Windows 7 SP1 Release Pushed to Q4'10

Waiting for SP1 before jumping to Windows 7? It could still happen this year.

Now that Windows 7 has settled in inside consumer homes after the considerable marketing push from retail, attention is turning to Microsoft's next step in development – the first Service Pack.

Just to be extra safe, many IT professionals prefer to wait until at least the first Service Pack for a Windows version before implementing a new version of the OS into their departments. The reason is that the first massive wave of users will already have hit the OS to clear out any possible bugs and compatibility issues.

According to source of TechARP, Microsoft initially planned a 22-month development period for Windows 7 SP1 but is now looking to bump that up to a release sometime within 2010.

We've heard from various other sources that the updated target for SP1 is sometime this summer or fall, the TechARP's sources point to the last (presumably calendar) quarter of 2010. Such a release would put Windows 7's first service pack on a similar RTM-to-SP1 schedule that Windows XP and Windows Vista had.

While Microsoft hasn't detailed exactly what SP1 will bring, many expect it just to be a massive collection of the incremental patches and updates that are already presently available from Windows Update.

AMD 890GX Unveiled: Three Motherboards Compared

AMD’s chipsets have long provided great features for the money, especially compared to high-end platforms like X48 and X58 from its chief rival, Intel. Everything between the mid-priced (still high-end) 790FX to its more commonplace integrated-graphics products can be attractive, depending on your usage model.

The entire range provides expanded PCIe 2.0 pathways for multi-card configurations, and its integrated-graphics parts actually deliver reasonable 3D performance and an option for multi-monitor support. If you love building productivity-oriented machines at an affordable price or need the ultimate in configurability, AMD might be your best choice. After all, we've yet to be bowled over by Intel's CPU efforts between $100 and $200, while AMD continues to offer a number of compelling quad-core models.

Today’s launch focuses on two components, the 890GX northbridge with its revised Radeon HD 4290 graphics engine and the SB850 southbridge. Upgrades include DX10.1 graphics, SATA 6Gb/s, two additional USB 2.0 ports, and integrated gigabit networking.

But our emphasis here is on a trio of motherboards emerging alongside the new core logic from Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI. Note that you'll see USB 3.0 support in the pages to come. However, the 890GX platform does not natively support USB 3.0; rather, it's added via an on-board controller.

AMD Launches 6 Core CPU-ready 890GX Mobo

This board is prepped for the hexacore AMD Phenom II X6.

AMD and its motherboard partners today released the AMD 890GX Chipset, integrated with the ATI Radeon HD 4290, and are designed to be compatible with the upcoming AMD Phenom II X6 six-core processor.

The AMD 890GX Chipset supports the SATA 3.0 6Gb/s hard drive interface and many AMD 890GX-based motherboards feature SuperSpeed USB 3.0 support.

We've got our hands on the Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H, the Asus M4A89GTD Pro/USB3, and the MSI 890GXM-G65. After putting them through a barrage of tests, our reviews department found that AMD’s SB850 southbridge is probably the best reason to select an 890GX motherboard over the products it replaces thanks to the new integrated SATA 6Gb/s controller.

Hack Expert Says Windows 7 is Hard to Hack

Windows 7 is harder to hack than Apple's Snow Leopard--mainly due to Flash being installed by default on SL.

Security expert Charlie Miller has participated in the Pwn2Own contest over the last two years, and has won both times. Held in the CansecWest Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the contest challenges contestants to find "big bugs" in web browsers, operating systems, and even in mobile devices. With the 2010 conference just around the corner (March 24), oneITsecurity conducted an interview with the champ and asked Miller which was harder to crack: Windows 7 or Snow Leopard?

"Windows 7 is slightly more difficult because it has full ASLR (address space layout randomization) and a smaller attack surface (for example, no Java or Flash by default)," he said. "Windows used to be much harder because it had full ASLR and DEP (data execution prevention). But recently, a talk at Black Hat DC showed how to get around these protections in a browser in Windows."

He also added that a safe browsing combination would be to use Chrome or Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7, however he said that there isn't enough difference between the two browsers to "get worked up about." But he did emphasize that Flash not be installed no matter what browser or OS is used by the consumer.

The interview also covered exploits on game consoles. As the interviewer points out, the devices are in our living rooms, in our dens and offices, yet there are still few exploits and vulnerabilities discovered. Why aren't security researchers working on finding exploits on these devices? Because there are more PCs, and game consoles don't need to be connected to the Internet.

"I’ve had Wii for a year or so and its never been on the Internet," Miller said. "Its hard to remotely attack the box when you can’t get packets to it :) Also, computers, and phones to a lesser extent, are designed to be customized, to download and use/render content from the Internet. This is where vulnerabilities exist and exploits are created. Game consoles don’t do this as much so the attack surface is much smaller. The final reason, is it is hard to do research on them. Its not easy to get a debugger running on an Xbox, for example."

Windows 7 Tablet Gets CPU Upgrade

Archos is sporting a meatier Archos 9 tablet at ceBIT 2010.

Jkkmobile, currently attending CeBIT 2010, is reporting that Archos is showcasing an upgraded version of its PC tablet, the Archos 9. The hardware revision could be a sign that Archos plans to duke it out with Apple and its upcoming tablet, the iPad.

Packed with Windows 7 Starter Edition, an 8.9-inch LED backlit, resistive touchscreen, 1GB or RAM and 60GB of HDD storage, the current version poses as a handy tool around the house for a meaty $550 USD. Consumers can play 1080p videos on its 16:9 screen, have video chats with its built-in webcam, and even access websites utilizing Adobe's Flash platform. It's definitely a sexy little machine.

However the version on display at CeBIT 2010 offers a faster CPU. The current model sports the Intel Atom Z510 clocking at 1.1 GHz, whereas the upgrade model's CPU is clocked at 1.2 GHz. There was also mention of a faster GPU (the current model uses the Intel Poulsbo US15W), a faster bus, and hyper-threading. The site also said that the hard drive size still remains the same at 1.8-inches... no surprise there.

The rest of the specs apparently are unchanged: a 1024 x 600 native resolution, USB 2.0 ports, Realtek ALC269 audio and more. Future upgrades may bring a capacitive multitouch display and an optional 3G module.

The revamped Archos 9 should pose as an excellent rival to Apple's iPad when it eventually hits the market. Hopefully the price will be reasonable.