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WinBeta.org states that the email, which informs recipients of a new WDK (Windows Driver Kit) posted on Microsoft's Connect site, contains the information that the update "coincides with the recent OS beta release for Vista SP1 Preview".

While the WDK hadn't appeared some hours after the email was allegedly sent, it does fall into line with earlier rumours that a beta of the eagerly anticipated first service pack for Windows Vista would emerge this month.

The feature set is as yet unknown, but it's believed that an ability to change the default search index (following Google's anti-trust complaint), plus some performance improvements are in line to appear.

Even if a beta (private or public) is made available in the next few days, however, it is quite possible that SP1 could remain in development for anything up to another year.

What are you expecting to see from Vista SP1? Have you been waiting for it before upgrading from XP? Let us know your thoughts using the comments below.