Vista Service Pack 1, Ready? Article 2 of 2

Security: Better Protection against Virus, Hacker and Others

Vista relatively more secure than XP. Even though, SP1 persist to do some improvement in every security aspect.

• Encrypt All Data: If we want to use Windows BitLocker encryption program, user must have Vista Ultimate version or Enterprise. This version is far more expensive compare with Home Premium version. If you don’t have any of the above versions mentioned but still want get Vista encryption feature, you’ll just have to use another program.

• Better Update: Vista is the first operating system from Microsoft that being developed with SDL (Secure Development Lifecycle) concept. SDL is the new security strategy from Microsoft. Since this new development system, Microsoft engineer’s make analysis about the newest threat that potentially occurred in the future.

• Accurate Information: To knowing whether antivirus or firewall had been activate or update, Vista doesn’t inform it trough Security Center again. These new techniques start being implemented in SP1. The reason, in some cases, suspicious software can modified application status in System Center. So, Windows will show green light although the truth is firewall still not active. This security tools report its status to windows using safer interface. With SP1, user can be more relax if Windows report everything in OK status.

Stability: Starting SP1, Vista will be more stable

• No More Data Lost Problem: Before user unplug USB flash disk, the procedure to unplug this device must be do it from a tools. Many times, this procedure causing Vista shows blue screen. If USB flash drive directly unplug, date inside it might be loss. With SP1, Microsoft corrected Vista cache management, especially to NTFS media. But then, USB still prohibit to be directly unplugged just like that.

• Better Driver: Driver problem and software from other developer are the first result that causing crash. With SP1, compability problem nearly fixed. In fact, Microsoft already updated their driver for wireless device to support WLAN connect. In wireless networking, SP1 improve the scalable range to better performance.

• Support New Hardware: Beside offering many bugfix, SP1 also increase the supporting of new hardware. Now Vista SP1 can read media that using new file system such as exFAT. So, Windows can be used as storage media with big capabilities, especially for flash memory card and USB flash disk. In fact, Vista can also read SD Card using SD ADMA technology that offers high speed transfer with low processor bandwidth.

Vista Service Pack 1, Ready? Article 1 of 2

Right now, Windows Vista still not so popular. There are many users that still loyal to Windows XP. But, Microsoft claimed that they had sold for more than 100 million licenses since the beginning of Vista released. Vista that already been sold usually bundle with new PC or Notebook, not from a retail selling

Survey result from independent institution said that over 22 percent consumer disappointed because there are lot of program that not compatible with Windows Vista. This complaint is not fully wrong, because even though users try to resolve their problem by using XP emulator, the program still cannot run on Vista.

One year after Vista released, Microsoft release Service Pack 1 (SP1) that will bring back the trust of those disapointed users, Windows Vista will be better, that’s a promise from Microsoft. At a glance, it seem doesn’t have a lot of changing after SP1 installed. But, the inside component had trough lot of changing. This operating system promises performance, security and better stability. How big its improvement, lets see the review.

Performance: Faster Vista with SP1

To use Windows Vista, Microsoft suggests PC with minimums processor 800MHz, RAM 512 MB, and a graphic card with DiretX9 support. But in reality, Vista just only running well with Dual Core processor and at least 1GB RAM. In fact, although with fast computer also still there is issue around Vista performance. For example, while user listens to their favorite music on notebook, Vista will consume lot of electric from notebook battery. Beside that, Vista booting process is very slow. Provident resource, stable and fast is still mined by Windows XP. But with SP1, Microsoft promises Vista will be better and better.

• Faster copying process: Generally, a hard drive can transfer data about 25MB per second. But, this speed can be acquired when there is no “limitations” from Vista. Because of the lack optimality from Vista, copying data at this transfer rate can’t be achieved. Now Microsoft already resolves that problem. This is one of the advantages from Vista SP1.

Microsoft claimed, data can be copied 25 percent faster from local computer and 50 percent faster for use in networking. Beside that, information at data being copy also been fixed. Before, information about how long data being transfer also not accurate. With SP1, information time is more accurate, although there is still little different about couple second.

• Enjoying music more: Right now, it is becoming standardization on computer that can do multitasking job in pararel. But in Vista, there is some application that need to uses lot of resource and memory, processing audio file can be interrupted. Why could this happen? Media Player as a tools audio player get the smallest CPI time to decode MP3.

The result, music that played will sound jammed even though we are using a faster system. With SP1, Microsoft can resolve this problem and substitute CPU Time for reproduction audio and video. Don’t worry about another application becoming slow. Windows divide CPU Time with fair for all application that running.

• Notebook life longer: Notebook user can be happy to hear this news. With SP1, battery notebook will last longer. To achieve this result, Vista SP1 optimizes the greediest component and that is display. In here, CPU will be activate in sleep mode incase display screen doesn’t change in the period of time. Before, screen and CPU always on and working. SP1 also resolve a bug that happen to several chipset video. If a program continuously access VSync-Interrupt, system cannot go to Sleep Mode even though that access not really in need.

Hard drive becoming the second component that consume a lot of energy. Apparently, Microsoft had been repaired this section although the result still not maximum. In some cases before, hard drive still working although standby mode already been activate. With SP1, Microsoft also makes perfection in compability hard drive problem using Hybrid SSD (Solid State Disk). This kind hard drive has a large cache that will function as temporary place. Before this component has a problem while computer on Standby Mode.

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