Windows Vista Service Pack 2

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the woods, Microsoft go and announce they have a beta release of vista Service Pack 2! Ok, so what does that mean to you?.........

Service Pack 2 mainly rolls up all the patches released since Service Pack 1 but there are a few notable additions (copied and pasted from the Windows Vista team blog):

• Windows Vista SP2 adds Windows Search 4.0 for faster and improved relevancy in searches.
• Windows Vista SP2 contains the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth Technology.
• Ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista.
• Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify Wi-Fi Configuration.
• Windows Vista SP2 enables the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones.

Microsoft is estimating that the general release for Service Pack 2 will be June 2009.

The most interesting thing for me in the list of additions above is Windows Connect Now (WCN) I am hoping that they might have improved the end user experience of connecting to public networks.

Should you rush out and install the beta? Absolutely not, this software has no place on a business network until it has been extensively tested and approved for public release and even then it depends.