Vista not-quite-SP1 service packs officially released

As it turns out, Microsoft really was telling the truth when it said that SP1 wasn't coming "anytime soon:" the company has officially released the two service packs--the "performance and reliability" update and the "compatibility and reliability" update--that made up the leaked "SP 0.5" beta we saw floating around last week. While the patches have yet to show up in Windows Update--one might expect that they'll show up with the rest of 'em on Patch Tuesday--they are available now from Microsoft's website, though you'll have to jump through the Windows Genuine Advantage hoop and validate your copy of Vista first, natch.

For more on the updates:
- see this Ars Technica article
- and visit Microsoft's website to download the patches: 938979 | 938194