Microsoft to offer Windows 7 upgrade deals

Microsoft announced Tuesday that Windows 7 will start selling on October 22. They also announced that they will offer a special deal to consumers who buy a computer with Vista before the launch of the new OS.

"This program enables participating retailers and OEMs to offer a special deal to upgrade to Windows 7 for customers purchasing a qualifying PC," said Microsoft spokesman Brandon LeBlanc in a post made on the Windows 7 blog.

Details about the cost and eligibility requirements are still unknown and Microsoft has yet to say anything else.

Vista SP 2 now available

I think I may be one of the few people on earth especially in my field, that likes Windows Vista. If there are any others out there, this is good news for you. Windows Vista Service Pack 2 is now available for download.

You can download SP2 from Microsoft's Web site or it will be automatically delivered to your computer via Windows Update within a few weeks. The update weighs in at 384mb and you must have Vista SP1 installed on your system to install SP2.

Vista SP2 also:

• Fixes Wi-Fi issues when Vista awakes from sleep mode.
• Support for recording Blu-ray discs straight from the OS
• Bug fixes that address slow shutdowns and mysterious crashes.
• Updated support for Bluetooth v2.1
• Improves performance of Vista desktop sidebar gadget allowing RSS feeds to perform better.
• Addresses overall Vista system performance issues. Microsoft says SP2 repairs nearly 700 nagging Vista bugs and security updates.
• Boosts power management efficiency by 10%.
• Adds support for VIA Technologies' new 64-bit CPU
• Allows Vista to support exFAT, which can handle larger files and can also use UTC timestamps so you can synchronize files across different time zones.