OK, Microsoft, I'd better not hear about this being called a Vista Ultimate Extra. After all, we're still waiting for those wonderfully missing Extras you promised Vista Ultimate buyers.
On the other hand, since this is scheduled to be a freebie that will add Active Storage Platform, Blu-Ray media and smart-card driver functionality to Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008, maybe I should stop complaining and start applauding.
This pack was available as an undisclosed private beta until recently, but now info on the pack is available for the public to peruse on the Microsoft Connect site, whether by design or accident:
Welcome to the Microsoft Connect website for the Windows Feature Pack for Storage.
There are 3 technologies available for this Pre-Release-Each will have its own installer:
* Active Storage Platform: This pre-release package enables the Windows platform to restrict access to portable devices (such as a USB Flash Device) via a certificate or password authentication based on the IEEE 1667 standard specification.
* Image Mastering API update for Blu-Ray media: This feature enables the Windows platform to do master style optical burning on Blu-Ray media.
* Smart Card Driver: This release provides support for new form factors, such as ICCD/CCID.
According to ZDNet Microsoft added the following information:
“The (forthcoming storage pack) release is a follow-on to the feature pack released in 2007, which provided down-level optical platform support. The current feature pack plans to update the optical platform as well as provide support for some additional storage devices. The release plans have not been announced.”
An anonymous tester also said the following:
“It’s going to be one of these free updates that doesn’t necessarily create a lot of buzz, but once it’s out and people are use to it, they’ll wonder how they ever lived with out it…especially the ability in the base OS (operating system) to control removable media.”
Sounds great. I can hardly wait (all right, all right, I can). Now, about those Extras ...
Reported by Tech Ex http://technologyexpert.blogspot.com/
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