April 29th, 2008
New test releases out of Microsoft virtualization, mid-size Windows wares
Microsoft is rolling out new beta builds of various virtualization, management and mid-size server wares.
System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008: On April 29, Microsoft delivered a public beta of System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 (creatively code-named “Virtual Machine Manager vNext”). The new SCVMM release will allow admins to centrally manage their physical and virtual assets from a single application. Virtual assets which will be manageable by the new release include Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V (which is still in beta); Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 and/or VMware ESX Server, according to Microsoft.
System Center Operations Manager 2007 Cross Platform Extensions: Also on April 29, Microsoft unveiled a public beta of System Center Operation Manager 2007 Cross Platform Extensions. Microsoft is providing “out-of-the-box support) for some platforms (like HP-UX, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Novell’s SuSE Enterprise Linux and Sun Solaris) and is relying on third-party providers to do management packs for other platforms (like Apache’s wares, MySQL and Oracle).
System Center Operations Manager 2007 Connectors: A beta of the updated System Center Ops Manager 2007 Connectors went out on April 29. These connectors are for exchanging System Center monitoring data with third-party management wares, like HP OpenView and IBM Tivoli Enterprise Console, Microsoft officials said.
All three of these betas are available via Microsoft’s Connect test site, according to the company.
Meanwhile, on the Windows Server front, Microsoft hit last week the Release Candidate (RC) 0 milestone of its Windows Essential Business Server (”Centro” mid-market server) product, according to testers, who requested anonymity.
Microsoft officials said earlier this year to expect Centro and “Cougar” (its small-business complement) to go to public beta some time in the first half of this year and both launch together in the second half of 2008.
The private test version of Essential Business Server includes a management server, security server, messaging server and schema-upgrade tool. It is available to pre-selected testers only on the Microsoft Connect test site.
April 29th, 2008
XP SP3 not generally available yet, after all
Microsoft has decided not to release Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3 to Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center as planned on April 29. The reason? A last-minute compatibility issue with a Microsoft application — Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS).
Here’s the latest from a company spokesperson:
“I wanted to update you on today’s planned release to web (RTW) (of XP SP3). In the last few days, we have uncovered a compatibility issue between Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) and Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1).
“In order to make sure customers have the best possible experience we have decided to delay releasing Windows XP SP3 to Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center.
“To help protect our customers, we plan to put filtering in place shortly to prevent Windows Update from offering both service packs to systems running Microsoft Dynamics RMS. Once filtering is in place, we expect to release Windows XP SP3 to Windows Update and Download Center.
“Until we have published a fix for this issue, we advise Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers to not install either service pack. Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers running Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1 should contact Microsoft Customer Support Services for additional information.
“The fix is currently in testing and will be available as soon as that process is complete.”
That’s all we know so far. No new date as to when Microsoft will release XP SP3 to the Web. Microsoft released to manufacturing XP SP3 last week — and after outcry for its paying TechNet and Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) subscribers — released the update to them shortly thereafter.
Update No. 1: One reader noted that he downloaded SP3 today via a direct link to the executable (which my ZDNet blogging colleague Adrian Kingsley-Hughes pointed to earlier today). A Microsoft spokeswoman said the company is advising users against doing this. The official response:
“Customers should not download Microsoft software from links posted on non-Microsoft websites, when those links point directly to the executable as is the case here. Customers should always download from a page on Microsoft.com that provides all relevant download details, installation instructions, and release notes. In this particular case, it’s possible that some 3rd party websites are linking to the Windows XP SP3 software that we have published for MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Since we cannot confirm the source of every link that 3rd parties provide, out recommendation is that customers wait until we’ve published Windows XP SP3 to Windows Update and the Download Center.”
I have to admit: I’m somewhat surprised Microsoft decided to delay the release of SP3 for RMS. RMS is a retail-chain-management app for small/midsize users. I know very few customers who are using it.
Update No. 2: As a result of this RMS glitch, Microsoft also is temporarily halting the Automatic Download of Vista SP1, as it is affected, as well. But Microsoft is not pulling Vista SP1 from the Download Center or Windows Update.
From a Microsoft spokeswoman:
“Microsoft is temporarily holding any additional automatic distribution of Windows Vista SP1. However, they continue to offer Windows Vista SP1 via Windows Update for interactive installation. While we are recommending that customers running Microsoft Dynamics RMS should not install SP1, there are many other customers who can benefit from installing Windows Vista SP1 immediately, so we are maintaining availability via WU.”
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has temporarily halted distribution of Vista SP1 via Automatic Updates; it did so earlier this year when a pre-requisite for the service pack resulted in problems for some Vista users.
April 29th, 2008
Microsoft’s competitor to Adobe LightRoom gets another champion
What’s Microsoft want with Adobe Photoshop guru Mark Hamburg, who recently joined the Redmond juggernaut?
Hamburg a programmer who has been part of the Adobe Photoshop team since version 2.0 and helped lead the Photoshop Lightroom one, is now a Softie, as News.com’s Stephen Shankland reported on April 28.
The official word from Microsoft is Hamburg will be working on unnamed “user experience” efforts. My bet is Hamburg will be instrumental in helping Microsoft bring to market its Photoshop Lightroom competitor, which is codenamed “SmartFlow.”
Microsoft has been going head-to-head with Adobe in the tools space with its Expression family of products. At the same time, Microsoft has been putting more and more effort into the photography realm — especially around its JPEG XR format.
But the Redmondians have said nothing publicly about SmartFlow. Sources told me earlier this year that SmartFlow is meant to be a head-to-head competitor with PhotoShop LightRoom post-production software for professional photographers.
Late last week, Mark Evening, editor-in-chief of Lightroom-News.com, posted to that site:
“I don’t think one can downplay the significance of Mark’s departure because the contribution he made to the development of Photoshop and Lightroom has certainly been enormous and it goes without saying that his presence will be missed at Adobe.
“On the other hand, with Lightroom 2.0 now at public beta much of the groundwork on Lightroom has already been accomplished (especially on the non-destructive image processing side) and he leaves at a time where the Lightroom team has expanded from a team of one (Mark) to now include over fifty talented individuals who have all successfully guided Lightroom from concept to finished product.”
Anyone hearing anything on when SmartFlow might come to market?
April 28th, 2008
Another reason Microsoft should give up on Yahoo: Morale
Companies (at least publicly traded ones) are beholden to shareholders. But they also are beholden to their employees. And while most Softies are afraid to state for the record that they think Microsoft should abandon its takeover of Yahoo, that opinion is a real and prevailing sentiment among many in the Microsoft ranks.
These aren’t folks who are saying Microsoft should walk away from Yahoo so that Yahoo’s stock price will tank and Microsoft can swoop in and buy them later. They are folks who are opposed to a Microsoft takeover of Yahoo at any price. And while it’s tough to take over successfully a company where many of the employees don’t want to work for you, it’s potentially far worse to alienate your own employees by spending billions to buy technology and people with whom your rank and file have no interest in working.
The Wall Street Journal is hearing dissent among the Microsoft management ranks about the Yahoo merger:
“Still, Mr. Ballmer faces opposition to the deal in his own ranks: Executives at several Microsoft divisions oppose the bid on grounds it will divert needed resources and attention from other challenges the company faces, said people familiar with the company. That sentiment is heightened as Microsoft heads into its annual budgeting season, said people familiar with the company.”
I’m hearing it, too, among some of the Microsoft rank and file. Of course, no one wants to be on the record opposing a deal championed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Platforms & Services Chief Kevin Johnson and Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell; that would be career suicide. But here’s one take from an insider who asked to remain anonymous:
“‘Yahoo is a great thing for the search team’” is the BS line that upper management apparently continues to send. Generally, people just accept it as likely coming, but a lot don’t expect it to impact anything materially for at least a year. Think the EU is going to let this go easily, if at all? It will take forever in regulatory approvals.”
Another anonymous vote of no confidence:
“No one wants it (the Microsoft-Yahoo merger) to happen. The only reason it’s being considered is that the management of Windows Live has been so ineffective that they can’t ship anything worth using. They are consistently behind what consumers want, and unlike the old Microsoft, they are so poorly managed that they can’t even copy everyone else. “
Are Softies fighting the Yahoo merger because they fear they might lose their jobs? Doubtful, as there are many open slots in Microsoft’s online services business right now. If anyone is at risk of being cut, it’s more likely the Yahoos.
That said, not everyone at Microsoft is anti-MicroHoo. Some Microsoft folks are counting on moving to Yahoo if the deal is consumated. As one commentor (who may or may not actually work for Microsoft) noted in a recent post to the Mini-Microsoft blog:
“To the question on why Microsoft employees in the valley like the Yahoo deal:
Most of us work either in the TV division or MSN — both of which are complete f-ing disasters. Microsoft should have lit off a neutron bomb here a long time ago — but that would require management skills.
“I work in the TV division (completely f–ked up with evil and corrupt management and 11 YEARS of red ink), and I for one will be shifting to a Yahoo group on day 1 after the acquisition.
“I know that at least 10 of my work friends have the same plan. It is our escape plan if something in the valley doesn’t look more interesting first.
“Therefore, we like the deal.”
There’s been lots of back and forth about Microsoft and Ballmer being at risk of “losing face” if Microsoft gives up on its Yahoo acquisition plan. I feel as though there’s nothing embarrassing about admitting your original idea was ill-advised, and after three months, you’ve realized you could better spend your billions elsewhere.
In fact, if I were Microsoft, I’d be using a good part of that $40-odd billion to hire a SWAT team to help Windows Vista. I’m not talking about hiring more developers; I’m talking about finding folks who could creatively find a way to market downgrades to XP as a selling point. Microsoft should be far more worried about its Vista image problem than about outsmarting Yahoo, at this point.
Remember: Windows still generates one-third of Microsoft’s sales and two-thirds of its profits. Online Services is still a black hole. If Microsoft’s cash cows dry up prematurely, there won’t be any services future for the company to worry about.
April 28th, 2008
Microsoft internal memo details Windows 7-Windows Live ties
In January, I mentioned an internal Microsoft memo I had seen which provided details of how Microsoft plans to more tightly integrate its Windows 7 operating system with Windows Live services. Today, I’m providing the text of that memo in full, as part of the launch of my book Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft Plans to Stay Relevant in the Post-Gates Era.
The memo — an internal planning document for what Microsoft calls “Windows Live Wave 3″ — dates back to August 2007. In it, Chris Jones, Corporate Vice President of Windows Live Experience; David Treadwell, Corporate Vice President of Live Platform Services; and Brian Arbogast, Corporate Vice President of Mobile Services share their vision for how Windows Live will evolve to be more tightly linked with Windows, Internet Explorer, Office, MSN and Live Search.
The memo outlines some of the possible ties between Windows 7 (which Microsoft has said is due in 2010) and Windows Live Wave 3 services (upgrades of Windows Live Hotmail, Messenger, Writer, Family Safety, etc., due to be rolled out late this year, if the team stays on schedule). These integration points are the potentially most fertile — and controversial — part of the Windows Live team’s vision. As the authors explain:
“We will work with the Windows 7 team and be a first and best developer of solutions on the Windows 7 platform. Our experiences will be designed so when they are connected to Windows 7 they seamlessly extend the Windows experience, and we will work to follow the Windows 7 style guidelines for applications. We will work with the Internet Explorer 8 team to make sure we deliver an experience that seamlessly extends the browser with our toolbar and other offerings.”
More:
“We have an opportunity to make it much easier for customers to ‘get started’ with Windows Live. Our goal should be to have customers log in, type their Live ID, and then they are automatically ’set up’ with Live. For new machines, we want Windows Live to come with the experience and will consider investments to make this experience easy. For customers who are upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7, we will explore ways to make it easy for them to get Windows Live – particularly for photos, calendar, and movies where our applications complete the experience.”
The memo authors wondered aloud:
“What is better with Windows 7? What experiences or scenarios are Win7 only? How do we take advantage of or lay the foundation to take advantage of some of the hardware innovations already available or planned for Windows 7?”
How Office 14 (due in 2009 or so) will play with Windows Live is a topic the Windows Live team is mulling, too:
“Many customers will use Office and Office 14, and we will work to connect these customers to our experience. What happens when a customer sets up Windows Live and uses Office? It should be easy to use Windows Live Messenger and our communication services with the Outlook client. It should be easy to publish from Office applications to Live Folders.”
Given that it was written last year, the memo doesn’t call out by name Live Mesh, Microsoft’s platform and service for collaboration and synchronization introduced last week. Microsoft officials said last week they’d share more specifics about how Live Mesh will mesh with Windows Live at the Professional Developers Conference in October. But the mission statement layed out by Jones, Treadwell and Arbogast hinted at it:
“Our mission is to deliver the essential suite of software and services for individuals around the world, designed to help them stay connected (browse, create, manage, and share with the people they choose, on any device) and protected (provide safety and security for their information, their families, and their devices), built on the leading platform for developers, merchants, and advertisers.”
As the memo authors themselves noted, the features and functionality for the next versions of Windows Live services are still not cast in stone. And that’s not because of any potential impact from Yahoo; any kind of integration between Yahoo and Microsoft services won’t even start for a year or more — when and if Microsoft ever ends up acquiring its hostile-takeover target.
But if there were any remaining illusions that there is a Chinese Wall (or three) separating the Windows, Office and Windows Live units, those should be thrown out the window.
What’s your take on Microsoft’s Windows 7-Windows Live integration plans?
April 25th, 2008
Microsoft to expand its Office streaming service?
Computerworld is reporting that Microsoft is likely to announce the week of April 28 a new licensing arrangement for Office via which it would be available as a streamed service.
The thinking, according to the report, is that this would give Microsoft, its partners and customers another alternative to Google Apps and other cloud-based productivity services — without going so far as to be a completely cloud-hosted version of Office.
Microsoft already offers the capability to license Office this way using its SoftGrid application virtualization technology that is part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack. The version available last year allowed users to stream apps to any desktop inside their firewall. A follow-on version would allow users to stream any app that can be virtualized to either their destkops or the Web, Microsoft told me last year.
SoftGrid is based on technology acquired when it bought Softricity in 2006. It allows users to run apps without installing them on a local machine by making available a single image of Office or even a custom line-of-business application to multiple users to push it out to them without having to touch each desktop. Gavriella Schuster, who was Senior Director of Product Management of the Desktop Optimization Pack team described SoftGrid’s functionality to me this way:
“SoftGrid just pulls (the bits) that are needed. IT doesn’t have to do all the regression testing it normally does. It doesn’t need to check in advance for potential application conflicts and crashes. It’s especially good for users with lots of custom business applications.”
She noted that SoftGrid also allows users to work offline, since the bits that are installed on a user’s desktop remain there, even when the machine is disconnected from the corporate network.
I’ve asked Microsoft whether there’s a new Office streaming trial in the pipeline. No word back so far. The timing makes sense, given next week is Microsoft’s annual Microsoft Management Summit in Las Vegas.
Anyone using SoftGrid today to stream Office to users’ desktops today? What works and doesn’t?
April 25th, 2008
BizTalk Server for Windows Server 2008 not till 2009
When Microsoft launched Windows Server 2008 in February, company officials shared timetables for how long it might take the company to make available compatible versions of its various business applications. But it wasn’t until this week, the company finally shared information on how and when it will release a Windows-Server-2008-compatible version of its integration server, BizTalk Server.
Users had been wondering when and whether Microsoft might port BizTalk Server 2006 to its Windows Server 2008 platform. On April 23, Microsoft Connected Systems Division Director of Product Management Steve Martin blogged that Microsoft will release an updated version of BizTalk some time in the first half of 2009 for Windows Server 2008. That release will be called BizTalk Server 2006 Release (R) 3.
Microsoft is limiting the feature changes it is making to BizTalk for the R3 release, Martin blogged. The included changes will include UDDI 3.0 support; enhanced support for B2B protocols like SWIFT and EDI; and new and updated adapters for business apps and databases. Martin blogged:
“To ensure existing BTS (BizTalk Server) applications continue to run without changes, we are taking an incremental approach and limiting the changes to the items listed above. Because this release build on existing bits, the name of this release will be BizTalk Server 2006 R3. Refreshing the bits (instead of applying a large Service Pack) provides for the best update experience. You should expect to see a CTP (Community Technology Preview) of BizTalk Server 2006 R3 later this year (with an RTM planned in H1 CY09).”
One Microsoft partner said BizTalk isn’t the only Microsoft application lagging well behind Windows Server 2008.
“System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 just released on April 1 2008, but it was developed and tested ONLY on a W2K3 platform and domain (plus it needs WINS too),” said Scott Hill, CIO of RightSize IT, a Microsoft Gold reseller partner based in Texas. “It will not be supported on a W2K8 platform or ‘native mode’ domain until the Service Pack at year end.
“Another application has the same issues – OCS (Office Communication Server)2007. That team is now stating that they will not have a fix this month as discussed in January, but are delaying until that service pack in December 2008,” Hill said.
Any other users running into other Windows Server 2008 compatibility snags with Microsoft and/or third-party apps?
April 25th, 2008
Microsoft earnings post-mortem: The cash cows quiver
The headlines on Microsoft’s fiscal 2008 third quarter earnings were all over the map this week — with claims that Microsoft beat expectations, to Microsoft fell far short of the mark. The one consensus, however, was that Windows client and Office, Microsoft’s two biggest cash cows, weren’t the robust bottom-line contributors that they usually are.
It’s a little deceiving comparing the 2007 and 2008 third quarters, as Microsoft launched Windows Vista and Office 2007 in January 2007, making for a strong FY 2007 Q3 for those two products.
Anonymous blogger MSFTextrememakeover captured Windows client’s less-than-stellar quarter in a nutshell:
“Again looking quickly, Client sucked. And it seems to be not just the technology guarantee impact but also anemic OEM growth. The .ppt brags about the same 140M Vista licenses sold that we’ve been hearing about for a while now. So clearly there’s been no acceleration wrt installed base upgrades either. Surprise! Not. MBD (Microsoft Business Division) was also weak. I haven’t delved further to figure out why. Server put in a strong showing as per usual. Kudos to that group at least. And E&D managed to eke out a paper profit (as long as you ignore intra-group transfers and the convenient “Corporate-level activity” bucket).”
Some are speculating that Apple’s gains are directly translatable into Microsoft’s weak Windows’ sales. I’m not buying that one. While Microsoft is spending a lot more dollars and cycles worrying about Apple’s halo-effect successes in the consumer world, Apple still is a non-factor in the business market — which is where Microsoft makes the lion’s share of its Windows/Office revenues.
I’d be more inclined to agree with MSFTextrememakeover, who speculated that a higher-than-expected XP vs. Vista mix could be one of the culprits for Windows client’s poor showing:
“I’m going with IDC and guessing a mix shift back to lower priced/lower margin XP and towards Linux in UMPCs (ultra-mobile PCs) and emerging markets is what is really responsible for the miss - which is even more concerning.”
On the Office front, given that a number of market watchers have been impressed with Office 2007/SharePoint Server 2007’s strong sales, it’s less clear-cut regarding what’s dragging that division’s sales downward.
I can’t help but wonder if the lackluster Windows/Office results also can be attributed to Microsoft brass’s complete and crazy obsession with Google (and taking over Yahoo) has resulted in no one minding the Windows store. Kevin Johnson, the head of Microsoft’s Platforms & Services division seems to be so laser-focused on the online-ad business these days that he almost seems to have forgotten Microsoft is still in the software business, too.
Microsoft execs’ claims about walking away from the Yahoo deal are nothing more than bluster. A protracted hostile takeover bid is just going to distract not just employees in Microsoft’s online services business, but company management, too. It’s not a pretty picture.
April 24th, 2008
How would Microsoft Live Mesh mesh with Yahoo’s Y! OS?
While it’s still premature to be trying to map how Microsoft and Yahoo assets will align if and when Microsoft ends up taking over Yahoo, the Web-services development arena is likely to be one area where the two vendors’ offerings look increasingly unlikely to mesh.
At the Web 2.0 Expo this week, Microsoft unveiled Live Mesh, its Software+Services platform for making its software and services more collaborative and synchronized. At the same show, on April 24, Microsoft takeover target Yahoo elaborated on its vision for its own Web-centric collaboration platform.
“We’re rewiring yahoo from inside out to create a development platform at Yahoo that will literally open all (our) assets to developers in a way we have never done before,” said Yahoo Chief Technology Ari Balogh.
Balogh outlined Yahoo’s platform strategy, known as Y! OS (open strategy) during a morning keynote at the conference in San Francisco.
Yahoo announced the April 24 kick-off of its beta of Search Monkey, an environment designed to allow developers to create customized mashups around Yahoo’s search engine. The resulting mash-ups can be hosted on Yahoo’s frong page, or inside of any of the other Yahoo’s assets, Balogh said.
Search Monkey is just step one of Yahoo’s strategy to make all of its services more open, Balogh said. Yahoo will be making available to developers the application programming interfaces for My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, its contextual and standard views and its mobile platform, he said. Yahoo will host applications for developers if they want, Balogh said (without offering further specifics on this “platform-as-a-service” promise).
“We are going to unify all profiles throughout Yahoo,” Balogh told Web 2.0 keynote attendees. “There will be one place for developerss and one place for users.”
Yahoo is going to create a single social Web-service API which will provide a common interface across its invitation, presence, social-messaging and other services.
“We will be opening our APIs in a consistent way” and will provide “a consistent view, development environment and deployment environment,” Balogh said.
Microsoft has been building out is Windows Live Developer environment for the past year-plus, licensing its various Live APIs (Contacts, Messenger, Spaces, etc.) to third-party developers. This week, Microsoft commenced a technology preview (pre-beta) of its Live Mesh service, which it has begn opening to 10,000 testers. While the first test versions of Live Mesh will work on Windows PCs only, Microsoft officials have said they plan to make the Live Mesh software and service pieces available on Macs within a few months, and on various Windows Mobile and non-Microsoft-centric phones, gaming consoles and other devices at some time in the future.
At its heart, Live Mesh is a platform, not just a service. (And it sounds like there’s going to be some connection between the Windows Live Developer platform and Live Mesh — but something Microsoft won’t discuss for a few more months.) And Y! OS Yahoo’s next-gen services platform, is trying to solve a number of the same collaboration/sharing problems as Live Mesh — but in a completely different way. Meshing these two platforms could be a real mess, I’d think.
April 23rd, 2008
Windows updates galore: The latest on SPs, FPs and UEs
The Windows client team has been pushing out service packs (SPs), a new feature pack (FP) and Ultimate Extra add-ons for Vista over the past few days — to varying degrees of customer satisfaction.
On April 23, Microsoft began rolling out via its Automatic Update mechanism SP1 for Windows Vista. According to a posting on the Windows Vista Team Blog by Windows Client Communications Team Director Chris Flores :
“Over the next few months Microsoft will automatically distribute Windows Vista SP1 to PCs that have automatic updates turned on and running English, French, German, Spanish, or Japanese via Windows Update. Automatic distribution will only occur, according to user settings, on PCs ready for SP1. After Windows Vista SP1 downloads, WU will let you know that ‘new updates are available. You’ll then be asked to make a few clicks before the installation of SP1 will begin.”
Just a reminder for folks having trouble with their Vista SP1 updates (of which there seem to be a considerable number, based on Microsoft Forum postings, at least): Microsoft is offering free phone support for Vista through March 2009.
In Windows XP SP3 land, Microsoft headed off some angry Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) and TechNet subscribers by reversing its rollout delivery-schedule plans for the latest set of fixes and updates to Windows XP. MSDN and TechNet subscribers can get the XP SP3 bits as of April 23, Microsoft officials said today.
When Microsoft announced XP SP3 availability on April 21, the company angered a number of its paying subscription customers with its plan to make SP3 available to Windows Update users before MSDN and TechNet ones. Microsoft officials attributed the plan to hold back availability to “bandwidth.” According to a statement from a company spokesperson I received on April 22:
“We are currently planning to make Windows XP SP3 available to MSDN/TechNet subscribers for download beginning on May 2, 2008. While this is after its availability on Windows Update, we have made pre-release candidates of Windows XP SP3 (and Windows Vista SP1) available to developers and IT professionals throughout the development process for testing. To meet high customer demand for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1), we have optimized available bandwidth and prioritized MSDN/ TechNet delivery channels for Windows Vista SP1 downloads in all Windows languages. Once we have satisfied this demand, we will roll out Windows XP SP3 via MSDN/ TechNet. As an added benefit, MSDN subscribers will receive an integrated build of Windows XP SP3 in addition to the standalone XP SP3 release that all customers receive via Windows Update.”
On April 23, a Microsoft reversed its plan. A spokesperson sent me the following update:
“I wanted to let you know that Windows XP SP3 bits are now available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Over the last few days, Microsoft worked with its bandwidth and system partners to come up with creative solutions to make Windows XP SP3 available to subscribers as soon as possible.”
The Windows client team also delivered this week to Vista Ultimate users a few more of the the long-promised Ultimate Extra add-ons that Microsoft is providing exclusively to users of its most pricey Vista SKU. Some liked them; some didn’t.
Finally, one last bit of Windows pack information. Microsoft quietly released a “feature pack” for Vista last week. (The distinction between an SP and FP seems to be that SPs are bug fixes and FPs are more new features. But the line between the two isn’t a firm one.) I asked Microsoft a couple of follow-up questions about the Vista FP:
Q: Is this wireless support feature pack the first feature pack for Windows Vista to be distributed via WU?
A: The Windows Vista feature pack for wireless is a Hardware Refresh Package (HRP). This is the first HRP for Windows Vista SP1, though Microsoft previously released a storage-specific HRP in 2007 for Windows XP. This is not distributed via Windows Update and is available directly from OEMs on new systems
Windows Vista feature packs in general are not distributed via WU (Windows Update) or MU (Microsoft Update) and are available directly from OEMs on new systems or IHV redistribution on value-add CDs.
Q: Does Microsoft plan to leverage the feature pack vehicle more frequently in the future to distribute updates?
A: Similar to past HRP’s, Microsoft may use this mechanism when there is a need for this type of support and release. We do not have a set schedule or cadence.
Anyone out there having any noteable problems (or successes) with any of these FPs or SPs for Vista and XP?
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