Ars Technica reports that Microsoft has sent out the RC-Escrow build of SP2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 to testers. An email has been sent to SP2 testers regarding this release. The RC-Escrow build is available for download from this Thursday as a standalone installer or via Windows Update or as a slipstreamed download. Microsoft claims that the service pack includes 656 individual hotfixes. The Escrow Build is a build where development halts and developers & beta testers start testing the product for any show-stopper bugs. Microsoft has emphasized this to testers to concentrate only on the regressions and confirmation of fixes when asking for feedback which includes the RC Escrow install survey. Public beta of SP2 was released in December 2008 and Vista SP2 RC Escrow Build was rumored to be released in February and the final release was expected to happen in May or June. TechARP has published the updated release schedule. Seems like we have missed it somehow. According to TechARP, the final RC build is now expected to happen on Feb 16th and the final release is expected to happen around April or May.
Installed on x64 system, slow, sluggish and not happy. Removed it 5 minutes later.... will wait for the final from MS.