Vista SP1 to offer security and reliability improvements

If you’ve been following the Vista SP1 saga you know it has been delivered to some 12,000 beta testers so Microsoft can add tweaks, improve stability and eventually release a public beta.  But, Vista SP1 is more about delivering stability, security and OS tweaks than it is adding features.

In fact, Vista SP1 adds almost no perceivable new features to the operating system.  In addition to the tweaks Microsoft is planning, SP1 will add support for the exFAT file system to be used by newer flash drives and other devices.  Also, it adds the option to change the default desktop search engine to Google or something else.

Regarding that, as one review stated, Google desktop search treats your desktop data as it would an Internet search and Microsoft’s engine treats your desktop data like desktop data.  What works for the Internet does not necessarily work for your desktop and vice versa.  A sentiment that I happen to agree with, Google desktop search isn’t so great with desktop data.  That’s one thing I would leave as-is even if I have the ability to change it, I wouldn’t.

According to ComputerWorld, Microsoft claims that Sp1 will speed up copying and extracting compressed files, resume from Hibernate and Sleep modes will also be faster and laptop battery life will be improved by better processor management.  Graphics card support will be improved, network connections will be more stable and browsing shared network files will use less bandwidth.

On the gaming side, Vista SP1 will add support for DirectX 10.1 which to all you DirectX 10 graphics card owners will require a new card supporting DirectX 10.1 but the improvements are slight and not even DirectX 10 is fully supported by all games yet.

The final version of SP1 will be about a 50MB download but will require 7GB of space for installation on 32-bit PCs or 12GB of space on 64-bit PCs but most of it will be regained after the installation is complete.

• Is DirectX 10 on Vista a ripoff?
• PC gamers will need new hardware for Vista SP1
• Google says Vista’s built-in search violates Government rulings
• Microsoft: Ignore Google in Vista antitrust case
• Vista may be Worth DirectX 10 Alone for Gamers