Redmond (WA) – Microsoft will be focusing on promoting Windows 7 next week, but there will also be news around Vista: The second Service Pack (SP2) will be released to a greater, but still “small group Technology Adoption Program customers”, the company announced today. Among the new features are Blu-ray recording capability, a revised search feature as well as Bluetooth 2.1 support.
According to industry sources, Windows 7 is well on track to be delivered in Q3 2009, but before we see this evolutionary change over the current Vista, Microsoft plans on rolling out another Service Pack for its current operating system. Key customers, including hardware vendors, can expect the software to be made available on Wednesday, October 29, Microsoft’s Mike Nash, corporate vice president for Windows Product Management, announced today.
There is no information when consumers will be able to get to download this software as “the final release date for Windows Vista SP2 will be based on quality,” Nash wrote. This Service Pack will apply to Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 versions and wrap improvements for those operating systems into one package.
When it is available, users can expect “previously released fixes focused on addressing specific reliability, performance, and compatibility issues.” In terms of new features, Microsoft promises Windows Search 4.0 “for faster and improved relevancy in searches”, the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack “supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth Technology”, an easier configuration of Wi-Fi connectivity as well as the activation of the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps and a “correct file synchronization across time zones.”
A somewhat surprising feature addition is native recording ability for Blu-ray media. However, Nash did not mention that Vista SP2 will also support playback of Blu-ray media within Microsoft's Windows Media Player.
According to industry sources, Windows 7 is well on track to be delivered in Q3 2009, but before we see this evolutionary change over the current Vista, Microsoft plans on rolling out another Service Pack for its current operating system. Key customers, including hardware vendors, can expect the software to be made available on Wednesday, October 29, Microsoft’s Mike Nash, corporate vice president for Windows Product Management, announced today.
There is no information when consumers will be able to get to download this software as “the final release date for Windows Vista SP2 will be based on quality,” Nash wrote. This Service Pack will apply to Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 versions and wrap improvements for those operating systems into one package.
When it is available, users can expect “previously released fixes focused on addressing specific reliability, performance, and compatibility issues.” In terms of new features, Microsoft promises Windows Search 4.0 “for faster and improved relevancy in searches”, the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack “supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth Technology”, an easier configuration of Wi-Fi connectivity as well as the activation of the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps and a “correct file synchronization across time zones.”
A somewhat surprising feature addition is native recording ability for Blu-ray media. However, Nash did not mention that Vista SP2 will also support playback of Blu-ray media within Microsoft's Windows Media Player.