A long, long time ago, I can still remember how that software used to make me smile.

That was back on Oct. 25, 2001, the day Windows XP arrived. That's just shy of six years ago and we've had only one meaningful update since then, Service Pack 2 in Aug. 2004. (I don't really count SP1 as "meaningful.") At last, SP3 has appeared on the horizon, and for those of us who still rely on XP to get the job done, SP3 is borrowing from the future -- from Windows Vista, to be precise.

Perhaps by now you've read that news leaked this week about details of the forthcoming release of Windows XP Service Pack 3, courtesy of a blog on NeoSmart Technologies' Web site.

According to NeoSmart, Windows XP SP3 Beta Build 3205 is now in the hands of select testers. The Web site reports the software contains several new features that are essentially "backported" from Windows Vista. These include:

-- A new Windows product activation module that does away with the need to enter a product key during setup

-- Network Access Protection modules and policies

-- A new kernel mode cryptographic module that, according to NeoSoft, "provides easy access to multiple cryptographic algorithms and is available for use in kernel-mode drivers and services

-- The ability to detect and defend against rogue routers

The blog also reports that SP3 includes nearly 1,100 patches (only 114 of which are security related) that were not part of the previous service packs.

So when might a final release of SP3 be made available to the world at large? Don't hold your breath. In March 2007 (only seven months ago, but a long time measured in tech years), Microsoft's own Windows Service Pack Road Map listed availability of XP SP3 as "currently planned for 1H CY2008. This date is preliminary." To translate, that's the first half of calendar year 2008 -- and it's still listed that way. With that six-month window not yet narrowing, I'll take June 30 in the office pool.

In the June 19 "Joint Status Report On Microsoft's Compliance With The Final Judgments," filed with the United States District Court
For The District Of Columbia certain details of SP3 are clearly spelled out:
"Microsoft has agreed to make changes to Windows XP, two Middleware Products, and Windows Live Messenger. The Windows Live Messenger changes have been delivered in the Windows Live Messenger 8.5 beta and will be included in the public release. Changes for Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player will be made available to users in August 2007 and Microsoft is discussing with the TC [Technical Committee] the delivery mechanism for those changes. The Windows XP changes will be incorporated into Service Pack 3 for Windows XP. The changes to the code will be available for review by the TC this summer. The changes made available to the TC for its review will remain in the final release of Service Pack 3 for Windows XP."

Bad news on the doorstep? It would seem not.

What it means for us is that millions of lingerers can now, uh, linger longer. We all know that businesses transition to Vista and Office 2007 accompanied by a good deal of kicking and screaming. And we all know plenty of organizations that still run Windows 2000 on their laptops. Sticking with what works is an enormous cost avoider, though improved security may, at last, be too alluring to disregard.

We're a long, long way from seeing "the day the software died."

ITworld.com

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