Microsoft about changes made in Vista SP1

Microsoft has published a detailed list of modifications to the Windows Vista service package, which the company plans to release this week in an open beta.
17-page document details what Microsoft calls "significant changes" in Vista SP1 Release Candidate 1 (RC1), a preliminary version of which in recent weeks has sent thousands of invited testers and will be open to all comers. Microsoft said the tens of additions and improvements in all areas of equipment and support to the security and reliability of sync with future Windows Server 2008. Most of the items contained in the section "The improvements in productivity and energy consumption." Microsoft claims that Vista has become a local copy files to 25% faster, but from a remote PC, which was also installed Vista SP1-to 50% faster. In addition, Vista SP1 quickly opens up large images, and the attached Internet Explorer 7 faster working with the sites where intensively used JavaScript scripts.
On security, except for all issued patches to November, in Vista SP1 made some more general changes. For example, corrected a mistake that the company did not want to acknowledge and does not explain: "SP1 includes improvements in the Secure Development Lifecycle, which allows Microsoft to identify the cause of each vulnerability, and improves our internal tools, excluding programs such fragments, which could lead to new vulnerability" , says in the document.
Microsoft kept promise given year ago Symantec, McAfee and the European Union, which complained that the company has blocked access to the nucleus 64-bit edition Vista. In autumn 2006, Symantec and McAfee technology rebelled against Microsoft Kernel Patch Protection (or, otherwise, PatchGuard), and stated that it impedes the work of existing technologies, such as preventing incursions. They were joined by the EU, accusing the company in the application of technology to suppress competition in the market for security devices.
According to the list of enhancements in SP1 entered Ends applications that Microsoft first introduced in December last year. "These API to help developers create software, extending the functionality of Windows kernel for 64-bit platforms, with adequate support and documentation and without blocking or weakening of the functions of the protection of the Kernel Patch Protection" says the document.

Microsoft offers beta Office Live Workspace

Office Live Workspace, attacked another Microsoft in the world of business tools, begin their lives.
The company will open the system to exchange documents gradually, starting on Monday with a pre-registered users. Office Live Workspace to store Word documents, PowerPoint and Excel online, share and work together on these instruments. Related SharedView annex to share desktop settings and work together on Office documents in real time.
While Microsoft belatedly entered the market means teamwork-based Web, the company is the dominant force in the business market instruments, while online competitors, such as Google, have not demonstrated any notable success in attracting a wide audience of users. Nevertheless Office Live Workspace is a good beginning for the development of online functionality, which will probably prove to himself embedded Office. This is not a full set of online business applications, and a set of tools teamwork, "confined" by custom Office applications.
Office Live Workspace is one of the best examples that demonstrate where it focuses its strategy of Microsoft software "plus" services, which is designed to connect local and veb-functionality in Microsoft applications. In custom applications integrated Office toolbar that lets you save in Office Live Workspace, such as Word documents, and uses the web to store and review, leaving most of the actual work on the editing of a client.
In October, Microsoft Office Live Workspace tests in several universities, including the University of Pennsylvania, University of Washington and Vanderbelt. Send feedback prompted the company to make some changes in the user interface Live Workspace and work on productivity improvement. Although the beta test will be open, the timing of release final product until Microsoft calls.

Microsoft Volta translates .NET to Web

Microsoft wants developers to facilitate the creation of Web applications. On Wednesday the company issued via Microsoft Live Labs preliminary version Volta technology, which distributes the possibility of developers. NET to the web and facilitates splitting code on the client and server parts.
Rather than write separate programs to different parts of applications to work as a web browser or on the server, programmers enough to cause the desired menu items from the Volta-optional module for Visual Studio 2008 for the establishment of an appropriate connecting code. Volta uses Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL). That means the possibility of applying the usual Microsoft programming languages such as C # and Visual Basic, or, for example, Ruby implementations of Microsoft. Programmers can work as if they are creating client application. NET, and at the end of the process a few mouse click adapt it to the web.
"The idea that programmers can focus on functionality, thoughts and sense of the use of the program, and when the desired goal is easy to turn it into AJAX annex or something else, explained in an interview with Eric Meyer, chief architect of the Volta team Microsoft SQL Server. - Standard annex client-only gradually turns into a web. Programmer said only what he needed, and we insert all the necessary code. "
Applications written with the assistance of Volta, you can nurture in Visual Studio, which is not always easy to manage multiple applications in the design, working on the client and server. "One of the unique opportunities provided to us is the ability to debug the code in different forms, whether the client or server," said the team manager, in an interview products Microsoft Live Labs Alex Daly. Volta could also add the necessary code to programmers can receive information on the productivity of Microsoft Service Trace Viewer.
As with other development Live Labs, the company does not plan to issue Volta, as a separate product. Meyer is also the author of LINQ technology, which simplifies programming with the use of databases, support is now built into Visual Studio and Silverlight.

 

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Next week will begin extensive testing Vista SP1

Microsoft has reached release candidate phase in the process of developing the first service package for Windows Vista and plans to make it widely available next week.
This week the company is experienced code 15 to thousands of testers who are already experiencing SP1, and on Thursday it also publishes programs for participants MSDN and TechNet. On Wednesday, in his blog on Vista, the company also reported that it will provide a "blocker", which will allow customers Vista using Windows Update, update to block the final version of SP1 to continue testing. Microsoft offered a similar opportunity for Windows XP Service Pack 2.
Service Pack 1 is essentially a collection of patches and enhancements to improve performance and adds a few new features. Among the innovations is the opportunity to use BitLocker encryption volumes in multiple hard disks, as well as changes in the functions of local search made to satisfy antitrust complaints by Google.
This week, Microsoft also announced its intention to change the way the work of anti-piracy protection in SP1 by deleting system, which translates Vista machine, which it considered illegal in almost unfit for use regime "underweight" functionality. Instead, Microsoft will demonstrate a visible notification to the owners and offer to buy illegal license.
Since the start of testing SP1 company contributed to a number of changes. In particular, it has reduced the size and scope of renewal of free disk space required for its installation. Nevertheless, in a typical configuration, Vista still need to 4.5 gigabytes of disk space, although in the early betas required 7 gigabytes. Most of the space returned to the user. But for owners portative machines or those who installs Vista section on computers Mac disk, it can be an obstacle. Microsoft has significantly reduced the size and Windows Update- and complete versions of the service package.
Version release candidate Vista SP1 comes almost simultaneously with the same version of Windows Server 2008. The development of both operating systems are parallel, and the other, and planned to be published in the first quarter. However, the exact date of the two products may not be the same, especially if, for some of them have questions to quality.

 

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