Microsoft has finally released pre-beta versions of Windows XP service pack 3 and Windows Vista service pack 1 to a select group of testers.
Windows Vista suffers from several issues with ReadyBoost, copying/moving large files, resuming from sleep/hibernate and Blu-ray playback on numerous systems. Microsoft solved a number of these problems through 938979 Vista Performance and Reliability Pack and 938194 Vista Compatibility and Reliability Pack.
Windows Vista SP1 (build 6001.16549) is distributed as a 3.07GB iso image for the 32-bit version and 4.3GB for the 64-bit version, while Windows XP SP3 (Build 5.1.2600.3180) is distributed as a 350MB update which supposedly fixes over 900 issues with the popular operating system.
Microsoft has told select testers that the public beta Windows Vista SP1 will be available within few weeks, but -they they added- it won't be needed since Microsoft has been rolling out fixes and updates regularly via Windows Update. Microsoft also told selected testers earlier this summer that, if testing went smoothly, the final Vista SP1 would be out in November 2007.
Microsoft's tight lips regarding the next Windows XP Service Pack have led many analysts to believe that Microsoft is planning to cancel it, but Microsoft has finally dated it.
However, even when announcing the date Microsoft kept it vague. All we know for now is that Service pack 3 along with Windows Server 2008 will be released within the next 7 months and that they will both support for interoperability between Microsoft's Network Address Protection (NAP) and Juniper Network's Unified Access Control (UAC) standards for network access control (NAC) deployments.
The complete Service Pack 3 features set (and the reasons why you should install it) are yet to be announced.
