Microsoft issues first Windows Vista service pack


Microsoft Vista screen shotMicrosoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) released the first public service pack for its Windows Vista computer operating system Wednesday amid a lack of fanfare by the tech media. Well, from what I saw, anyway. Microsoft's "service pack" is generally regarded as a collection of bug fixes that address certain problems within the software itself, although Microsoft as always downplayed that angle, maintaining that a service pack is more akin to adding new and exciting features more than anything else.

Why is this significant? Windows Vista, which the world's largest software company hopes will continue turning its cash-flow machine for many years to come, still needs major acceptance from large businesses and non-consumer segments. Windows Vista has not sold at retail at near the level Microsoft had hoped, although almost every new PC comes with at least the "Basic" version of the operating system.


But with the service pack's impending release (SP1, or "Service Pack 1"), that is the tipping point for probably thousands of companies who have said they'd hold off on transitioning to Windows Vista until the first service pack was released.

Well, it's almost here. The SP1 released yesterday for public consumption was the "Release Candidate 1" (or RC1) version of the service pack. After a few more "release candidates" are made public and tested, Microsoft will be ready to release the final service pack and start lobbying all those large, waiting business customers to upgrade. If it gets what it wants, Ol' Softie will see some large-revenue quarters in 2008.

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