Rush Testing Is Under Way for MicrosoftÂs New System
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Microsoft rushed what may be the final test version of its Windows Vista operating system to more than a million testers, trying to meet deadlines for its long-delayed release.
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Microsoft Corp. has launched a new entry in its ongoing effort to bring more innovative PC form factors to marketâin the somewhat quirky form of a high-end system specialized for project managers.
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Microsoft confirmed Thursday that its invite-only group of about 15,000 testers has had the final version of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) for the past two weeks.Other Vista users, however, will have to wait until March to obtain a legal copy of the release-to-manufacturing (RTM) version of Vista SP1, the company reiterated.According to a Microsoft spokeswoman, the build designated Vista SP1 RC Refresh 2, which was seeded to testers on Jan. 24, is identical to&#160;the code that company developers shipped&#160;out the door on Monday as RTM.&quot;In final stages of a product, Microsoft likes to get as much validation as possible before releasing,&quot; the spokeswoman said in an e-mail. &quot;The release candidate ended up being a high enough quality to be approved to release to manufacturing.&quot;The shift in nomenclature, but not bits, is common. Eventually, a vendor must approve a build as &quot;gold code,&quot; at which point that edition becomes the shipping version. Last November, for example, Apple Inc. issued a test build of Mac OS X 10.5.1 to developers one day, then called it good to go and posted it for download the next.However, users who weren&#39;t part of the SP1 testing group must wait until March to get their hands on the update, the spokeswoman repeated today. In five to six weeks -- mid-March according to Microsoft -- the service pack will be offered via Windows Update as a 65MB optional update and posted to Download Center as a 450MB stand-alone installer that supports five languages. A month later, in mid-April, Windows Update will automatically download and install SP1 on Vista-equipped PCs whose users have set Automatic Updates to do hands-off updating.Subscribers to the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) and TechNet will get a slight jump on the general public. &quot;In early March, MSDN and TechNet subscribers will be able to get the &#39;Windows Vista with SP1&#39; full DVD,&quot; the same spokeswoman said in another e-mail. The updated operating system will be offered to MSDN and TechNet subscribers through their respective download centers.Microsoft is holding SP1 so that it can identify device drivers that won&#39;t reinstall -- as they must -- during the service pack update process. On Monday morning, Mike Nash, vice president of Windows product management, said that while SP1 had met the RTM criteria, it would not be available for several weeks because of the&#160;driver problems.That generated a firestorm of criticism from users, who vented by posting over 200 comments to Nash&#39;s announcement, calling the decision &quot;stupid&quot; and &quot;one of the all-time worst moves&quot; by Microsoft.Judging by the tone of nearly 120 comments left on Microsoft&#39;s official TechNet blog, IT professionals and developers are even angrier. The subscribers called the withholding of SP1 &quot;boneheaded&quot; and a &quot;slap in the face,&quot; or dubbed it &quot;the Vista SP1 RTM Debacle.&quot; Others questioned the value of their TechNet subscriptions, admitted that they had had to download a pirated copy using BitTorrent so that they could start testing, and said they would postpone Vista deployments for months because of the delay.Several wondered why reviewers in the press had the finished bits before they did.But a commenter identified only as Joe put it most succinctly: &quot;This is the lamest decision since Microsoft Bob. I get this the same time as my mom?&quot;The backlash may have gotten through to Microsoft. On Monday night, Kathy Dixon, the TechNet Plus team member who normally writes the blog, said that she was looking into the possibility of moving up the availability date of SP1. But as of Thursday night, she had no solution for users. &quot;I have escalated this and am continuing to push internally for a solution ASAP,&quot; Dixon wrote around 8 p.m. EST. &quot;Please hang in there, I should have something more specific soon.&quot;Computerworld is an InfoWorld affiliate.
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Microsoft Corp  said on Thursday  that it has begun public trials of virtualization software that  will compete head-on with programs from VMware Inc ,  saying the tests were starting ahead of schedule.
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Today, the Redmond company is unveiling the first widespread preview of its new MSN Search technology, a key part of its effort to regain ground in a critical area where Microsoft concedes that it has fallen behind.
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It seems that Microsoft&#39;s new upgrade to Windows is making some people nervous. That&#39;s not surprising, as home and office computing environments are just not as friendly as they used to be due to viruses and spyware. Even the software we ...
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Software maker has its eye on consumers who might be ready to make the switch from Windows.
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Although the next version of Windows is still about two years from release, Microsoft on Friday offered developers an early look at the new graphics engine that will accompany it.
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Microsoft Corp. has released the latest preview versions of two members of its System Center 2007 family of management software.
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Get a closer look at some of the new features in Vista Service Pack 1.
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Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O said on Tuesday   that is has begun widespread testing of Windows Vista, the   long-awaited new version of the operating system that sits on   more than 90 percent of the world's PCs.
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Company says more than 5 million people will test a near-final version of the oft-delayed operating system.
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Microsoft has opened up testing of its Windows Live OneCare Family Safety parental control service to U.S. users.
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A major component of Microsoft Corp.&#39;s Application Lifecycle Management platform, Visual Studio 2005 Team System is today expected to reach beta.
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A small group of testers is now putting Windows Vista Service Pack 1 through its paces.
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Microsoft on Friday released a new preview of the presentation subsystem of its upcoming Longhorn version of Windows. The Redmond, Wash.
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Microsoft enters the home stretch for completion of its next-generation OS.