Published at LXer:

Microsoft is planning its third Windows XP Service Pack (SP) for release in 2007, three years after the last SP, in order to concentrate engineering resources on Windows Vista. The company has set a preliminary release date of the second-half of 2007 for SP 3, for use with Windows XP Home and Professional editions, meaning that the pack will ship after the release of Windows Vista, which is due in the second-half of 2006. Please remember this from one of LXer features: Judge Sporkin, the Federal Judge who refused to consent to a Microsoft-Justice Department settlement wrote: "This Court cannot ignore the obvious. Here is the dominant firm in the software industry admitting it `preannounces' products to freeze the current software market and thereby defeat the marketing plans of competitors that have products ready for market. Microsoft admits that the preannouncement is solely for the purpose of having an adverse impact on a competitor's product. Its counsel states it has advised its client that the practice is perfectly legal and it may continue the practice. This practice of an alleged monopolist would seem to contribute to the acquisition, maintenance, or exercise of market share. . . .

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