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Roll-out begins for Vista Service Pack 1
In the week before Easter, Microsoft's Vista team announced that the Service Pack 1 (SP1) release for Vista was ready for downlaod via the Windows Update site. John Stokdyk reports.As the Windows Vista blog explained, the roll-out will be phased, and in a few weeks the voluntary downloads will be supplanted by automatic downloads from Windows Update - as long as you have set up your PC for this option.
In fact, Microsoft's programmers have been wrestling with SP1 for some time to deal with issues raised by users about driver compatibility, slow file copying times and controls over disk defragmentation and encryption tools. A beta test version of SP1 was released in September.
Some users may find that SP1 refuses to download both with the manual and automatic processes, Microsoft's Mick White explained. This could occur if you applied a pre-release version of SP1, in which case you will need to uninstall it before downloading the full release. In other cases, Windows Update may detect that some elements of your system are not ready to support SP1, in which case the download will not work until those components have been upgraded too.
The response from commentators around the net to SP1 was mixed. While many of the 31 comments posted in response to an Information Week article reported no problems, around a third of users reported problems - for which Microsoft is offering free support.
But performance glitches and generally negative user reactions have haunted Vista since its full commercial release in January 2007. As John Francis warned in 2006, so much has changed with Vista and Office 2007 that many organisations will need to consider training end-users to cope with the upgraded versions, not to mention ageing hardware that may struggle with the extra workload Vista imposes. Without delivering tangible improvements, and with some business applications still awaiting compatibility, many companies have held back from installing Vista.
Alan Wilson raised the issue on AccountingWEB this week and so far, the count is running 3-2 against Vista. Clive Griffiths initially had strong reservations, but has come to like it.
Victor Foster was so unhappy with Vista that he got Dell to send a replacement version of Windows XP. "This replacement was done because of the sheer number of people complaining about Vista. The fact that Microsoft made the replacement option available will tell its own story," he noted.
Number of comments: 7
AccountingWEB.co.uk 25-Mar-2008
Categories: IT News, ExcelZone News
Times read: 3042
as we know it ??
Bill Gates said on Friday 04 April he expected the new version of Windows operating software, code-named Windows 7, to be released "sometime in the next year or so."
In line with a new version of Windows approximately 3 years after the introduction of Vista in January 2007
I am not too sure whether I should be impressed or freaked. But less than 10 minutes ago I got a rather courteous call from IRIS PayeMaster support team at Wigan asking if I had received an email from IRIS support regarding compatibility issues with Windows Vista SP1. I clarified to them that the email I received was regarding IRIS Practice Manager (hence PM) rather than PayeMaster (which incidentally is also PM). So Yes, IRIS has warned me about issues with Practice Management, which is why I happily blamed Microsoft rather than IRIS in my first comment.
But I am impressed by the extent to which IRIS follows up feedback. And I am mildly freaked by how they traced me using my name.
Iris Payemaster could not even cope properly with the original Vista based our my experience of the revised programme supposed to allow Vista compatability.
There are chronic database conflicts causing crashes on payroll clients 2-3 times a day. At this time we are stuck with Iris, but I would not reccomend PAYEMaster to my worst enemy. Shows how much value to place on Iris's MS certification.
Robert
The SP1 pack now available is for US English according to Microsoft's website. Real (UK) English is not due until the next roll out, starting in April.
IRIS is proud to proclaim itself as a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner!
Just had an email from IRIS advising me not to install SP1 as there are compatibility issues between SP1 and IRIS PM. Good going MS.
