Newsflash: Microsoft Ships First Post-Beta 2 Build of Vista

Late Friday, Microsoft shipped Windows Vista build 5456, its first post-Beta 2 version of the next major Windows release. Build 5456 includes many functional improvements beyond Beta 2. In fact, after a weekend of testing the build, I'm concerned that Microsoft didn't wait and release this build as its Vista public release.

Vista build 5456 is the first to showcase Microsoft's quick-install technology: The build installs in 30 minutes, or about half the time of previous builds. In use, the build is more stable and offers much better performance than Beta 2 does.

Although there are no major functional changes, there are quite a few small changes. Microsoft has updated most of the applications, including Movie Maker, to match the Vista look and feel; you can see numerous new icons all around the system. The networking functionality is smarter about detecting public networks and quicker to find home networking resources. Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 7 now includes the ability to drag and drop tabs. And Windows shell fans will be delighted to discover that List View is back.

I won't be reviewing build 5456 per se, but I've written up an overview and posted a screenshot gallery, both of which are available at the SuperSite for Windows, at the URL below. I'll be incorporating information about build 5456 into my continuing Beta 2 review.

SuperSite for Windows.

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WINFS IS DEAD! AHAHAHAHAHA! All future betas are cancelled!

http://blogs.msdn.com/winfs/

Microsoft, the company that lies about features then cancels them later. When is Vista coming again? First quarter of 2007 now?

Company is DYING. All the execs are jumping ship. God, even Intel is now in bed with Apple.

bonch June 24, 2006 (Article Rating:

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Oh, I forgot my trademark:

Have fun waiting mid-2007 to get a minor update to your six year old operating system.

Meanwhile, I'll be using a clean, modern operating system on modern hardware that doesn't rely on 25 year old BIOS technology to go into sleep mode.

No wonder analysts are predicting a Mac market share explosion this year, particularly in MacBook sales. We've already got 15% worldwide install base...it's only a matter of time before you all see the light and buy a Mac too. They dual-boot to Windows, so you still get to play your goofy shooting games.

Windows is for playing little videogames like The Sims, while OS X is for getting serious work done.

bonch June 24, 2006 (Article Rating:

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"OS X is for getting serious work done."

Are you on Windows at the moment, or are you calling your trolling work?

Benn21uk June 24, 2006 (Article Rating:

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"Are you on Windows at the moment, or are you calling your trolling work?"

Nice try, but criticizing Microsoft for this latest HUGE gaffe isn't trolling.

You guys won't be getting a relational database file system, as Microsoft has promised you for the last half-decade. Are you going to call them on their lie?

More importantly, since Apple shipped CoreData in OS X Tiger, there's a high probability they'll be using the technology to implement their own relational database filesystem in OS X Leopard. Do you realize how humiliating it will be for you guys to have Apple kick dirt in Microsoft's face yet again?

bonch June 24, 2006 (Article Rating:

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Hey guys, you can still have a content indexed file system in Windows. Just use Apple's Spotlight. Here I'm naturally assuming everyone will own a Macbook and be running Windows in a VM (in Lion or Parallels). In that case, as long as the disks are shared, you can just content index the Windows files in Mac OS X.

Problem solved!

bonch June 24, 2006 (Article Rating:

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"Hey guys, you can still have a content indexed file system in Windows."

Yes. Turn on Indexing Service, which was released in 1997 as part of the NT Option Pack and part of the OS since Windows 2000.

Next?

PatriotB6007 June 24, 2006 (Article Rating:

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"Are you going to call them on their lie?"

Clarification: Since you obviously did not objectively read the article, let me explain in simple words that you can understand: WinFS will exist. It will not ship as a separate product. It will be combined with other products. Eventually, it will replace the current file system, but the development will take more time. Do I need to repeat?

"Oh, I forgot my trademark:

Have fun waiting mid-2007 to get a minor update to your six year old operating system."

Yes, and I need to repeat my trademark:

bonch, have fun waiting mid-2007 to get a minor update to your six year old operating system (known as OS 10)."

"More importantly, since Apple shipped CoreData in OS X Tiger, there's a high probability they'll be using the technology to implement their own relational database filesystem in OS X Leopard."

Yes, and OS 10.5 will enable pigs to fly, time to be slowed, and will do your household chores. Its ALL A RUMOR!!!! Maybe it will be, maybe not. Apple never lets its users know all the features in its next $129 yearly service pack.

On topic, I hope this build will show positive changes in the UAP. MS was demoeing some nice improvements for RC1, but I am hoping it is in this build. With all its shortcomings, Vista will be the most advanced,secure (I hope!), modern operating system on the market when it is released, IMO.

NateB2 June 25, 2006 (Article Rating:

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It will be interesting to see what the delta is between builds.

For the time being I'm pretty happy with windows 2000 R2 (aka Windows XP) If it looks like Vista isn't going to cut the mustard, I might just install Windows Server 2003 R2 and configure it as a workstation. Even the 32bit version supports 4GB of RAM, which is useful when doing data mining.

Webdev511 June 25, 2006 (Article Rating:

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"Yes. Turn on Indexing Service, which was released in 1997 as part of the NT Option Pack and part of the OS since Windows 2000."

That's not metadata indexing.

Next.

bonch June 25, 2006 (Article Rating:

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"Clarification: Since you obviously did not objectively read the article, let me explain in simple words that you can understand: WinFS will exist."

No, it will not. WinFS will instead be rolled into SQL Server, and Windows Vista will not be getting a relational database filesystem, which is what WinFS stood for--Windows Future Storage.

The Microsoft fanbois are in total denial! This is HILARIOUS!

"Eventually, it will replace the current file system, but the development will take more time."

No, it won't replace the current file system. It will not be released as a separate technology and will instead be in SQL Server. You guys got gypped by the lying Microsoft hype machine again.

bonch June 25, 2006 (Article Rating:

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