[WinPartners] Windows Vista: Current Status and Recommendation to WAIT

[alexander kozlov]

Good Morning,

 

This email is intended to update the MIT community on the status of the
Microsoft Vista Enterprise release and to highlight findings since the last
update.  

 

On January 31, 2007, Information Services and Technology (IS&T) announced
limited support for Windows Vista and made the network download available to
faculty, staff and students through the Microsoft Campus Agreement at MIT.

Vista media was also distributed to the software liaisons at Departments,

Labs, and Centers (DLCs).   

 

IS&T still recommends that you WAIT to install or upgrade Windows Vista
Enterprise Edition on desktops or laptops. If you are purchasing a new
computer, we recommend purchasing machines with Windows XP Professional.

Please consult our hardware recommendations available at
http://web.mit.edu/ist/services/hardware/presales.html to ensure the
computer you purchase will be viable for the next 3-4 years.

 

There are still many critical applications for Windows Vista that are
unavailable.

 

The following compatibility issues have been resolved since the initial

release:

 

- A Certificate Tool which facilitates getting MIT certificates under IE7 on
Windows Vista has been developed.

- McAfee VirusScan Enterprise 8.5i compatible with Vista was released.

- TSM Client 5.4 compatible with Vista will be released in late April.

 

The following incompatibility issues still exist with Vista and are being

addressed:

 

- The current version of SAPgui is not compatible with Vista. A release
project for SAPgui 7.10 is underway.

- Current versions of SecureCRT and SecureFX are not fully compatible with
Vista. Vista compatible SecureCRT 5.5 and SecureFX 4.5 has just become
available from the vendor, VanDyke Software. IS&T release effort for both
products is underway.

- Kerberos (KFW) 2.6.5 has functionality problems within Vista. Kerberos

(KfW) 3.2 client compatible with Vista will be released later this summer.

- Cisco VPN 4.8.01.0590 XP based version works, but warns of
incompatibility. IS&T release effort for Vista compatible VPN 5 is underway.

- Printing to kerberos restricted printers, like those found in Athena
clusters and many dormitories, does not currently work in Vista. IS&T is
working a solution to provide printing services for Vista.

 

For a full list of current issues with Vista, please visit Vista Project
Release Notebook site http://web.mit.edu/swrt/releases/vista/#issues

 

We anticipate increasing support and recommending Windows Vista later this
year, as more new products become available that work with it.  Support for
Windows XP Professional will continue well after the recommendation for
Windows Vista is made.

 

OBTAINING WINDOWS VISTA AND GETTING HELP

 

When you are ready to acquire your copy of Windows Vista, visit the MIT
Software Download Site at:

 

                <http://web.mit.edu/software/win.html>

 

Limited MIT documentation for Windows Vista, including links to training can
be found at:

 

                <http://itinfo.mit.edu/product.php?vid=735>

 

For assistance, contact the Computing Help Desk at (617) 253-1101 or
computing-help at mit.edu or submit a request via the web at:

 

                <http://web.mit.edu/ist/helpdesk/>

 

For more details on the Windows Vista release project, visit the Vista
Release Project Notebook at:

 

                <http://web.mit.edu/swrt/releases/vista/>

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