Vista SP2: Less than meets the eye

I've put the recent beta of SP2 through its paces, and found that there's less to it than meets the eye. Some of its most notable features aren't new at all, and have been available since July.

As I explain in Microsoft Vista SP2 beta: Nothing obviously new has been added, the beta of SP2 for Vista adds a variety of features and fixes, and rolls up previous hot fixes and security updates.

Among the features of SP2 that Microsoft touts are Windows Connect Now (WCN), designed to simplify Wi-Fi networks setup; and Windows Search 4.0, which improves on Vista's existing search in a number of ways, including searching through other PCs on a network.

But neither of these features are, in fact new. The improvement to Windows Search (Windows Search 4.0) has been available since July via Windows Update. And WCN have been available since July as well, via the Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless. That feature pack was available only to system manufacturers, not users. So it's true that WCN will be available directly to users from Microsoft for the first time. But you may already have WCN if you've bought a Vista PC from a hardware maker that includes the Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless already has WCN and support for Bluetooth 2.1.

This isn't to say, though, that Vista SP2 isn't worthwhile. In fact, it is. In addition to those new features, it also has plenty new under the hood, including security fixes, improved application compatibility, and more.

For now, the beta is a bit rough, so unless you have a need to test it out, I wouldn't recommend downloading it now. But certainly, when the final of SP2 is released, in April, you should download it.