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Windows Vista RC1 (build 5564) should mark the final stretch for Microsoft's new operating system, but don't be surprised if Microsoft issues one more public release candidate before making Windows Vista final.
CNET editors' take
- Reviewed on: 09/01/2006
The term Release Candidate is given to software considered to be feature complete and stable and, if no major bugs are found, is usually followed in short order with the Release to Manufacture (RtM) version (for OEM vendors) and final code (for sale to the general public). But unlike the release of Windows XP RC1 on July 2, 2001, when Microsoft issued a press release announcing 115 days until Windows XP's final release (a promise it kept), Microsoft is still unable to provide an exact date for the final release of Windows Vista, although the online retailer Amazon is taking preorders for with a release date of January 30, 2007. Windows Vista RC1 feels a little unbaked and could probably benefit from more user testing.
For this First Take, CNET had access to Windows Vista RC1 (build 5564), which may or may not be the same build number released to the public, and is a more mature build than the pre-RC1 released to the public at the end of August. For a look inside, see our Windows Vista RC1 slide show.
Windows Vista RC1 features fit and finish, mostly trivial improvements when compared with Windows Vista Beta 2. For example, there's an icon in the task tray to restore the Sidebar feature when it's disabled, and there's tighter integration with the Windows Live family of online services, such as Windows Live OneCare. The real improvements are under the hood and are present in increased performance and greater stability.
Our installation of Windows Vista RC1 onto a dual-core Acer TravelMate 8200 laptop was fast; RC1 installed onto a clean partition in about 30 minutes as opposed to 45 minutes for Beta 2. After a series of questions--such as choice of account name, PC name, and wallpaper--Vista launches with the familiar Sidebar gadgets of a digital clock, photo gallery, and RSS along the right-hand side of the desktop, on by default. All of our laptop's drivers installed during installation and did not, as in previous builds, require us to search for updates. New to the desktop is an icon for the Windows Vista compatibility wizard (see below), where you can configure your favorite software to run on the new operating system.
Also new are the introductory sounds when booting into and exiting Vista; these are not the final musical cues for Vista, just placeholders, but sounds have been noticeably absent in previous builds. There's a built-in screensaver now, and you'll notice more fading in and out when accessing the desktop. And we also found Vista's ability to sleep and wake up is much improved in build 5564; previously we've had to reboot our laptop, thereby losing our previous sessions.
The Welcome Center, which greets new users upon bootup, includes the standard help features, such as how to configure your network, your printer, and connect to the Internet. New are links to Microsoft Windows Live online services, such as Windows Live OneCare, Windows Live Messenger, and Windows Live Mail (formerly Hotmail).
The Program Compatibility wizard identifies third-party software on your desktop and, if necessary, creates a "Vista shim" to fool the program into thinking it's running on an older operating system, perhaps the OS it was designed to run on. It's a clever idea. However, I think malicious coders may find a way to exploit this feature in the future. This is one of a few security concerns I have with this supposedly secure operating system from Microsoft.
User Account Control
While maintaining that Vista is the most secure operating system it's released to date, Microsoft has also backed off in this RC1 release on its aggressive User Account Control (UAC) protection. Previously, some early testers had complained that access to most features was blocked by an annoying message asking the user to obtain permission or, if the user was already an administrator, to simply click through a warning dialog box first. Worse, while the UAC message appears, the entire desktop darkens so that one has to acknowledge the message before continuing. In our testing, RC1 (build 5564) has introduced some graphic distortion every time a UAC message appears onscreen; while this distortion is minor, it wasn't apparent in previous builds and will need to be fixed before final release. Overall, Microsoft has relaxed its criteria for issuing a UAC warning within RC1; for example, you'll no longer see a UAC warning whenever you delete an icon from the desktop. A list of other UAC changes in RC1 can be found in this blog. As administrator, it is also possible to turn off the User Account Control completely.
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