For many, the official release of a new Microsoft operating system–such as Windows 7–is just the starting of a clock. They will not buy the new OS until Service Pack 1 is released.
Why? Microsoft has a reputation for releasing buggy software. While Windows 7 has been widely tested by real customers, history presents the likelihood that one or more major “gotcha’s” will appear.
With previous operating systems, these were usually fixed in a service pack that followed the release of the new OS. Windows Vista, for example, is currently on Service Pack 2 (SP2), while Windows XP is on SP3.
In the case of Windows 7, Microsoft has said the first service pack is likely to be issued about 12 months after introduction, meaning a year from now, in October 2010.
Angad
I’m happy without the service pack. However, I’ve found enough bugs to not want to install Windows 7 on my main PC. I just don’t want to deal with any reliability issues and Vista Ultimate SP2 is so stable right now and does everything I need; thus, I will not be upgrading that machine yet.