, VGA, Phone line, Ethernet
Warranty Warranty Information 1 year warranty
Base Warranty 1 year warranty
General Product Info Input Devices Keyboard, Touchpad
Included Sound Card Sound card
Chassis Color Wenge brown
Weight 6.2 lbs
