Vista SP1 is people-ready-ish (and squirrel-scale)

It's IT Blogwatch: in which Vista SP1 is finally here... mostly. Not to mention what dads do with their kids' action figures...

Gregg Keizer updates us: [You're fired -Ed.]

As expected, Microsoft Corp. released Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) to Windows Update today, making it available to most, though not all, users. It also posted a much larger stand-alone installation package to its download site this morning. The installers weigh in at 434MB for the 32-bit version and 726MB for the 64-bit edition ... According to earlier announcements, Microsoft plans to roll out SP1 in mid-April to users who have Windows Update set to automatically download and install fixes. more

Emil Protalinski is easy for you to say:

Microsoft has finally dropped SP1 on the masses. SP1 rolls together 23 security updates and 550 hotfixes ... There's a lot riding on the release; Microsoft is quite aware of the rule of thumb many businesses have for a new OS release: don't deploy until the first service pack is available ... If they haven't already, Vista users need to first install three prerequisite updates ... [But] even before it was released, Microsoft had to pull a prerequisite update due to an infinite reboot loop a handful of users were seeing. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning of problems that small groups of users will probably experience ... please don't forget to make a backup. more

Microsoft's Nick White beams with pride:

For those of you eager to receive the benefits of Windows Vista SP1 - you can now do so! ... If in running Windows Update you do not see Windows Vista SP1 listed, there are a number of good reasons for this ... a few of the most common ... You have a pre-release version of SP1 and need to uninstall ... You already have it ... [there's] drivers that we know may be problematic when updating to SP1 and will not offer the service pack until an update has been installed ... most ... problematic ... drivers already have updated versions on Windows Update and are available for download now as optional updates. In a few weeks, we'll start to deliver these updated drivers to PCs automatically. more

Paul Thurrott makes the inevitable Seinfeld soup joke:

The list includes certain versions of five audio drivers (RealTek AC'97, two versions of SigmaTel, Creative Audigy, and Conexant HD Audio), two biometric fingerprint sensors (AuthenTec and UPEK), Intel Display, a Texas Instruments Smart Card Controller, the Sierra Wireless AirCard 580 with the Watcher.exe application, and the Symantec software driver for the Symantec Endpoint Protection and Symantec Network Access Control clients ... there are other, non-driver-related reasons why you might not see SP1 on WU. For example, if you're using a language version that isn't supported in the initial wave of five language versions, you won't see SP1 until mid-April at the earliest ... There are a few other less likely causes as well. Check the Microsoft Knowledge Base for details. more

Preston Gralla puts the needle on the record:

SP1 is really a glorified set of patches rolled into one. It leaves just about all of the operating system's features intact and targets performance, reliability and security ... When you first install SP1, your PC may actually seem to slow down. That's because all of your SuperFetch information is cleared from your system. Over time, as SuperFetch begins to work, speed should improve ... tests show that Vista SP1 can be as much as 20% slower than pre-SP1 when it comes to copying files ... SP1 also causes problems on my home network. more

Gavin Clarke raises an eyebrow:

A number of security products won't start up or run on updated desktops thanks to "compatibility problems". Among those affected are BitDefender AV or Internet Security, Fujitsu Shock Sensor and Zone Alarm Security Suite. Meanwhile, other products will experience "loss of functionality" once you've installed SP1, Microsoft said. more

Michael Santo urges caution:

For those of you who recall the problems some users had with one of the prerequisite updates (the Servicing Stack Update, KB937287), Microsoft believes they have pretty much resolved the issue ... [but] my advice is to back up your system before installing this update. If you don’t have access to a backup or disk imaging program, I’d suggest you wait to see some feedback from end users before installing this. There’s no reason to rush into an update this large. more

Meanwhile, Mr. Keizer also brings us this:

Apple Inc. Tuesday issued a record-breaking security update that patched nearly 90 vulnerabilities in both its own code and the third-party applications it bundles with its Tiger and Leopard operating systems ... Earlier today, Apple [also] updated its Safari browser for both Mac and Windows, patching 13 vulnerabilities ... Security Update 2008-002 can be downloaded manually from the Apple site, or installed using Mac OS X's integrated update service. Depending on the version, the update runs between 50MB and 108MB in size. more

And finally...

• What dads do with their kids' action figures

Buffer overflow:

• Long Zheng: Why Windows Me deserves more respect
• Bruce Eckel: Math and the Current State of Coarse-Grained Parallelism in Python
• Mike Masnick: E-Voting Firm Threatens Ed Felten If He Reviews Its E-Voting Machine
• Network Security: Hannaford Brothers hacked, but there’s a silver lining
• Machinist: Why Apple fans hate tech reporters
• Benjamin Yoskovitz: 6 Tips for Hiring Top Talent at Startups | CenterNetworks

Other Computerworld bloggers:

• Preston Gralla: Lawyers: Microsoft may launch Windows 7 'junk PC' scheme
• Valerie Potter: A treasure trove of online tax help
• Robert L. Mitchell: Hannafords: There's No Excuse
• David Haskin: Nintendo and the cult of the deniers
• Mitch Betts: iPhone, iTouch: Soldiers in the browser wars
• Mark Hall: Know where application rights can go wrong
• Douglas Schweitzer: The botnet bottleneck
• Shark Tank: Honest, that's easier than talking to her
• Shark Bait: He riveted the case shut!

Richi Jennings is an independent analyst/adviser/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and spam. A 20 year, cross-functional IT veteran, he is also an analyst at Ferris Research. You too can pretend to be Richi's friend on Facebook, or just use boring old email: blogwatch@richi.co.uk.

Previously in IT Blogwatch:

• More Microsoft antitrust angst: now Novell (and improv++)
• WiMAX and satellite: unhappy together? (and Danny Bork)
• AOL buys British with Bebo (and pursuing trivia)