一些小型應用軟件在發布時通常被要求提供Changelog,而微軟無論在下載中心還是KB都從來沒有這個習慣,不過這次我們還是帶來了Windows Vista Beta 2的開發團隊提供的Windows Vista Beta 2 Changelog,新奇玩意,了解一下,再去玩一下系統,感覺一下更新所帶來的新體驗.

系統外殼上,Explorer方面:Brought back List mode in our List viewsThe folder tree will now persist in all modes of the ExplorerBrought back property editing in Details Pane, and fixed truncation issues in the Details PaneImplemented major performance gains when browsing slow volumes and network sharesMade it so .zip and .cab files are sorted along with files, not along with foldersAdded more polish to Classic-themed ExplorerFixed many heavily-reported drawing artifacts and fit-and-finish bugs系統內置搜索模塊也有著不小的改進:Right-clicking on Start Orb and selecting “Search” now takes you directly to the Search Explorer where you can execute a wider search of the entirety of your PCUpdated Search Pane UI; now it’s on by default in the Search Explorer and optional in all the other Explorers. It’s also more easily read when using GlassSimplified Advanced Search UI found under the advanced drop-down menu共享和網絡系統的改進:Re-designed the Network and Sharing Center -- we got a lot of feedback on this one, and hopefully the new design meets everyone’s expectationsConsolidated the sharing & networking control panels into a single control panelImproved visual design and text simplification of Network & Sharing Center to make it more task-oriented'Mini-map' icons are clickable (e.g., Computer, Network, Internet browser)Integrated sharing controls into the Network and Sharing centerGlobal control for enabling/disabling file sharingAdded a drop-down of user accounts to the sharing wizard. This will now link to your Active Directory listings or else show other accounts on the same PCImproved dialog box that helps you determine what type of network (public/private) you are onText updates for links in left paneImproved usability for 'not connected' stateWhen connecting to a network, you should see:Improved detection of existing connectionNo UAC elevation when connecting to a wireless connectionAccess to Properties for networks with saved settings now available via the right-click menu The Network Explorer has a number of changes that will help with device discovery. It also features default icons for a number of network device classes such as media players, Xbox, projectors, etc.The Network System Tray is now easier to see and has been changed to give more “clickable area” around the icon itselfFinally, for those folks with multiple users on the same PC, we’ve added support for per-user MIME typesWindows Media Center team 提供的改進:Tuned overall Windows Media Center performance. You should see some fairly substantial gains in the post-Beta 2 buildsReduced the number of reliability issues. Fewer crashes and great video playback -- who wouldn’t want that? JTweaked a lot of little UI elements for better usabilityOne thing to check out: When using an Xbox 360 as a Media Center Extender, the remote experience is now full-fidelity. It looks and performs exactly like you’re using the PC.

Our security teams have also been listening to you. The System Integrity team has simplified the “out-of-the-box” Windows BitLocker user interface. Its new UI now makes it much, much easier for a Windows Vista Ultimate user to be able to setup BitLocker on TPM 1.2-enabled hardware. The administrator of an Enterprise edition system still has access to all of the features and functionality that BitLocker supports through scripting and command line tools.

UAC系統在Vista Beta 2中的大面積改進:Deleting a shortcut from the desktop will no longer require elevation for administratorsTask Manager launches right away and allows the user to elevate laterCopying or moving multiple files to protected folders should require only one prompt to gain accessThe Find New Hardware experience has been changed to remove the UAC prompt until the user is ready to install the device“Set Focus” work has been done so that UAC prompts from applications running in the background do not interrupt users' workflow. The users will instead see a blinking item in the taskbar in these situationsThe OS has been scrubbed for UAC prompts, the net benefit being that the number of UAC prompts is now reducedA much-requested feature from our IT community: Elevated command prompts are distinguished by prefixing “Administrator:” to the titleWe’ve added a new ActiveX Installer Service so that administrators can give Standard Users permissions to install controls from trusted sitesAll UAC prompts have been scrubbed so as to be more consistent and informative, and also to provide users with improved context for deciding whether to permit/deny the prompt