The Windows client team at Microsoft is busy pushing out SP1 (Service Pack 1) for Vista, via it’s automated update system. If you are running Windows Vista, and you have automated updates turned on, you will receive your update sometime in the next few months.
Interestingly, Microsoft is offering free phone support to Vista users until March 2009, due to the considerable number of issues users are experiencing with Vista SP1. Some sources tell me the Microsoft Forums have been extremely busy lately with chatter about SP1 issues. I myself have not visited the forums lately, but need to pay a visit and see what is going on.
My advice, if you have Vista, turn automatic updates off and wait 60 days or so to install SP1. Hopefully by then Microsoft will have worked out the kinks.
I actually ran Windows Vista Business Edition on my laptop for about 6 months, and ended up rolling it back to XP, for many reasons. All of that is food for thought in a future post.
In Windows XP land, SP3 will begin distribution on April 29th, as an optional update. It will be available through automatic updates on June 10th. This will be the last SP for Windows XP. It has been a long time coming, as hundreds of bug fixes have been released since SP2 came out in 2004. SP3 will make XP PC deployment for companies much easier, as you will no longer have to spend hours downloading all the bug fixes when deploying a new computer. Yeah!
I have not heard any chatter about issues with XP SP3, but I would advise not loading it the first day it comes out. Let others be the testers. In the meantime, I will keep an eye on what is going on and will post any relevant information.