The Minority Report

Update:  *blush* seems I covered this one already…

Oh just release the frakin’ service pack already. Seriously, do we need an announcement for the Alpha, Beta, Release Candidate and Omega?? Just fucking SHIP!!

As you probably know, the Windows Client team has been developing Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, representing our commitment to continuous improvement.

A few of the highlights are:

Hardware and Standards support

* Bluetooth 2.1 feature pack to support the most recent Bluetooth device specifications
* Windows Connect Now (WCN) WiFi configuration
* Enhanced exFAT file system to support correct file synchronization across time zones

Performance, Reliability and Security improvements

* All previously released updates since SP1
* Improved wireless reconnection performance for mobile PCs resuming from hibernation
* Reduced audio and video streaming performance for specific hardware configurations
* Windows Search 4, with improved indexing performance, extended file types, and improved Group Policy integration

Deployment and Support enhancements

* A single installer covers both client PC and servers
* Driver detection that will either block SP2 installation or warn users of functionality loss, whichever is more appropriate
* Improved error handling and more descriptive error messages
* Event logging support for administrators who use quiet-mode installations
* Includes the Service Pack Clean-Up tool to restore hard disk space by removing redundant files from RTM and SP1 Springboard Series – The Resource for Windows Desktop IT Professionals : Announcing the Release Candidate of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

Many of you also manage server infrastructure. If you are testing out Windows Server 2008 R2, here are a few other things you’ll see in this Release Candidate:

* Easier virtualization—Hyper-V RTM is included in the Service Pack
* Reduced power consumption—Windows Server 2008 R2 is up to 10% more power efficient than Windows Server 2008 RTM
* Unified—there is one package for 32 bit and one package for 64 bit that covers both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Springboard Series – The Resource for Windows Desktop IT Professionals : Announcing the Release Candidate of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008