Microsoft Serves Up Vista SP2 Release Candidate
Microsoft has developed Vista SP2 using a "single serviceability model," which means it'll apply to both Vista clients and Windows Server 2008 servers. While Vista SP1 was a comprehensive update that addressed many of the performance- and device-driver compatibility issues that early Vista users faced, Vista SP2 is aimed more at fine-tuning performance.
In a Wednesday blog post, Brandon LeBlanc, a communications manager on the Windows Client Communications Team, said SP2 includes all the updates Microsoft has released since SP1, and support for new types of hardware and emerging standards.
"Specifically, we expect SP2 to continue the security benefits of both products and simplify deployment for our customers," LeBlanc wrote. Microsoft plans to release SP2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 sometime in the second quarter.
SP2 for Vista and Server 2008 also includes Windows Search 4.0, which speeds indexing and query response times; the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack, which includes the technology's most recent specification; and Windows Connect Now, which makes it easier to set up Wi-Fi connections.