Windows Vista No Longer in Free Fall

http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/winvista_5536.asp

Windows Vista Build 5536 Review
And just like that, we can suddenly see the light at the end of the tunnel. All of our hopes,
all of our worries, all of whatever feelings we may have for Windows Vista are hanging on the
edge of a precipice. Will they ship it on time? Will they ever ship it? Does it even matter?

Increasingly, the actual ship date for Windows Vista does not matter, but not for the reasons
you may suspect. Microsoft will ship Windows Vista exactly when they want to, according to the
schedule they previously laid out. They're not delaying it any further, and after releasing the
product to manufacturing in late October 2006, businesses can expect to get it via volume
licensing in November, followed by consumers and general availability in late January 2007.

Before any of that can happen, however, we have a final milestone to cross. It's called Release
Candidate 1 (RC1) and I expect to be writing a lengthy review of that build--currently slated
as build 5552, though of course these things change regularly on an ongoing basis--sometime in
about two weeks. For now, however, we have the next best thing, a pre-RC1 interim build, 5536,
that offers a peak at many of the best changes Microsoft has made to Windows Vista since the
lackluster Beta 2 build.
Windows Vista build 5536, by contrast, is a humdinger.

I've been like a bipolar pit bull when it comes to Windows Vista lately. Some builds have been
fantastic (at least compared to what came previously). Some have been positively embarrassingly
bad. I just spent the past three weeks in France with two Windows Vista-based notebooks and it
was like being imprisoned with vipers in the dark: I never knew when I was going to be bit.
Windows Vista build 5472, the previous milestone testers received, was, shall we say,
performance challenged. There were weird issues deleting desktop files. There was a Recent
Items entry in the Start Menu that, curiously, did not actually contain recently accessed
items. It was, in short, a bit disappointing.

Windows Vista build 5536, again, is a humdinger.

What's new in build 5536?
So what's new in 5536, you ask? Performance is better, even much better. (Though the three
times performance improvement baloney you might have read elsewhere is not only impossible but
untrue.) It does a much better job of finding and correctly installing device drivers: On my
main desktop, even the sound driver worked automatically after the first Windows Update run, a
first.

Microsoft's fledgling Windows Live services have been integrated, annoyingly, into the system.
On the good news front, this "integration" isn't as technically silly as what the company did
earlier with such components as Internet Explorer and Windows Messenger. But it is equally
annoying.

Instead of installing various Windows Live components by default--which would have been a bad
move, not just for antitrust reasons, but because of their constantly updating
nature--Microsoft is including numerous shortcuts to various Windows Live services throughout
the system. In Welcome Center, for example, there is a new "Offers from Microsoft" section that
includes no fewer than seven icons for Microsoft services, five of which are Windows Live
services: "Go online to learn about Windows Live," "Download Windows Live Toolbar," "Sign up
for Windows Live OneCare" (which, naturally, doesn't work during the beta anyway), "Go online
to Windows Marketplace," "Download Windows Live Mail Desktop," "Download Windows Live
Messenger," and "Sign up online for technical support."

Additionally, there is an item called "Windows Live Messenger Download" right in the default
Start Menu. As expected, clicking this item launches Internet Explorer, which navigates to the
Windows Live Messenger download page online. Unexpectedly, once you download and install
Windows Live Messenger, the "Windows Live Messenger Download" link remains in your Start Menu.
Silly.

And speaking of Internet Explorer, the most annoying aspect of the Windows Live integration in
Vista occurs in everyone's favorite new Web browser: My default, IE 7 launches with two home
pages, one in each tab. The first and topmost home page is MSN.com, just like before. But the
secondary page displays the Windows Live Search site. Big deal, right? The problem is that by
opening two tabs at startup, Microsoft is ensuring that most users--i.e. "normal people"--will
see an annoying "Do you want to close all tabs?" alert dialog every time they close IE. That's
just wrong.

(This isn't really notable per se, but IE's About dialog still uses the "Internet Explorer 7+"
naming that Microsoft says it is dropping.)

User Account Control (UAC) has been dramatically improved and let me be among the first to
throw out a hearty "thank you" to the UAC team for that. Now, instead of the stunningly
annoying "pop" that used to occur every time one of the UAC alert dialogs appeared, the
transition is smooth and there is a soft, almost enjoyable, beep sound. This is literally the
first time I didn't reach for the "remove UAC" option after installing a recent Vista build.
Bravo.

Special shell folders like Documents, Pictures, Favorites, and Music (but not, curiously, the
still second rate Videos) are now color coded in greenish blue to differentiate them from other
folders (which are still yellowish). Saved searches are also differentiated, using a soft blue
color.

Windows Update now prompts you to install Microsoft Update so that you can get updates for
other Microsoft products, like Microsoft Office, directly through Windows Update. If you click
on this link, you're brought to a Web page, which you have to click a single OK box, and then
you're done. Simple.

There's a new shortcut to the Program Compatibility Wizard on the desktop, so you can try and
make Vista-unaware applications work properly. Microsoft warns, however, that you should not
use this wizard-based application with older virus detection, backup, or system programs. The
problem is, many users won't understand what that means. What, exactly, is a "system" program?

Windows Media Center shows, perhaps, the biggest performance improvement of any Vista
component. The application almost pops to life and, using the "Express" setup option, can be in
use almost immediately. I won't be trying to put Media Center on my family's Media Center PC
again until RC1 hits, but it's clear that something wonderful has happened here.

In the Personalize section of Control Panel, there are a number of major improvements. First,
when you right-click the desktop, you'll see that the Personalize option has a new icon next to
it, making it more prominent and obvious. In Windows Color and Appearance, the default color
schemes now have simple color names (Default, Graphite, Blue, Teal, Red, Orange, Pink, and, my
favorite, Frost). In Desktop Background, all of the background types (Black and White, Light
Auras, etc.) are together in a single list; you no longer have to choose between each type.

As I had hoped, Microsoft augmented the Windows Aero mouse pointer with large and extra large
variants. Now if they could just ship black versions too, it would be perfect.

The "shield" icon you see in the system tray for Windows Security Alerts can now be colored
yellow or red, depending on the level of warning it's trying to communicate. For example, the
lack of virus protection now rates a yellow warning, and not the more risky red alert.

There's probably more, but I don't want to take away too much from my upcoming RC1 review, and
to be fair, I've only been working with the build since last night. (Too, I just spent an
entire day traveling back from France, so I hope it's understandable that this is necessarily
short.)

Conclusions
There's no doubt about it: Windows Vista has taken too long to ship, and the first major
milestone that Microsoft shipped to the public, Beta 2, was a disappointment. Since then, the
company has shipped three promising interim builds to testers. The latest one, build 5536, an
RC1 escrow build, is simply wonderful. If this build represents the quality, performance, and
functionality that users can expect to see in RC1 and the final release, then Microsoft will
have gone a long way towards making up for its mistakes and miscalculations. My only question
is why we had to wait so long to see a build this good. If you can get your hands on 5536,
enjoy it. If not, RC1 will be publicly available. Either way, you likely won't be disappointed.

--Paul Thurrott
August 25-26, 2006


--
Michael
______
"The trouble ain't that there is too many fools,
but that the lightning ain't distributed right."
- Mark Twain

About the Start Menu "Recently Opened Programs" issue, try to right click the
Start um orb or taskbar, then Properties, make sure you are on the "Start
Menu" tab, and click Customize, check the center of that page for a "Number
of recent programs to display" option. I had mine set to 0 and I didn't
realize at the time, submitted as a bug. Recommended it be on the first page
you see when you get into the Start Menu properties. This is an interesting
Windows, anticipating RC1!

"MICHAEL" wrote:

> http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/winvista_5536.asp
>
> Windows Vista Build 5536 Review
> And just like that, we can suddenly see the light at the end of the tunnel. All of our hopes,
> all of our worries, all of whatever feelings we may have for Windows Vista are hanging on the
> edge of a precipice. Will they ship it on time? Will they ever ship it? Does it even matter?
>
> Increasingly, the actual ship date for Windows Vista does not matter, but not for the reasons
> you may suspect. Microsoft will ship Windows Vista exactly when they want to, according to the
> schedule they previously laid out. They're not delaying it any further, and after releasing the
> product to manufacturing in late October 2006, businesses can expect to get it via volume
> licensing in November, followed by consumers and general availability in late January 2007.
>
> Before any of that can happen, however, we have a final milestone to cross. It's called Release
> Candidate 1 (RC1) and I expect to be writing a lengthy review of that build--currently slated
> as build 5552, though of course these things change regularly on an ongoing basis--sometime in
> about two weeks. For now, however, we have the next best thing, a pre-RC1 interim build, 5536,
> that offers a peak at many of the best changes Microsoft has made to Windows Vista since the
> lackluster Beta 2 build.
> Windows Vista build 5536, by contrast, is a humdinger.
>
> I've been like a bipolar pit bull when it comes to Windows Vista lately. Some builds have been
> fantastic (at least compared to what came previously). Some have been positively embarrassingly
> bad. I just spent the past three weeks in France with two Windows Vista-based notebooks and it
> was like being imprisoned with vipers in the dark: I never knew when I was going to be bit.
> Windows Vista build 5472, the previous milestone testers received, was, shall we say,
> performance challenged. There were weird issues deleting desktop files. There was a Recent
> Items entry in the Start Menu that, curiously, did not actually contain recently accessed
> items. It was, in short, a bit disappointing.
>
> Windows Vista build 5536, again, is a humdinger.
>
> What's new in build 5536?
> So what's new in 5536, you ask? Performance is better, even much better. (Though the three
> times performance improvement baloney you might have read elsewhere is not only impossible but
> untrue.) It does a much better job of finding and correctly installing device drivers: On my
> main desktop, even the sound driver worked automatically after the first Windows Update run, a
> first.
>
> Microsoft's fledgling Windows Live services have been integrated, annoyingly, into the system.
> On the good news front, this "integration" isn't as technically silly as what the company did
> earlier with such components as Internet Explorer and Windows Messenger. But it is equally
> annoying.
>
> Instead of installing various Windows Live components by default--which would have been a bad
> move, not just for antitrust reasons, but because of their constantly updating
> nature--Microsoft is including numerous shortcuts to various Windows Live services throughout
> the system. In Welcome Center, for example, there is a new "Offers from Microsoft" section that
> includes no fewer than seven icons for Microsoft services, five of which are Windows Live
> services: "Go online to learn about Windows Live," "Download Windows Live Toolbar," "Sign up
> for Windows Live OneCare" (which, naturally, doesn't work during the beta anyway), "Go online
> to Windows Marketplace," "Download Windows Live Mail Desktop," "Download Windows Live
> Messenger," and "Sign up online for technical support."
>
> Additionally, there is an item called "Windows Live Messenger Download" right in the default
> Start Menu. As expected, clicking this item launches Internet Explorer, which navigates to the
> Windows Live Messenger download page online. Unexpectedly, once you download and install
> Windows Live Messenger, the "Windows Live Messenger Download" link remains in your Start Menu.
> Silly.
>
> And speaking of Internet Explorer, the most annoying aspect of the Windows Live integration in
> Vista occurs in everyone's favorite new Web browser: My default, IE 7 launches with two home
> pages, one in each tab. The first and topmost home page is MSN.com, just like before. But the
> secondary page displays the Windows Live Search site. Big deal, right? The problem is that by
> opening two tabs at startup, Microsoft is ensuring that most users--i.e. "normal people"--will
> see an annoying "Do you want to close all tabs?" alert dialog every time they close IE. That's
> just wrong.
>
> (This isn't really notable per se, but IE's About dialog still uses the "Internet Explorer 7+"
> naming that Microsoft says it is dropping.)
>
> User Account Control (UAC) has been dramatically improved and let me be among the first to
> throw out a hearty "thank you" to the UAC team for that. Now, instead of the stunningly
> annoying "pop" that used to occur every time one of the UAC alert dialogs appeared, the
> transition is smooth and there is a soft, almost enjoyable, beep sound. This is literally the
> first time I didn't reach for the "remove UAC" option after installing a recent Vista build.
> Bravo.
>
> Special shell folders like Documents, Pictures, Favorites, and Music (but not, curiously, the
> still second rate Videos) are now color coded in greenish blue to differentiate them from other
> folders (which are still yellowish). Saved searches are also differentiated, using a soft blue
> color.
>
> Windows Update now prompts you to install Microsoft Update so that you can get updates for
> other Microsoft products, like Microsoft Office, directly through Windows Update. If you click
> on this link, you're brought to a Web page, which you have to click a single OK box, and then
> you're done. Simple.
>
> There's a new shortcut to the Program Compatibility Wizard on the desktop, so you can try and
> make Vista-unaware applications work properly. Microsoft warns, however, that you should not
> use this wizard-based application with older virus detection, backup, or system programs. The
> problem is, many users won't understand what that means. What, exactly, is a "system" program?
>
> Windows Media Center shows, perhaps, the biggest performance improvement of any Vista
> component. The application almost pops to life and, using the "Express" setup option, can be in
> use almost immediately. I won't be trying to put Media Center on my family's Media Center PC
> again until RC1 hits, but it's clear that something wonderful has happened here.
>
> In the Personalize section of Control Panel, there are a number of major improvements. First,
> when you right-click the desktop, you'll see that the Personalize option has a new icon next to
> it, making it more prominent and obvious. In Windows Color and Appearance, the default color
> schemes now have simple color names (Default, Graphite, Blue, Teal, Red, Orange, Pink, and, my
> favorite, Frost). In Desktop Background, all of the background types (Black and White, Light
> Auras, etc.) are together in a single list; you no longer have to choose between each type.
>
> As I had hoped, Microsoft augmented the Windows Aero mouse pointer with large and extra large
> variants. Now if they could just ship black versions too, it would be perfect.
>
> The "shield" icon you see in the system tray for Windows Security Alerts can now be colored
> yellow or red, depending on the level of warning it's trying to communicate. For example, the
> lack of virus protection now rates a yellow warning, and not the more risky red alert.
>
> There's probably more, but I don't want to take away too much from my upcoming RC1 review, and
> to be fair, I've only been working with the build since last night. (Too, I just spent an
> entire day traveling back from France, so I hope it's understandable that this is necessarily
> short.)
>
> Conclusions
> There's no doubt about it: Windows Vista has taken too long to ship, and the first major
> milestone that Microsoft shipped to the public, Beta 2, was a disappointment. Since then, the
> company has shipped three promising interim builds to testers. The latest one, build 5536, an
> RC1 escrow build, is simply wonderful. If this build represents the quality, performance, and
> functionality that users can expect to see in RC1 and the final release, then Microsoft will
> have gone a long way towards making up for its mistakes and miscalculations. My only question
> is why we had to wait so long to see a build this good. If you can get your hands on 5536,
> enjoy it. If not, RC1 will be publicly available. Either way, you likely won't be disappointed.
>
> --Paul Thurrott
> August 25-26, 2006
>
>
> --
> Michael
> ______
> "The trouble ain't that there is too many fools,
> but that the lightning ain't distributed right."
> - Mark Twain
>
>
>

And, I completely disagree with PT's Review of Windows Vista Build 5536,
Just FYI.

P.S. Windows Vista Build 5536 is 100% Stable on my Dell XPS 600, Just FYI.

P.P.S. In Response to Your Earlier Post, Microsoft did Finally Come to
Their Senses, and Changed my Windows Vista Beta Test Status from Declined to
Active, so I am not a Windows Vista Pirate, I acquired Build 5536 The Legal
Way, Just FYI.

"MICHAEL" <u158627_emr@dslr.net> wrote in message
news:OUqIoXtyGHA.4232@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/winvista_5536.asp
>
> Windows Vista Build 5536 Review
> And just like that, we can suddenly see the light at the end of the
> tunnel. All of our hopes, all of our worries, all of whatever feelings we
> may have for Windows Vista are hanging on the edge of a precipice. Will
> they ship it on time? Will they ever ship it? Does it even matter?
>
> Increasingly, the actual ship date for Windows Vista does not matter, but
> not for the reasons you may suspect. Microsoft will ship Windows Vista
> exactly when they want to, according to the schedule they previously laid
> out. They're not delaying it any further, and after releasing the product
> to manufacturing in late October 2006, businesses can expect to get it via
> volume licensing in November, followed by consumers and general
> availability in late January 2007.
>
> Before any of that can happen, however, we have a final milestone to
> cross. It's called Release Candidate 1 (RC1) and I expect to be writing a
> lengthy review of that build--currently slated as build 5552, though of
> course these things change regularly on an ongoing basis--sometime in
> about two weeks. For now, however, we have the next best thing, a pre-RC1
> interim build, 5536, that offers a peak at many of the best changes
> Microsoft has made to Windows Vista since the lackluster Beta 2 build.
> Windows Vista build 5536, by contrast, is a humdinger.
>
> I've been like a bipolar pit bull when it comes to Windows Vista lately.
> Some builds have been fantastic (at least compared to what came
> previously). Some have been positively embarrassingly bad. I just spent
> the past three weeks in France with two Windows Vista-based notebooks and
> it was like being imprisoned with vipers in the dark: I never knew when I
> was going to be bit. Windows Vista build 5472, the previous milestone
> testers received, was, shall we say, performance challenged. There were
> weird issues deleting desktop files. There was a Recent Items entry in the
> Start Menu that, curiously, did not actually contain recently accessed
> items. It was, in short, a bit disappointing.
>
> Windows Vista build 5536, again, is a humdinger.
>
> What's new in build 5536?
> So what's new in 5536, you ask? Performance is better, even much better.
> (Though the three times performance improvement baloney you might have
> read elsewhere is not only impossible but untrue.) It does a much better
> job of finding and correctly installing device drivers: On my main
> desktop, even the sound driver worked automatically after the first
> Windows Update run, a first.
>
> Microsoft's fledgling Windows Live services have been integrated,
> annoyingly, into the system. On the good news front, this "integration"
> isn't as technically silly as what the company did earlier with such
> components as Internet Explorer and Windows Messenger. But it is equally
> annoying.
>
> Instead of installing various Windows Live components by default--which
> would have been a bad move, not just for antitrust reasons, but because of
> their constantly updating nature--Microsoft is including numerous
> shortcuts to various Windows Live services throughout the system. In
> Welcome Center, for example, there is a new "Offers from Microsoft"
> section that includes no fewer than seven icons for Microsoft services,
> five of which are Windows Live services: "Go online to learn about Windows
> Live," "Download Windows Live Toolbar," "Sign up for Windows Live OneCare"
> (which, naturally, doesn't work during the beta anyway), "Go online to
> Windows Marketplace," "Download Windows Live Mail Desktop," "Download
> Windows Live Messenger," and "Sign up online for technical support."
>
> Additionally, there is an item called "Windows Live Messenger Download"
> right in the default Start Menu. As expected, clicking this item launches
> Internet Explorer, which navigates to the Windows Live Messenger download
> page online. Unexpectedly, once you download and install Windows Live
> Messenger, the "Windows Live Messenger Download" link remains in your
> Start Menu. Silly.
>
> And speaking of Internet Explorer, the most annoying aspect of the Windows
> Live integration in Vista occurs in everyone's favorite new Web browser:
> My default, IE 7 launches with two home pages, one in each tab. The first
> and topmost home page is MSN.com, just like before. But the secondary page
> displays the Windows Live Search site. Big deal, right? The problem is
> that by opening two tabs at startup, Microsoft is ensuring that most
> users--i.e. "normal people"--will see an annoying "Do you want to close
> all tabs?" alert dialog every time they close IE. That's just wrong.
>
> (This isn't really notable per se, but IE's About dialog still uses the
> "Internet Explorer 7+" naming that Microsoft says it is dropping.)
>
> User Account Control (UAC) has been dramatically improved and let me be
> among the first to throw out a hearty "thank you" to the UAC team for
> that. Now, instead of the stunningly annoying "pop" that used to occur
> every time one of the UAC alert dialogs appeared, the transition is smooth
> and there is a soft, almost enjoyable, beep sound. This is literally the
> first time I didn't reach for the "remove UAC" option after installing a
> recent Vista build. Bravo.
>
> Special shell folders like Documents, Pictures, Favorites, and Music (but
> not, curiously, the still second rate Videos) are now color coded in
> greenish blue to differentiate them from other folders (which are still
> yellowish). Saved searches are also differentiated, using a soft blue
> color.
>
> Windows Update now prompts you to install Microsoft Update so that you can
> get updates for other Microsoft products, like Microsoft Office, directly
> through Windows Update. If you click on this link, you're brought to a Web
> page, which you have to click a single OK box, and then you're done.
> Simple.
>
> There's a new shortcut to the Program Compatibility Wizard on the desktop,
> so you can try and make Vista-unaware applications work properly.
> Microsoft warns, however, that you should not use this wizard-based
> application with older virus detection, backup, or system programs. The
> problem is, many users won't understand what that means. What, exactly, is
> a "system" program?
>
> Windows Media Center shows, perhaps, the biggest performance improvement
> of any Vista component. The application almost pops to life and, using the
> "Express" setup option, can be in use almost immediately. I won't be
> trying to put Media Center on my family's Media Center PC again until RC1
> hits, but it's clear that something wonderful has happened here.
>
> In the Personalize section of Control Panel, there are a number of major
> improvements. First, when you right-click the desktop, you'll see that the
> Personalize option has a new icon next to it, making it more prominent and
> obvious. In Windows Color and Appearance, the default color schemes now
> have simple color names (Default, Graphite, Blue, Teal, Red, Orange, Pink,
> and, my favorite, Frost). In Desktop Background, all of the background
> types (Black and White, Light Auras, etc.) are together in a single list;
> you no longer have to choose between each type.
>
> As I had hoped, Microsoft augmented the Windows Aero mouse pointer with
> large and extra large variants. Now if they could just ship black versions
> too, it would be perfect.
>
> The "shield" icon you see in the system tray for Windows Security Alerts
> can now be colored yellow or red, depending on the level of warning it's
> trying to communicate. For example, the lack of virus protection now rates
> a yellow warning, and not the more risky red alert.
>
> There's probably more, but I don't want to take away too much from my
> upcoming RC1 review, and to be fair, I've only been working with the build
> since last night. (Too, I just spent an entire day traveling back from
> France, so I hope it's understandable that this is necessarily short.)
>
> Conclusions
> There's no doubt about it: Windows Vista has taken too long to ship, and
> the first major milestone that Microsoft shipped to the public, Beta 2,
> was a disappointment. Since then, the company has shipped three promising
> interim builds to testers. The latest one, build 5536, an RC1 escrow
> build, is simply wonderful. If this build represents the quality,
> performance, and functionality that users can expect to see in RC1 and the
> final release, then Microsoft will have gone a long way towards making up
> for its mistakes and miscalculations. My only question is why we had to
> wait so long to see a build this good. If you can get your hands on 5536,
> enjoy it. If not, RC1 will be publicly available. Either way, you likely
> won't be disappointed.
>
> --Paul Thurrott
> August 25-26, 2006
>
>
> --
> Michael
> ______
> "The trouble ain't that there is too many fools,
> but that the lightning ain't distributed right."
> - Mark Twain
>
>

I would further note that I see no reason why MSDN and Tech Net Plus Should
Not get this Build, Just FYI.

Would somebody care to explain to me why Build 5536 Should Not be Designated
RC1?

Is there some type of Show Stopper Bug in Build 5536? I certainly have Not
Found it yet, Just FYI.

<kevpan815@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:BB32E7A8-DE66-4CB3-BBF6-FB101BDA1FFB@microsoft.com...
> And, I completely disagree with PT's Review of Windows Vista Build 5536,
> Just FYI.
>
> P.S. Windows Vista Build 5536 is 100% Stable on my Dell XPS 600, Just
> FYI.
>
> P.P.S. In Response to Your Earlier Post, Microsoft did Finally Come to
> Their Senses, and Changed my Windows Vista Beta Test Status from Declined
> to Active, so I am not a Windows Vista Pirate, I acquired Build 5536 The
> Legal Way, Just FYI.
>
> "MICHAEL" <u158627_emr@dslr.net> wrote in message
> news:OUqIoXtyGHA.4232@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>> http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/winvista_5536.asp
>>
>> Windows Vista Build 5536 Review
>> And just like that, we can suddenly see the light at the end of the
>> tunnel. All of our hopes, all of our worries, all of whatever feelings we
>> may have for Windows Vista are hanging on the edge of a precipice. Will
>> they ship it on time? Will they ever ship it? Does it even matter?
>>
>> Increasingly, the actual ship date for Windows Vista does not matter, but
>> not for the reasons you may suspect. Microsoft will ship Windows Vista
>> exactly when they want to, according to the schedule they previously laid
>> out. They're not delaying it any further, and after releasing the product
>> to manufacturing in late October 2006, businesses can expect to get it
>> via volume licensing in November, followed by consumers and general
>> availability in late January 2007.
>>
>> Before any of that can happen, however, we have a final milestone to
>> cross. It's called Release Candidate 1 (RC1) and I expect to be writing a
>> lengthy review of that build--currently slated as build 5552, though of
>> course these things change regularly on an ongoing basis--sometime in
>> about two weeks. For now, however, we have the next best thing, a pre-RC1
>> interim build, 5536, that offers a peak at many of the best changes
>> Microsoft has made to Windows Vista since the lackluster Beta 2 build.
>> Windows Vista build 5536, by contrast, is a humdinger.
>>
>> I've been like a bipolar pit bull when it comes to Windows Vista lately.
>> Some builds have been fantastic (at least compared to what came
>> previously). Some have been positively embarrassingly bad. I just spent
>> the past three weeks in France with two Windows Vista-based notebooks and
>> it was like being imprisoned with vipers in the dark: I never knew when I
>> was going to be bit. Windows Vista build 5472, the previous milestone
>> testers received, was, shall we say, performance challenged. There were
>> weird issues deleting desktop files. There was a Recent Items entry in
>> the Start Menu that, curiously, did not actually contain recently
>> accessed items. It was, in short, a bit disappointing.
>>
>> Windows Vista build 5536, again, is a humdinger.
>>
>> What's new in build 5536?
>> So what's new in 5536, you ask? Performance is better, even much better.
>> (Though the three times performance improvement baloney you might have
>> read elsewhere is not only impossible but untrue.) It does a much better
>> job of finding and correctly installing device drivers: On my main
>> desktop, even the sound driver worked automatically after the first
>> Windows Update run, a first.
>>
>> Microsoft's fledgling Windows Live services have been integrated,
>> annoyingly, into the system. On the good news front, this "integration"
>> isn't as technically silly as what the company did earlier with such
>> components as Internet Explorer and Windows Messenger. But it is equally
>> annoying.
>>
>> Instead of installing various Windows Live components by default--which
>> would have been a bad move, not just for antitrust reasons, but because
>> of their constantly updating nature--Microsoft is including numerous
>> shortcuts to various Windows Live services throughout the system. In
>> Welcome Center, for example, there is a new "Offers from Microsoft"
>> section that includes no fewer than seven icons for Microsoft services,
>> five of which are Windows Live services: "Go online to learn about
>> Windows Live," "Download Windows Live Toolbar," "Sign up for Windows Live
>> OneCare" (which, naturally, doesn't work during the beta anyway), "Go
>> online to Windows Marketplace," "Download Windows Live Mail Desktop,"
>> "Download Windows Live Messenger," and "Sign up online for technical
>> support."
>>
>> Additionally, there is an item called "Windows Live Messenger Download"
>> right in the default Start Menu. As expected, clicking this item launches
>> Internet Explorer, which navigates to the Windows Live Messenger download
>> page online. Unexpectedly, once you download and install Windows Live
>> Messenger, the "Windows Live Messenger Download" link remains in your
>> Start Menu. Silly.
>>
>> And speaking of Internet Explorer, the most annoying aspect of the
>> Windows Live integration in Vista occurs in everyone's favorite new Web
>> browser: My default, IE 7 launches with two home pages, one in each tab.
>> The first and topmost home page is MSN.com, just like before. But the
>> secondary page displays the Windows Live Search site. Big deal, right?
>> The problem is that by opening two tabs at startup, Microsoft is ensuring
>> that most users--i.e. "normal people"--will see an annoying "Do you want
>> to close all tabs?" alert dialog every time they close IE. That's just
>> wrong.
>>
>> (This isn't really notable per se, but IE's About dialog still uses the
>> "Internet Explorer 7+" naming that Microsoft says it is dropping.)
>>
>> User Account Control (UAC) has been dramatically improved and let me be
>> among the first to throw out a hearty "thank you" to the UAC team for
>> that. Now, instead of the stunningly annoying "pop" that used to occur
>> every time one of the UAC alert dialogs appeared, the transition is
>> smooth and there is a soft, almost enjoyable, beep sound. This is
>> literally the first time I didn't reach for the "remove UAC" option after
>> installing a recent Vista build. Bravo.
>>
>> Special shell folders like Documents, Pictures, Favorites, and Music (but
>> not, curiously, the still second rate Videos) are now color coded in
>> greenish blue to differentiate them from other folders (which are still
>> yellowish). Saved searches are also differentiated, using a soft blue
>> color.
>>
>> Windows Update now prompts you to install Microsoft Update so that you
>> can get updates for other Microsoft products, like Microsoft Office,
>> directly through Windows Update. If you click on this link, you're
>> brought to a Web page, which you have to click a single OK box, and then
>> you're done. Simple.
>>
>> There's a new shortcut to the Program Compatibility Wizard on the
>> desktop, so you can try and make Vista-unaware applications work
>> properly. Microsoft warns, however, that you should not use this
>> wizard-based application with older virus detection, backup, or system
>> programs. The problem is, many users won't understand what that means.
>> What, exactly, is a "system" program?
>>
>> Windows Media Center shows, perhaps, the biggest performance improvement
>> of any Vista component. The application almost pops to life and, using
>> the "Express" setup option, can be in use almost immediately. I won't be
>> trying to put Media Center on my family's Media Center PC again until RC1
>> hits, but it's clear that something wonderful has happened here.
>>
>> In the Personalize section of Control Panel, there are a number of major
>> improvements. First, when you right-click the desktop, you'll see that
>> the Personalize option has a new icon next to it, making it more
>> prominent and obvious. In Windows Color and Appearance, the default color
>> schemes now have simple color names (Default, Graphite, Blue, Teal, Red,
>> Orange, Pink, and, my favorite, Frost). In Desktop Background, all of the
>> background types (Black and White, Light Auras, etc.) are together in a
>> single list; you no longer have to choose between each type.
>>
>> As I had hoped, Microsoft augmented the Windows Aero mouse pointer with
>> large and extra large variants. Now if they could just ship black
>> versions too, it would be perfect.
>>
>> The "shield" icon you see in the system tray for Windows Security Alerts
>> can now be colored yellow or red, depending on the level of warning it's
>> trying to communicate. For example, the lack of virus protection now
>> rates a yellow warning, and not the more risky red alert.
>>
>> There's probably more, but I don't want to take away too much from my
>> upcoming RC1 review, and to be fair, I've only been working with the
>> build since last night. (Too, I just spent an entire day traveling back
>> from France, so I hope it's understandable that this is necessarily
>> short.)
>>
>> Conclusions
>> There's no doubt about it: Windows Vista has taken too long to ship, and
>> the first major milestone that Microsoft shipped to the public, Beta 2,
>> was a disappointment. Since then, the company has shipped three promising
>> interim builds to testers. The latest one, build 5536, an RC1 escrow
>> build, is simply wonderful. If this build represents the quality,
>> performance, and functionality that users can expect to see in RC1 and
>> the final release, then Microsoft will have gone a long way towards
>> making up for its mistakes and miscalculations. My only question is why
>> we had to wait so long to see a build this good. If you can get your
>> hands on 5536, enjoy it. If not, RC1 will be publicly available. Either
>> way, you likely won't be disappointed.
>>
>> --Paul Thurrott
>> August 25-26, 2006
>>
>>
>> --
>> Michael
>> ______
>> "The trouble ain't that there is too many fools,
>> but that the lightning ain't distributed right."
>> - Mark Twain
>>
>>
>

Maybe the anti-virus thingy?

<kevpan815@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:BB32E7A8-DE66-4CB3-BBF6-FB101BDA1FFB@microsoft.com...
> And, I completely disagree with PT's Review of Windows Vista Build 5536, Just FYI.

WTF are you talking about? Paul said,
"The latest one, build 5536, an
RC1 escrow build, is simply wonderful."

You think 5536 sucks?

> P.S. Windows Vista Build 5536 is 100% Stable on my Dell XPS 600, Just FYI.

That's lovely.

> P.P.S. In Response to Your Earlier Post, Microsoft did Finally Come to Their Senses, and
> Changed my Windows Vista Beta Test Status from Declined to Active, so I am not a Windows
> Vista Pirate, I acquired Build 5536 The Legal Way, Just FYI.

My "earlier post"? WTF are you talking about?

Please, if you really do have some mental problem-
take your medication and/or tell to your doctor that
you are having severe problems.

I have a cousin that is mentally retarded and acts
far better than you do.


--
Michael
______
"The trouble ain't that there is too many fools,
but that the lightning ain't distributed right."
- Mark Twain

I did not read the Whole Story before I replied, but I did notice the
following: "Windows Vista build 5536, by contrast, is a humdinger." That
is the Statement that I disagree with. Sorry, but, I must have mistaken you
with Somebody Else's Post, Just FYI.

"MICHAEL" <u158627_emr@dslr.net> wrote in message
news:%23tSFwjvyGHA.4844@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>
> <kevpan815@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:BB32E7A8-DE66-4CB3-BBF6-FB101BDA1FFB@microsoft.com...
>> And, I completely disagree with PT's Review of Windows Vista Build 5536,
>> Just FYI.
>
> WTF are you talking about? Paul said,
> "The latest one, build 5536, an
> RC1 escrow build, is simply wonderful."
>
> You think 5536 sucks?
>
>> P.S. Windows Vista Build 5536 is 100% Stable on my Dell XPS 600, Just
>> FYI.
>
> That's lovely.
>
>> P.P.S. In Response to Your Earlier Post, Microsoft did Finally Come to
>> Their Senses, and Changed my Windows Vista Beta Test Status from Declined
>> to Active, so I am not a Windows Vista Pirate, I acquired Build 5536 The
>> Legal Way, Just FYI.
>
> My "earlier post"? WTF are you talking about?
>
> Please, if you really do have some mental problem-
> take your medication and/or tell to your doctor that
> you are having severe problems.
>
> I have a cousin that is mentally retarded and acts
> far better than you do.
>
>
> --
> Michael
> ______
> "The trouble ain't that there is too many fools,
> but that the lightning ain't distributed right."
> - Mark Twain
>
>

Not even Windows Live Safety Scanner works with Build 5536, so that must be
it. Bug Report will be filed shortly, Just FYI.

"deebs" <deebs@false.false> wrote in message
news:%23ex1divyGHA.4976@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Maybe the anti-virus thingy?

I Just got my MSDN Official Reply From Andy Boyd in the MSDN Public
Newsgroup, and it looks like MSDN and Microsoft Tech Net Plus Tester's Will
Have to Wait Until RC1 Comes Out in a Few Weeks, Just FYI. Sorry Jason.

<kevpan815@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news4CD46ED-CAB2-44A7-BC29-4FDB8664E26A@microsoft.com...
>I would further note that I see no reason why MSDN and Tech Net Plus Should
>Not get this Build, Just FYI.
>
> Would somebody care to explain to me why Build 5536 Should Not be
> Designated RC1?
>
> Is there some type of Show Stopper Bug in Build 5536? I certainly have
> Not Found it yet, Just FYI.
>
> <kevpan815@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:BB32E7A8-DE66-4CB3-BBF6-FB101BDA1FFB@microsoft.com...
>> And, I completely disagree with PT's Review of Windows Vista Build 5536,
>> Just FYI.
>>
>> P.S. Windows Vista Build 5536 is 100% Stable on my Dell XPS 600, Just
>> FYI.
>>
>> P.P.S. In Response to Your Earlier Post, Microsoft did Finally Come to
>> Their Senses, and Changed my Windows Vista Beta Test Status from Declined
>> to Active, so I am not a Windows Vista Pirate, I acquired Build 5536 The
>> Legal Way, Just FYI.
>>
>> "MICHAEL" <u158627_emr@dslr.net> wrote in message
>> news:OUqIoXtyGHA.4232@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>> http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/winvista_5536.asp
>>>
>>> Windows Vista Build 5536 Review
>>> And just like that, we can suddenly see the light at the end of the
>>> tunnel. All of our hopes, all of our worries, all of whatever feelings
>>> we may have for Windows Vista are hanging on the edge of a precipice.
>>> Will they ship it on time? Will they ever ship it? Does it even matter?
>>>
>>> Increasingly, the actual ship date for Windows Vista does not matter,
>>> but not for the reasons you may suspect. Microsoft will ship Windows
>>> Vista exactly when they want to, according to the schedule they
>>> previously laid out. They're not delaying it any further, and after
>>> releasing the product to manufacturing in late October 2006, businesses
>>> can expect to get it via volume licensing in November, followed by
>>> consumers and general availability in late January 2007.
>>>
>>> Before any of that can happen, however, we have a final milestone to
>>> cross. It's called Release Candidate 1 (RC1) and I expect to be writing
>>> a lengthy review of that build--currently slated as build 5552, though
>>> of course these things change regularly on an ongoing basis--sometime in
>>> about two weeks. For now, however, we have the next best thing, a
>>> pre-RC1 interim build, 5536, that offers a peak at many of the best
>>> changes Microsoft has made to Windows Vista since the lackluster Beta 2
>>> build.
>>> Windows Vista build 5536, by contrast, is a humdinger.
>>>
>>> I've been like a bipolar pit bull when it comes to Windows Vista lately.
>>> Some builds have been fantastic (at least compared to what came
>>> previously). Some have been positively embarrassingly bad. I just spent
>>> the past three weeks in France with two Windows Vista-based notebooks
>>> and it was like being imprisoned with vipers in the dark: I never knew
>>> when I was going to be bit. Windows Vista build 5472, the previous
>>> milestone testers received, was, shall we say, performance challenged.
>>> There were weird issues deleting desktop files. There was a Recent Items
>>> entry in the Start Menu that, curiously, did not actually contain
>>> recently accessed items. It was, in short, a bit disappointing.
>>>
>>> Windows Vista build 5536, again, is a humdinger.
>>>
>>> What's new in build 5536?
>>> So what's new in 5536, you ask? Performance is better, even much better.
>>> (Though the three times performance improvement baloney you might have
>>> read elsewhere is not only impossible but untrue.) It does a much better
>>> job of finding and correctly installing device drivers: On my main
>>> desktop, even the sound driver worked automatically after the first
>>> Windows Update run, a first.
>>>
>>> Microsoft's fledgling Windows Live services have been integrated,
>>> annoyingly, into the system. On the good news front, this "integration"
>>> isn't as technically silly as what the company did earlier with such
>>> components as Internet Explorer and Windows Messenger. But it is equally
>>> annoying.
>>>
>>> Instead of installing various Windows Live components by default--which
>>> would have been a bad move, not just for antitrust reasons, but because
>>> of their constantly updating nature--Microsoft is including numerous
>>> shortcuts to various Windows Live services throughout the system. In
>>> Welcome Center, for example, there is a new "Offers from Microsoft"
>>> section that includes no fewer than seven icons for Microsoft services,
>>> five of which are Windows Live services: "Go online to learn about
>>> Windows Live," "Download Windows Live Toolbar," "Sign up for Windows
>>> Live OneCare" (which, naturally, doesn't work during the beta anyway),
>>> "Go online to Windows Marketplace," "Download Windows Live Mail
>>> Desktop," "Download Windows Live Messenger," and "Sign up online for
>>> technical support."
>>>
>>> Additionally, there is an item called "Windows Live Messenger Download"
>>> right in the default Start Menu. As expected, clicking this item
>>> launches Internet Explorer, which navigates to the Windows Live
>>> Messenger download page online. Unexpectedly, once you download and
>>> install Windows Live Messenger, the "Windows Live Messenger Download"
>>> link remains in your Start Menu. Silly.
>>>
>>> And speaking of Internet Explorer, the most annoying aspect of the
>>> Windows Live integration in Vista occurs in everyone's favorite new Web
>>> browser: My default, IE 7 launches with two home pages, one in each tab.
>>> The first and topmost home page is MSN.com, just like before. But the
>>> secondary page displays the Windows Live Search site. Big deal, right?
>>> The problem is that by opening two tabs at startup, Microsoft is
>>> ensuring that most users--i.e. "normal people"--will see an annoying "Do
>>> you want to close all tabs?" alert dialog every time they close IE.
>>> That's just wrong.
>>>
>>> (This isn't really notable per se, but IE's About dialog still uses the
>>> "Internet Explorer 7+" naming that Microsoft says it is dropping.)
>>>
>>> User Account Control (UAC) has been dramatically improved and let me be
>>> among the first to throw out a hearty "thank you" to the UAC team for
>>> that. Now, instead of the stunningly annoying "pop" that used to occur
>>> every time one of the UAC alert dialogs appeared, the transition is
>>> smooth and there is a soft, almost enjoyable, beep sound. This is
>>> literally the first time I didn't reach for the "remove UAC" option
>>> after installing a recent Vista build. Bravo.
>>>
>>> Special shell folders like Documents, Pictures, Favorites, and Music
>>> (but not, curiously, the still second rate Videos) are now color coded
>>> in greenish blue to differentiate them from other folders (which are
>>> still yellowish). Saved searches are also differentiated, using a soft
>>> blue color.
>>>
>>> Windows Update now prompts you to install Microsoft Update so that you
>>> can get updates for other Microsoft products, like Microsoft Office,
>>> directly through Windows Update. If you click on this link, you're
>>> brought to a Web page, which you have to click a single OK box, and then
>>> you're done. Simple.
>>>
>>> There's a new shortcut to the Program Compatibility Wizard on the
>>> desktop, so you can try and make Vista-unaware applications work
>>> properly. Microsoft warns, however, that you should not use this
>>> wizard-based application with older virus detection, backup, or system
>>> programs. The problem is, many users won't understand what that means.
>>> What, exactly, is a "system" program?
>>>
>>> Windows Media Center shows, perhaps, the biggest performance improvement
>>> of any Vista component. The application almost pops to life and, using
>>> the "Express" setup option, can be in use almost immediately. I won't be
>>> trying to put Media Center on my family's Media Center PC again until
>>> RC1 hits, but it's clear that something wonderful has happened here.
>>>
>>> In the Personalize section of Control Panel, there are a number of major
>>> improvements. First, when you right-click the desktop, you'll see that
>>> the Personalize option has a new icon next to it, making it more
>>> prominent and obvious. In Windows Color and Appearance, the default
>>> color schemes now have simple color names (Default, Graphite, Blue,
>>> Teal, Red, Orange, Pink, and, my favorite, Frost). In Desktop
>>> Background, all of the background types (Black and White, Light Auras,
>>> etc.) are together in a single list; you no longer have to choose
>>> between each type.
>>>
>>> As I had hoped, Microsoft augmented the Windows Aero mouse pointer with
>>> large and extra large variants. Now if they could just ship black
>>> versions too, it would be perfect.
>>>
>>> The "shield" icon you see in the system tray for Windows Security Alerts
>>> can now be colored yellow or red, depending on the level of warning it's
>>> trying to communicate. For example, the lack of virus protection now
>>> rates a yellow warning, and not the more risky red alert.
>>>
>>> There's probably more, but I don't want to take away too much from my
>>> upcoming RC1 review, and to be fair, I've only been working with the
>>> build since last night. (Too, I just spent an entire day traveling back
>>> from France, so I hope it's understandable that this is necessarily
>>> short.)
>>>
>>> Conclusions
>>> There's no doubt about it: Windows Vista has taken too long to ship, and
>>> the first major milestone that Microsoft shipped to the public, Beta 2,
>>> was a disappointment. Since then, the company has shipped three
>>> promising interim builds to testers. The latest one, build 5536, an RC1
>>> escrow build, is simply wonderful. If this build represents the quality,
>>> performance, and functionality that users can expect to see in RC1 and
>>> the final release, then Microsoft will have gone a long way towards
>>> making up for its mistakes and miscalculations. My only question is why
>>> we had to wait so long to see a build this good. If you can get your
>>> hands on 5536, enjoy it. If not, RC1 will be publicly available. Either
>>> way, you likely won't be disappointed.
>>>
>>> --Paul Thurrott
>>> August 25-26, 2006
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Michael
>>> ______
>>> "The trouble ain't that there is too many fools,
>>> but that the lightning ain't distributed right."
>>> - Mark Twain
>>>
>>>
>>
>

It really doesn't bother me that they didn't release this build to TechNet Plus or MSDN. Unlike you, I can wait for RC1 instead of crying about every little build that I do not have access to.
<kevpan815@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:ED572268-B48E-4461-AC65-440DEB9BDF55@microsoft.com...
I Just got my MSDN Official Reply From Andy Boyd in the MSDN Public
Newsgroup, and it looks like MSDN and Microsoft Tech Net Plus Tester's Will
Have to Wait Until RC1 Comes Out in a Few Weeks, Just FYI. Sorry Jason.

<kevpan815@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news4CD46ED-CAB2-44A7-BC29-4FDB8664E26A@microsoft.com...
>I would further note that I see no reason why MSDN and Tech Net Plus Should
>Not get this Build, Just FYI.
>
> Would somebody care to explain to me why Build 5536 Should Not be
> Designated RC1?
>
> Is there some type of Show Stopper Bug in Build 5536? I certainly have
> Not Found it yet, Just FYI.
>
> <kevpan815@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:BB32E7A8-DE66-4CB3-BBF6-FB101BDA1FFB@microsoft.com...
>> And, I completely disagree with PT's Review of Windows Vista Build 5536,
>> Just FYI.
>>
>> P.S. Windows Vista Build 5536 is 100% Stable on my Dell XPS 600, Just
>> FYI.
>>
>> P.P.S. In Response to Your Earlier Post, Microsoft did Finally Come to
>> Their Senses, and Changed my Windows Vista Beta Test Status from Declined
>> to Active, so I am not a Windows Vista Pirate, I acquired Build 5536 The
>> Legal Way, Just FYI.
>>
>> "MICHAEL" <u158627_emr@dslr.net> wrote in message
>> news:OUqIoXtyGHA.4232@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>> http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/winvista_5536.asp
>>>
>>> Windows Vista Build 5536 Review
>>> And just like that, we can suddenly see the light at the end of the
>>> tunnel. All of our hopes, all of our worries, all of whatever feelings
>>> we may have for Windows Vista are hanging on the edge of a precipice.
>>> Will they ship it on time? Will they ever ship it? Does it even matter?
>>>
>>> Increasingly, the actual ship date for Windows Vista does not matter,
>>> but not for the reasons you may suspect. Microsoft will ship Windows
>>> Vista exactly when they want to, according to the schedule they
>>> previously laid out. They're not delaying it any further, and after
>>> releasing the product to manufacturing in late October 2006, businesses
>>> can expect to get it via volume licensing in November, followed by
>>> consumers and general availability in late January 2007.
>>>
>>> Before any of that can happen, however, we have a final milestone to
>>> cross. It's called Release Candidate 1 (RC1) and I expect to be writing
>>> a lengthy review of that build--currently slated as build 5552, though
>>> of course these things change regularly on an ongoing basis--sometime in
>>> about two weeks. For now, however, we have the next best thing, a
>>> pre-RC1 interim build, 5536, that offers a peak at many of the best
>>> changes Microsoft has made to Windows Vista since the lackluster Beta 2
>>> build.
>>> Windows Vista build 5536, by contrast, is a humdinger.
>>>
>>> I've been like a bipolar pit bull when it comes to Windows Vista lately.
>>> Some builds have been fantastic (at least compared to what came
>>> previously). Some have been positively embarrassingly bad. I just spent
>>> the past three weeks in France with two Windows Vista-based notebooks
>>> and it was like being imprisoned with vipers in the dark: I never knew
>>> when I was going to be bit. Windows Vista build 5472, the previous
>>> milestone testers received, was, shall we say, performance challenged.
>>> There were weird issues deleting desktop files. There was a Recent Items
>>> entry in the Start Menu that, curiously, did not actually contain
>>> recently accessed items. It was, in short, a bit disappointing.
>>>
>>> Windows Vista build 5536, again, is a humdinger.
>>>
>>> What's new in build 5536?
>>> So what's new in 5536, you ask? Performance is better, even much better.
>>> (Though the three times performance improvement baloney you might have
>>> read elsewhere is not only impossible but untrue.) It does a much better
>>> job of finding and correctly installing device drivers: On my main
>>> desktop, even the sound driver worked automatically after the first
>>> Windows Update run, a first.
>>>
>>> Microsoft's fledgling Windows Live services have been integrated,
>>> annoyingly, into the system. On the good news front, this "integration"
>>> isn't as technically silly as what the company did earlier with such
>>> components as Internet Explorer and Windows Messenger. But it is equally
>>> annoying.
>>>
>>> Instead of installing various Windows Live components by default--which
>>> would have been a bad move, not just for antitrust reasons, but because
>>> of their constantly updating nature--Microsoft is including numerous
>>> shortcuts to various Windows Live services throughout the system. In
>>> Welcome Center, for example, there is a new "Offers from Microsoft"
>>> section that includes no fewer than seven icons for Microsoft services,
>>> five of which are Windows Live services: "Go online to learn about
>>> Windows Live," "Download Windows Live Toolbar," "Sign up for Windows
>>> Live OneCare" (which, naturally, doesn't work during the beta anyway),
>>> "Go online to Windows Marketplace," "Download Windows Live Mail
>>> Desktop," "Download Windows Live Messenger," and "Sign up online for
>>> technical support."
>>>
>>> Additionally, there is an item called "Windows Live Messenger Download"
>>> right in the default Start Menu. As expected, clicking this item
>>> launches Internet Explorer, which navigates to the Windows Live
>>> Messenger download page online. Unexpectedly, once you download and
>>> install Windows Live Messenger, the "Windows Live Messenger Download"
>>> link remains in your Start Menu. Silly.
>>>
>>> And speaking of Internet Explorer, the most annoying aspect of the
>>> Windows Live integration in Vista occurs in everyone's favorite new Web
>>> browser: My default, IE 7 launches with two home pages, one in each tab.
>>> The first and topmost home page is MSN.com, just like before. But the
>>> secondary page displays the Windows Live Search site. Big deal, right?
>>> The problem is that by opening two tabs at startup, Microsoft is
>>> ensuring that most users--i.e. "normal people"--will see an annoying "Do
>>> you want to close all tabs?" alert dialog every time they close IE.
>>> That's just wrong.
>>>
>>> (This isn't really notable per se, but IE's About dialog still uses the
>>> "Internet Explorer 7+" naming that Microsoft says it is dropping.)
>>>
>>> User Account Control (UAC) has been dramatically improved and let me be
>>> among the first to throw out a hearty "thank you" to the UAC team for
>>> that. Now, instead of the stunningly annoying "pop" that used to occur
>>> every time one of the UAC alert dialogs appeared, the transition is
>>> smooth and there is a soft, almost enjoyable, beep sound. This is
>>> literally the first time I didn't reach for the "remove UAC" option
>>> after installing a recent Vista build. Bravo.
>>>
>>> Special shell folders like Documents, Pictures, Favorites, and Music
>>> (but not, curiously, the still second rate Videos) are now color coded
>>> in greenish blue to differentiate them from other folders (which are
>>> still yellowish). Saved searches are also differentiated, using a soft
>>> blue color.
>>>
>>> Windows Update now prompts you to install Microsoft Update so that you
>>> can get updates for other Microsoft products, like Microsoft Office,
>>> directly through Windows Update. If you click on this link, you're
>>> brought to a Web page, which you have to click a single OK box, and then
>>> you're done. Simple.
>>>
>>> There's a new shortcut to the Program Compatibility Wizard on the
>>> desktop, so you can try and make Vista-unaware applications work
>>> properly. Microsoft warns, however, that you should not use this
>>> wizard-based application with older virus detection, backup, or system
>>> programs. The problem is, many users won't understand what that means.
>>> What, exactly, is a "system" program?
>>>
>>> Windows Media Center shows, perhaps, the biggest performance improvement
>>> of any Vista component. The application almost pops to life and, using
>>> the "Express" setup option, can be in use almost immediately. I won't be
>>> trying to put Media Center on my family's Media Center PC again until
>>> RC1 hits, but it's clear that something wonderful has happened here.
>>>
>>> In the Personalize section of Control Panel, there are a number of major
>>> improvements. First, when you right-click the desktop, you'll see that
>>> the Personalize option has a new icon next to it, making it more
>>> prominent and obvious. In Windows Color and Appearance, the default
>>> color schemes now have simple color names (Default, Graphite, Blue,
>>> Teal, Red, Orange, Pink, and, my favorite, Frost). In Desktop
>>> Background, all of the background types (Black and White, Light Auras,
>>> etc.) are together in a single list; you no longer have to choose
>>> between each type.
>>>
>>> As I had hoped, Microsoft augmented the Windows Aero mouse pointer with
>>> large and extra large variants. Now if they could just ship black
>>> versions too, it would be perfect.
>>>
>>> The "shield" icon you see in the system tray for Windows Security Alerts
>>> can now be colored yellow or red, depending on the level of warning it's
>>> trying to communicate. For example, the lack of virus protection now
>>> rates a yellow warning, and not the more risky red alert.
>>>
>>> There's probably more, but I don't want to take away too much from my
>>> upcoming RC1 review, and to be fair, I've only been working with the
>>> build since last night. (Too, I just spent an entire day traveling back
>>> from France, so I hope it's understandable that this is necessarily
>>> short.)
>>>
>>> Conclusions
>>> There's no doubt about it: Windows Vista has taken too long to ship, and
>>> the first major milestone that Microsoft shipped to the public, Beta 2,
>>> was a disappointment. Since then, the company has shipped three
>>> promising interim builds to testers. The latest one, build 5536, an RC1
>>> escrow build, is simply wonderful. If this build represents the quality,
>>> performance, and functionality that users can expect to see in RC1 and
>>> the final release, then Microsoft will have gone a long way towards
>>> making up for its mistakes and miscalculations. My only question is why
>>> we had to wait so long to see a build this good. If you can get your
>>> hands on 5536, enjoy it. If not, RC1 will be publicly available. Either
>>> way, you likely won't be disappointed.
>>>
>>> --Paul Thurrott
>>> August 25-26, 2006
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Michael
>>> ______
>>> "The trouble ain't that there is too many fools,
>>> but that the lightning ain't distributed right."
>>> - Mark Twain
>>>
>>>
>>
>