Should you install Vista SP1 beta?
After denying many rumors regarding, Vista SP1, Microsoft recently announced that a beta of SP1 should be available next week. The question is should you install it? That depends on your situation.
Microsoft is including several feature fixes and is supplementing existing features in addition to a couple of security updates.
When Windows XP SP2 beta came out, some people installed it and some avoided it until the final version. While XP SP2 final was more stable and slightly redesigned, the feature set remained basically the same and some problems from the beta carried over.
Some of you should remember all the compatibility headaches that came along with Windows XP SP2, that’s because XP SP2 was a partial rewrite of Windows XP code and mostly older and unsupported software was affected as well as some hardware.
Vista hasn’t exactly won people over with its backwards compatibility. You can have backwards compatibility or more stability but usually, not both. I’m happy to say that for once, Microsoft chose more stability.
Since almost nothing works on Vista anyway, unless the program is specifically written for Vista there won’t be much room to complain about what Vista SP1 breaks.
As Alex Zaharov-Reutt of iTWire said “unless it’s part of your job to beta test operating systems and service packs, I happily advise you to wait until November too.”
For the most part, I can stand by that advice with some exceptions. Early Vista adopters have been noticing on some computers, slow file transfers and slow shut down times. If you have noticed either of those issues on your own computer, then maybe you should try Vista SP1 beta.
As for myself, I have noticed the slow file transfer on two Vista computers so I will be testing out SP1 beta on them. Even if I didn’t have the issues, I think I would still test it because tempting fate is fun and exciting if you know how to dig yourself out of potential problems.
The average person should steer clear of Vista SP1 beta and wait for the final version to come through on Windows Update.
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July 9th, 2007
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