Finally, Microsoft has honored their promise of SP1, and it ushers in a startling amount of changes. I would have posted the release notes here, but they are several pages long and can be found here instead. The pack, weighing in at 434.5MB (or 726.5MB for the 64-bit version), rolls in 23 security updates and 550 hotfixes. Apparently the update is taking its sweet time showing up, and if you cannot wait to download it, here are the direct links:

• Windows Vista Service Pack 1 x86 (32-Bit/Normal)
• Windows Vista Service Pack 1 x64

In the way of changes, Microsoft says SP1 will bring “. . . improvements that address many key pieces of customer feedback, especially in the areas of performance and reliability.” Release note highlights after the break.

Read the rest of this entry »