Windows Vista SP1 Nearly Here
By Doug Caverly

The corporation that caused 1,000 yawns has delivered all sorts of surprises as of late. First was the whole we-want-to-acquire-Yahoo thing. Now Microsoft is (sort of) releasing Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista.

SP1 has been released to manufacturing, anyway, meaning it'll wind up on brand new computers in the not-too-distant future. But unfortunately for people with "used" computers, SP1's availability is a little ways off, as well.

"In mid-March, we will release Windows Vista SP1 to Windows Update (in English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese) and to the download center on microsoft.com," writes Microsoft's own Mike Nash. He later continues, "In mid-April, we will begin delivering Windows Vista SP1 to Windows Vista customers who have chosen to have updates downloaded automatically."

Microsoft is claiming that this process will ensure a smoother rollout, and there's no reason to believe the company's wrong. Microsoft may have effectively halted sales of Vista until mid-March, however, as people hold out for the latest thing. And current owners have gained nothing by learning of SP1's impending release.

Meh. In any event, we've got to give Microsoft a nod for catching us by surprise once again. Let's hope the surprises continue with SP1 actually making significant improvements to Vista.