Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 - Should you install it?

Well, the long-awaited Vista Service Pack 1 is finally here, and people have been herded into two camps - those who have downloaded it immediately, and those who are waiting to see how it pans out before taking the plunge.

Vista SP1 reportedly includes 551 bug fixes, along with performance, reliability, and compatibility enhancements.

Some of the major brand name test labs in the US have stated that it is safe to use and it will definitely improve performance, but this is a very sweeping and general statement and not what all of our users are finding out.

Some people have downloaded it, and find that it is all ok. They are having no problems at all, and report some performance improvements. Others have downloaded it and tell us that they are experiencing unexpected crashes and instability. We have found that most of these are definitely driver issues, which has always been a thorn in the side of Vista.

There have been many discussions on whether or not the SP1 update will provide a short-term improvement in performance, and how it will change over time. We can tell you that it should improve over time, as Vista builds and optimises your cache (which will have been cleared upon SP1 installation).

OK, let