Just when Microsoft had customers, partners and competitors all believing
that it was going to delay the first service pack for Vista - not releasing a
first beta of it until just before year-end - the company is set to deliver Beta
1 of Vista SP1 in mid-July.
Word (from
various sources who asked not to be named) is Microsoft is gearing up to drop
Vista SP1 some time the week of July 16. And despite what Microsoft
seemingly led Google, the U.S. Department of Justice and other company watchers
to believe, the final version of Vista SP1 is sounding like November 2007.
November 2007 is also the release-to-manufacturing target for Windows Server
2008, sources say. Microsoft won't provide an RTM date for Windows Server 2008,
other than to say it is still on track to RTM before the end of 2007.
Update (July 21): Microsoft has told
the folks at Windows Connected not to expect a public beta of Vista SP1 "anytime soon."