The five best things about Vista SP2

Microsoft began work on

Microsoft began work on Windows Vista, known at the time by its codename Longhorn, in May 2001 five months domain name before the release of Windows XP. It was originally expected to ship sometime late in 2003 as a minor step between Windows XP and Blackcomb, which was planned to be the company's next major operating system release. Gradually, "Longhorn" assimilated many of the important new features and technologies slated for Blackcomb, resulting in the release date being pushed back several times. Many of Microsoft's developers were also re-tasked to build updates web site design to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 to strengthen security. Faced with ongoing delays and concerns about feature creep, Microsoft announced on August 27, 2004 that it had revised its plans. The original Blackcomb, based on the Windows XP source code, was scrapped, and Longhorn's development started anew, building on the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 codebase, and re-incorporating only the features that would be intended for an actual operating system release. Some previously announced features such as WinFS were dropped or postponed, and a new software development methodology called the Security Development Lifecycle was incorporated in an effort to address concerns with the security of the Windows codebase.After Blackcomb was named Windows Vista in July 2005, an unprecedented beta-test program was started, involving hundreds of thousands of volunteers and companies. In September of that year, Microsoft started releasing regular Community Technology Previews (CTP) to beta testers. The first of these was distributed at the 2005 Microsoft Professional website hosting Developers Conference, and was subsequently released to beta testers and Microsoft Developer Network subscribers. The builds that followed incorporated most of the planned features for the final product, as well as a number of changes to the user interface, based largely on feedback from beta testers. Windows Vista was deemed feature-complete with the release of the "February CTP", released on February 22, 2006, and much of the remainder of work between that build and the final release of the product focused on stability, performance, application and driver compatibility, and documentation. Beta 2, released in late May, was the first build to be made available to the general public through Microsoft's Customer Preview Program. It was downloaded dedicated server by over five million people. Two release candidates followed in September and October, both of which were made available to a large number of users.

It breaks connectivity with

It breaks connectivity with Samba, yet again. I used to be able to log into a samba share, but after installing SP2, I keep getting asked to re-enter the userid and password. Once SP2 is removed, everything is back to the way it was.

Oh, why can't Microsoft share?

The reality for enterprises

Users may not be wild about Vista (duh), but the fact is that for enterprises, it's a vastly superior OS to XP. Way more secure, way easier to deploy and manage, and now it has two service packs under its belt. I've yet to hear anyone identify any specific apps or hardware that won't run under Vista.

Well, it could be worse

At least it isn't BOB.

Say, what service pack is finally going to implement all those gee-whiz features promised back when Vista was called Longhorn?

This is what ticks me off

This is what ticks me off about pundits claiming that Windows 7 is really just Vista SP3. Service Packs are SERVICE packs. They are meant to be major tune-ups, and little more. Vista SP2 is precisely what it should be. Service Packs do not (generally) provide added functionality, new GUIs, new management capabilities or new tools - and are not advertised as such. Maybe it's a bit much to claim that 7 is a whole new OS, in the way that NT was from Windows 95. It certainly shouldn't be regarded as a service pack though. SP2 is a service pack: it provides some additional stability and security with a couple extra bells & whistles thrown in. Windows 7 is not that.

You should change this..

-- patches that have been made to Vista since SP2

I would guess that should be SP1?? :)

Wow

OK, so you start out with a joke, perhaps a slam. Then you end up writing a pretty good synopsis of SP2. Why the hostility people? Where's Preston? Perhaps the memo came down from Redmond, with 7 due RSN, never speak the words Vista again. And Steven's not on the distribution list.