May 2007

SP1 for Vista is finally being (partly) acknowledged by Microsoft as being in the works. For those of you who have been using the criteria that the Vista product needs to at least have SP1 available on the install CD for you to consider it is even worth your time, your arguments may be eliminated in about 6 months.

Actually, Microsoft has been toying with the idea of not ever releasing a SP1 for Vista under the assumption that the Windows Update procedure is good enough. Time will tell. I'm betting there will be a SP1 because not everyone has broadband and the download time is just too high over a modem by the 40% who do not have or can not obtain broadband.

Which brings up the subject of Slipstreaming. Slipstreaming is the act of creating a CD from an Install CD of a Microsoft Operating system (presently XP) that allows one to place ALL of the updates onto a special Install CD. When the install is complete, the finished computer contains all the service packs and also all of the updates of the slipstreamed Install CD. Thus, in the middle of the Clinic, we do not need to spend 40 minutes downloading and installing the patches - we have them already on the CD when we are installing a new copy of the operating system. One reboot gets them all!

SPAUG has replaced its 5-year-old laptop with a Vista laptop that we intend to work over to the SPAUG requirements of a computer that will boot to: Vista, XP, and several flavors of Linux. If there is enough interest, we will open the box and start in to install all of the software and back it up appropriately. Inform the members of the Planning Committee about when and where the team should assemble to implement the plan. Save or procure the software you would like to see on the SPAUG computer.