<$BlogRSDUrl$>


Sunday, January 04, 2004

 

ZDNet UK - News - Beta XP update ready for download  

ZDNet UK - News - Beta XP update ready for download: "Beta XP update ready for download


David Becker
CNET News.com
December 19, 2003, 10:15 GMT


A test version of the second major update to Microsoft's Windows XP is now available to registered beta users

Microsoft has released a test version of the second major update to its Windows XP operating system.

The beta version of Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, issued late on Wednesday, is available now for download through BetaPlace, Microsoft's site for registered beta testers. Microsoft is expected to offer it later through the download section of its MSDN developer site and on CD. "




Notice that the beta is NOT available for general download, so don't rush to your favorite file warehouse expecting to see it on the front page. Another facet of this is that this is a BETA package. That means (to restate the obvious) that the components may not work or they may actually screw up a system that works fine as is. In either case, something that is, on the bottom line, supposed to screw with your operating system, is not something I think one can trust in beta form. I have to admit that, with the amount of fixes supposed to be included, I was tempted to try for a copy. I've done a fair amount of beta testing for 'Big Red'mond, so I thought that getting a copy wouldn't be too hard. Then I thought about what damage could be done by this particular beta and decided against it. Especially troubling is the update to DirectX, which has been a source of grief in the past. Any changes made can be expected to cause trouble until the video card manufacturers can engineer their driver sets for it. Something as fluid as a beta version makes that tough.


Comments: Post a Comment
#

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?