Microsoft churns the third and final service pack for Windows XP at an accelerated speed. XP SP3 is virtually flying through development milestones, and at this point a public build of the refresh is on the horizon. December has alreadybeen reported as a turning point for the building of both Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and XP SP3. Although Microsoft has failed to disclose official availability dates for the public variants of the two service packs, it has repeatedly pointed to the end of this year as being a period synonymous with the broadening of the Vista SP1 and XP SP3 testing processes. Well, as of 3rd of December, 2007, the Redmond company frees up a pre-final version of the release Candidate of Windows XP SP3.

Freed up indeed, but just a little bit. For now, the new build of Windows XP SP3 is open for access only to subscribers from TechNet and the Microsoft Developer Network. This is by no means the public release of XP SP3, although it is a considerable broadening of the test driving of the service pack. Microsoft is still mute regarding the date when the service pack will be opened to general users. But, with XP's market share sitting at approximately 80%, although decreasing from month to month in the aftermath of Windows Vista's launch, there is a healthy level of anticipation for a public XP SP3.

The Redmond company has also been quite timid about disclosing information related to the availability of Windows Vista SP1, in a stage before finalization via MSDN and TechNet. Windows XP Build 2600.xpsp.071030-1537: Service Pack 3, v.3244 Release Candidate went live in mid November, and it was dropped to some 15,000 testers. The build was leaked to peer-to-peer file sharing networks, and a registry hack in the wild permits all XP users to access XP SP3 RC directly via Microsoft Updates. Microsoft still claims that XP SP3 is on track for availability by mid 2008, with Vista SP1 to be offered in the first quarter of the coming year. Both service packs will eventually make their way, after finalization, to MSDN.