Microsoft has decided that they want to limit the Vista SP1 Beta download to a select group of testers while they work out some of the kinks. I'm sure as the development cycle progresses they will make a pre-release download freely available to the public, but there is a hack floating around now that will let you "join" in the Beta program.

Microsoft has quietly released four new updates for Vista that improve on performance and reliability. As of right now it's unclear as to which of these updates, if any, will be made available on October 9th's Patch Tuesday, but they are currently all available for individual download.

Microsoft has taken the lid off of Vista SP1 (Service Pack 1) by releasing a detailed report of what to expect when it is released. This announcement comes the same day that Microsoft pushed out two of the most important updates since Vista’s release, both of which make significant improvements to the usability of Vista.

Windows Vista SP1 was known to be in the hands of testers just a few weeks ago, and much like XP SP3 it has been leaked in full form on the file sharing networks. Microsoft was actually pretty smart by making the general public cringe at the idea of installing a leaked copy of Vista SP1. Why? They only offered it to testers as a full 3.1GB Vista installation instead of as a standalone update.

One of the things that people complain about the most in Vista is that transferring large files is painfully slow compared to previous versions of Windows.

The Windows Connected Blog received an announcement today from Microsoft that they were told to share with everyone. It basically said that there will be no Vista SP1 Beta download available this week for the public, and that only a small set of testers will be receiving it. Here’s what the message said:

I know a large number of people have been holding out on upgrading to Vista until the first Service Pack is released, and that time might be coming before year’s end. According to unnamed sources that Mary Jo Foley has, a Beta version of Vista SP1 will be available mid-month...which is actually next week.

Microsoft is closing the doors on all 32–bit versions of Windows after Server 2008 ships later this year. This announcement came during the second day of WinHEC as Microsoft posted an updated version of their Windows Server shipment schedule:

Are you planning to purchase Vista after Service Pack 1 is released? Your plans might have just changed. Microsoft says that they don’t have any plans to issue a major service pack for Windows Vista like they did with Windows XP.

News is buzzing that Windows Fiji really isn’t a codename for Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). Instead, it is the codename for what will become a version of Windows that to be released between Vista and Windows Seven (currently slated for release in 2009).

So we are just weeks away from the Windows Vista consumer launch but the excitement doesn't seem to be nearly what I would expect it to be. Why? Having used Vista for several months I find a lot of great things that make using Windows a more smooth operation.