Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta and Windows XP Service Pack 3 Beta are joined at the hip since their concomitant introduction in mid July 2007. When the initial testing process debuted simultaneously on Vista SP1 and XP SP3, both service packs were actually in pre-beta stage. Since then, at the end of September, Microsoft has moved SP1 from pre-beta to beta with the release of Build 6001.16659. The same is not valid for XP SP3.

The third and final service pack for Windows XP did by all means evolve. Build 3205 of the refresh, although still a Preview of the Beta, managed to advance the service pack's status by backporting a few Vista specific features. Still, undeniably, Microsoft's focus is the first service pack for Windows Vista. Such a move comes only natural for Microsoft, as the Redmond company has to blow wind in Vista's sails, even if this means sacrificing XP's own momentum, still strong, almost six years since the initial launch.

The fact of the matter is that after the release of Windows Vista SP1 Beta Build 6001.16659 in late September, Windows XP SP3 Preview Beta Build 3205 shortly followed in October. Microsoft has clearly indicated a strategy of synchronizing the updates release of Windows client and server operating system. This translates into the synchronization of the testing milestones for Windows Server 2008, formerly codenamed Longhorn, Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3.

Now that Microsoft has started talking about the Release Candidate 0 of Vista SP1 and the Release Candidate 1 of Windows Server 2008, the proximity of the next testing builds of the two operating systems is almost palpable. Microsoft even erroneously announced that Vista SP1 RC was available for download via MSDN, a move pointing to an imminent release of the first Release Candidate for Vista. And since next milestone versions of Vista SP1, Windows Server 2008 and XP SP3 have been a trio of releases so far, chances are that the third service pack for XP is also around the corner.