Microsoft Releases Windows XP SP3 for Testing

McDougall, Paul. "Microsoft Releases Windows XP SP3 for Testing." Information Week. 8 October 2007.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=202300967

Microsoft Windows XP SP3 has been released to beta testers and contains over 1,000 patches and hot fixes. The enhancements include a simplified activation system, a network access protection module that borrows from technology used in Windows Vista, and improved support for cryptographic algorithms.

This support for XP shows that Microsoft is still acknowledging that many businesses are continuing to use XP. Last month, Microsoft said it would allow personal computer manufacturers to continue selling XP through June 2008. More evidence that XP is staying around was seen last week when Microsoft introduced a new licensing program that lets users of fake or pirated copies of the business version of XP to fully upgrade to licensed copies. Commercial software buyers do not prefer Windows Vista because of its price and its lack of compatibility with existing software, and its system requirements which won’t allow it to work on PCs more than a couple of years old. PC makers are still pushing XP. Dell and Hewlett-Packard have been offering customers discs that allow them “downgrade” their Vista systems to XP.