I recently began playing with the deployment tools for Vista, using Windows Deployment Services on Windows 2003 R2 server.

1. Grab the AIK.
2. Install the update to RIS/WDS on a Windows 2003 R2 server.
3. Install the AIK on desktop - open up Windows System Image Manager.
4. Mount the image with ImageX on my desktop.
5. Make changes to image.  I injected some default software packages, drivers.
6. Commit changes to image.
7. Create Unattend.xml file using WSIM.
8. Add image to WDS over the network, giving it the XML file. 
9. Give it a whirl!

My T40 averaged ~ 2 MB/s over 100 mbps Ethernet.  Kind of slow.

I have my unattended file:

• Adding/changing Google to the default search provider in IE
• Setting my homepages
• Adding BBC.co.uk as an RSS feed for news
• Copying a repository of drivers and software

Still to do:

• Injecting additional WU drivers into the WIM.
• Getting the file to auto create users is apparantly a complicated process; I can't get it to work, yet.
• Office 2007 needs its MSP file updated to auto install the XPS/PDF plugin, as well as the Outlook Calendar Printer utility.