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![]() Windows XP Service Pack 1 Since its launch there have been numerous updates and fixes for XP. Now you can get them all at once with SP1. Every version of Windows so far has had a 'mid-life kicker' to bring it up to date and fix bugs that came to light after its initial release. In the case of Windows 95 it was OSR2, exclusively available through OEMs; Windows 98 had Second Edition, available over the counter but only as a full-price product. For Windows XP there's Service Pack 1, and this time it is available to everybody free of charge. At least it's free if you're willing to download up to 134Mb of files from the web. SP1 What's in it? XP Service Pack 1 (SP1 for short) is not a rewrite of Windows. Basically, it's the collected critical and security updates which were available for download via Windows Update between August 2001 and August 2002, plus most of the optional updates from the same period. The other changes in SP1 are mainly for Microsoft's benefit, not yours. They relate to Microsoft's ongoing battle against software piracy and the company's need to comply with the consent decree it signed with the US Department of Justice in November 2001. The consent decree stipulates that system vendors should be able to selectively hide or display five of the integrated Microsoft programs which are not strictly part of the Windows operating system. Dubbed 'middleware' these five programs are Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Windows Messenger, Microsoft Java virtual machine and Outlook Express. By using the selection mechanism Microsoft has built into SP1 system builders can offer alternative programs from the likes of AOL and Sun Microsystems on new computers, but this has absolutely no impact on existing systems because the only way an alternative web browser or Java engine can be selected is if the provider of the replacement software has written it specifically to register with the API's in SP1. As none of the software already on your PC has been written with this in mind you can't use it to replace Microsoft's in-house offerings. The legal pressures forcing Microsoft to take a more relaxed approach in its dealings with rival software houses seem to have made the company more determined than ever to crack down on software piracy. When Windows XP was introduced Microsoft insisted that the protection afforded by its product activation system was foolproof, but hacked versions of XP have been widely available on the web. Most of the illegal copies were cobbled together by replacing key sections of code in OEM versions of Windows XP with hacked files that made the OEM installation behave like a volume-licensed corporate edition, unrestricted by product activation. Since the serial numbers of the widely-circulated pirate copies of XP are well known, Microsoft has included a test for them in the SP1 update, and neither SP1 nor future updates from the Windows Update web site can be applied to recognisable rogue installations. In this way Microsoft is locking pirated software out of the update loop without taking the heavy-handed step of disabling it entirely. What's in it for you? 'Support for new technology' is the catchphrase, and it's true that installing SP1 enables you to use USB2 ports and devices on your Windows XP machine. This facility has been available for some time using downloaded updates and drivers bundled with USB2 upgrade cards and hardware but it's nice to bring USB2 into the Microsoft fold of certificated equipment and signed drivers. Application programming interfaces have been incorporated in SP1 for Tablet PCs, Freestyle computers (which we're now told we must learn to call Media Center PCs), and wireless Mira handheld computers that offer roaming access to a PC anywhere in the home. Though the API's for these devices are in SP1 the actual code isn't. This is supplied with the hardware. All three technologies relate to new, specialised forms of computer. They are dedicated devices that are not available in upgrade form for standard PCs, and probably never will be, so it's hard to see why support for them needs to be incorporated in a service pack for ordinary PCs. The one-size-fits-all concept has never worked, and in computer operating systems as in sweatshirts the majority of users will end up looking lost in something that's too big for them. The Tablet PC has never caught on in any of its previous incarnations, and Hewlett Packard is the only vendor with any real interest in the Freestyle concept (the company launched its first Media Center on the same day that SP1 was released). Mira is an interesting concept but not one that needs to be supported in today's PCs until cheap intelligent electronic devices that can remotely communicate with a master PC are actually on the shelves. We can find no sweeteners in SP1. No goodies to attract the punter; not even a new deck of cards for Solitaire or a new top for the aging Space Cadet pinball table. The enhancements you might have hoped for (we all seem to have our own wish lists of Windows features) have not materialised. Support for MP3 files remains incomplete, anti-virus protection is still missing (so why bother with the firewall), and DVD playback still relies on the user first installing a third-party software decoder. The main benefit of installing SP1 is that you end up with a new baseline from which to keep Windows XP up to scratch by frequent visits to the Windows Update site. There's also a useful concession if you're worried about upgrading your PC so much that you might accidentally trigger product activation. With SP1 installed you are not immediately locked out of your PC. Instead you get three days to contact Microsoft and reactivate your system. Do you need SP1? Most users don't need Windows SP1 but this won't stop them wanting it on their machines. SP1 conveniently packages a host of essential and ancillary updates in a single install for those who haven't been upgrading on the fly from the Windows Update site. You won't need SP1 if you bought your PC after October 2002 because it will almost certainly have been pre-installed in the factory, and if you have recently purchased a boxed copy of Windows XP it will have the SP1 upgrade 'slipstreamed' onto the installation CD so that it seamlessly installs itself along with the OS. |
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TERMS
AND CONDITIONS OF SOFTWARE USE Windows XP SP1 ("Software") is owned by and is the copyrighted work of Microsoft Corporation and/or its suppliers and is protected by copyright laws and international treaty provisions. Your use of the Software is governed by the terms of the end user license agreement, if any, which accompanies or is included with the Software ("License Agreement"). You may not install or use any Software that is accompanied by or includes a License Agreement unless you first agree to the License Agreement terms. For any Software not accompanied by a license agreement, Microsoft Corporation hereby grants to you, the user, a revocable personal, non-transferable license to use the Software in accordance with these Terms of Use, and for no other purpose provided that you keep intact all copyright and other proprietary notices. Any reproduction or redistribution of the content and/or Software is expressly prohibited by law, and may result in severe civil and criminal penalties. Violators will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, COPYING OR REPRODUCTION OF THE CONTENT OR SOFTWARE TO ANY OTHER SERVER OR LOCATION FOR FURTHER REPRODUCTION OR REDISTRIBUTION IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED. You acknowledge that the Software, and any accompanying documentation and/or technical information, is subject to applicable export control laws and regulations of the USA. You agree not to export or re-export the Software, directly or indirectly, to any countries that are subject to USA export restrictions. LIABILITY DISCLAIMER THE, SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT CORPORATION AND/OR ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPLIERS HEREBY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS WITH REGARD TO THIS INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OF SATISFACTORY QUALITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WORKMANLIKE EFFORT, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT AND/OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF MICROSOFT OR ANY OF ITS SUPPLIERS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGES. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT SHALL EXCLUDE OR LIMIT MICROSOFT CORPORATIONS LIABILITY FOR DEATH OR PERSONAL INJURY CAUSED BY ITS NEGLIGENCE. This CD is designed to be used on Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows ME, and is optimised for use with MicrosoftâInternet Explorer. The software contained on this CD is provided free of charge, 'as-is', without any warranties express or implied. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT AND/OR ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER , INCLUDING SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, RESULTING FROM THE POSSESSION OR USE OF THIS CD. COPYRIGHT NOTICE. Copyright © 2002 Microsoft Corporation and/or its suppliers, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington 98052-6399 U.S.A. All rights reserved. TRADEMARKS. Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, and/or other Microsoft products referenced herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft. |
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