The anticipated release of Windows XP Service Pack 3 has an official release date of April 21 for manufacturers and April 29 for the public via Microsoft Update with the forced push coming on June 10, according to reports.
We've known it was coming, and despite our lackluster first impressions, an update to Windows XP is always a good thing, especially for those looking for a nice Windows XP upgrade without having to make the jump to Vista.
SP3 reportedly includes 1000 different hot fixes which includes new and previous patches.
It's definitely interesting to see how the SP3 official release unfolds over the next few weeks. Microsoft has extended its availability of XP Home for personal computers, and depending on how hard Microsoft pushes SP3 it could reveal whether or not the software giant will extend the life of XP beyond June 30.
Like mom and dad used to tell you, "don't hold your breath on that,son". Remember, this is the company that has lost all sense of practicing even a vaneer of good, solid corporate citizenship while marshalling an overwhelming in=house and out-house retained third partys'... a virtual army of Microsoft lawyers such as those that sardonically thwarted US Attorney General, Janet Reno, the entire US Dept. of Justice and the Federal Courts for so many years during the Clinton Administration.Add to thisthe extraordinary additional resources of innumerable patent attorneys generating patent suits faster than than a speeding bullet...its entiire markwting and "PR" resources devising Nixonian -like "Dirty Tricks" tactics aimed at a growing backlashfrom steadfast XP users refusing NOT to buy Vista just because ! All this to say that, Microsoft' has become "the little boy who cried 'WOLF!' too many times". So, I'm not holding my breath on XP's SP3 RTM plans. I'll believe it when I see it