Custom Computer...of Fall River

Microsoft could pull the trigger on putting out a beta of the first service pack for Windows Vista any day with a final release by November, sources close to the company said. Microsoft has been mum about exactly what will be included in Windows Vista Service Pack 1, a rollup of updates for the OS, many of which are pushed out automatically through its Web-based update services. The company also has not said when the software will be in final release -- the latest from the company revealed only that a beta will be out sometime before the end of the year. The WinBeta.org blog reported Tuesday in a post that Microsoft 's WDK (Windows Driver Kit) team sent out an email to beta testers that a new build of the WDK was being released to them to coincide "with the recent OS beta release for Vista SP1 Preview," hinting that SP1 beta is soon to be sent to testers.

Others speculate Microsoft might release the SP1 beta Thursday, the day it will report the company's fiscal 2007 fourth quarter and year-end financial results. In an interview Wednesday, one source close to the company said he had been told by insiders that a beta of SP1 would be out by now, so an imminent release is highly likely. And another source said that beta testers report SP1 will definitely be out this week with a final release coming in November or December.

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News source: InfoWorld

Worldwide PC shipments totaled 61.1 million units in the second quarter of 2007, an increase of 11.7% on year, according to preliminary results gathered by research firm Gartner. Figures from International Data Corporation (IDC) put the increase at 12.5%. According to Gartner, the worldwide market continued to be driven by strong consumer PC growth. Mobile PC demand remained strong, while Windows Vista's impact on consumer demand is considered to have been minimal. Hewlett-Packard (HP) remained the number one vendor based on PC shipments, accounting for 18.2% of worldwide shipments. HP grew faster than the worldwide market average growth rate for the ninth quarter in a row. HP showed steady growth across all regions and platforms.

Dell continued to struggle, as it experienced lower growth rates than the regional average across all regions. The major weakness continued to be derived from the consumer market. After dropping to the fourth position last quarter, Lenovo retook the number three position in the worldwide rankings from Acer in the second quarter. Lenovo significantly exceeded the worldwide average, showing stronger than regional growth across all regions except Japan.

View: DigiTimes
News source: DigiTimes

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