[Burned Phoenix]

Feature packs are a way for Microsoft to get new features to users without making them wait for the next major Windows release. Now Microsoft is going to release a new storage-focused feature pack that will add new Blu-Ray media and smart-card driver functionality to Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008.

There are 3 technologies available for this Pre-Release. Each will have its own installer:

• “Active Storage Platform: This pre-release package enables the Windows platform to restrict access to portable devices (such as a USB Flash Device) via a certificate or password authentication based on the IEEE 1667 standard specification.
  
• “Image Mastering API update for Blu-Ray media: This feature enables the Windows platform to do master style optical burning on Blu-Ray media.
  
• “Smart Card Driver: This release provides support for new form factors, such as ICCD/CCID.

The feature pack for Storage 1.0 won’t be the first Vista feature pack. Microsoft has released, in addition to the previously mentioned optical feature pack, a wireless feature pack. Some also consider the recently released “Fiji” Windows Media Center TV Pack a feature pack.

Microsoft Connect
Mary-Jo Foley

[Gragier_521]

Unfortunately, Blu-ray drives are still very expensive.

[Jo-Mamma]

I've seen them for $300 lately, which beats the hell out of the $1200 price tag I use to see them at! Give it time! Now that blu-ray is now the growing standard, the only way the prices can go is down, that is if Sony wants it to become completely mainstream and replace the DVD.

[M.Sudoku]

Now we won't have to use Nero

[JohnnyV1500]

look for sales guys

i got a bluray drive in my lenovo r61 notebook for only $130!! i shit you not

[RickSOLET]

What's next, Blu-ray in Xbox 360?