Vista SP1 Shipping This Week

Reports are now suggesting that Microsoft's highly-anticipated series of updates for Windows Vista, called Service Pack 1 (SP1), will be available for download and shipping, today and tomorrow, respectively. The news keeps with previous estimates that the company would be releasing a series of fixes by the middle of March.

First word of the release comes to us via Amazon.com, whose web site recently revealed that users can begin downloading the free SP1 upgrade Tuesday. By Wednesday, Amazon will begin shipping boxed copies of Windows SP1. Preorders can be made now.

In a statement sent to the media via email, Microsoft acknowledged that the update is the one previously set for mid-March. Although the company refused to confirm Amazon's date, it did admit that the site was posting the correct download. (Source: informationweek.com)

One thing is for certain: Microsoft expects this major update to solve some major problems with Vista. The operating system has struggled with reliability, security, and overall performance issues since it was first shipped early last year. The Redmond-based company promises that many of the earlier issues -- including compatibility with various hardware devices and software -- will be fixed next week.

And yet, there remain a number of popular programs on Vista's "no go" list. A number of popular applications, including BitDefender's Antivirus and Internet Security Version 10 and the Zone Alarm Security Suite remain unsupported for "reliability reasons." (Source: lockergnome.com)

Although there are a few programs that will visibly fall in performance, we're told by early testers that the improvements made to a number of processes -- including copying files over a network and playing video games previously unsupported -- make it worth the while to update.