14 DAY TRIAL // If you are waiting for the first beta of Windows XP Service Pack 3, go ahead and start holding your breath. Microsoft's latest moves in the service pack arena offer clear indication of the fact that the baking time for the Windows XP SP3 Beta is almost over. In the Redmond company's grand schema for its Windows client and server operating system, the release dates for update are planned for a close synchronization. Nowhere is this new tendency more visible than in the shared pace of Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP SP3 and Widows Server 2008.
On November 14, Microsoft released a preview version of Windows Vista SP1 Release Candidate, getting ready to wrap up with the beta process and move ahead. While the release is not the fully-fledged Vista SP1 RC it is a step forward from the Beta build that dropped to 12,000 testers at the end of September. Windows Vista Sp1 RC build 6001.17042 is up for grabs to over 15,000 testers via Microsoft Connect.
On the heels of Windows Vista SP1 RC, the company also updated Windows Server 2008. A new testing build of Microsoft's last 32-bit operating system is offered through Connect. Windows Server 2008 November Community Technology Preview build 6001-17042-071107-1618 can be downloaded for both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms. The new build marks yet another step closer to Release Candidate 1 of Windows Server 2008.
The third and final service pack for Windows XP is currently also in Preview mode. Windows XP SP3 Beta Preview Build 3205 went to the same 12,000 testers as Vista SP1 Beta in early October. At that time, the build of XP SP3 followed closely new testing milestones of Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008. The last slip up from Microsoft pointed to the fact that the Vista SP1 Release Candidate and XP SP3 Beta will be launched in December 2007.