Microsoft sneaks Vista SP2 out to manufacturers

 

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By Matthew Sparkes

Posted on 16 Oct 2008 at 10:56

Microsoft is hoping to release SP2 for Vista and Server 2008 before it releases a Windows 7 beta later this year, reports claim.

The company has created a Knowledge Base article documenting the new updates, although details of expected features and release dates are currently thin on the ground.

It is thought, however, that several hardware manufacturers have already received advance copies of the software, expected to include Hyper-V and several security fixes.

"This article discusses a beta release of a Microsoft product. Currently, the product release notes and related information about Windows Server 2008 SP2 and Windows Vista SP2 are not available," explains the article.

The company is expected to release a public beta of Windows 7 towards the end of this year, and many current Windows XP users are expected to wait for the new version, without upgrading to Vista in the interim. This leaves little time to rollout the updates to Vista and Server 2008 if they are to precede Windows 7.

Microsoft has recently launched a $300 million marketing campaign designed to improve disappointing Vista sales, featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

"What the brand stands for, particularly in the case of Windows Vista, has been defined by the competitors. The time is now for us to get in and start telling our story," claimed Brad Brooks, a corporate vice president at Microsoft, last month.

Microsoft was unavailable to comment on an expected release date at the time of writing.