Microsoft is in the final stages of cooking the upcoming service packs for Windows Vista and Windows XP. There is little doubt about this aspect, especially considering the advance stages of development the company has reached with both service packs. In fact, both Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3 are very close to finalization. So close, in fact, that they could drop as early as next week. Microsoft did not offer any official confirmation in support of such a scenario, but reports point to the imminent release to manufacturing of Windows Server 2008.

Microsoft's last 32-bit server operating system, Windows Server 2008 is in Escrow, the final test stage of the platform according to Bink. And apparently, the final version of Windows Server 2008 is planned for next week, on January 16th. But while the RTM build bits are planned to drop on January 26th, the full RTM version of Windows Server 2008 is scheduled for February 6th. This because the server platform has to pass additional testing before it is released to manufacturing. Either way, although it has postponed the RTM date of Windows Server 2008 from late 2007 to the first quarter of 2008, Microsoft is still gearing up for the Heroes Happen Here official launch of the operating system on February 27th, 2008, in Los Angeles.

Why is this relevant to Windows Vista SP1 and to Windows XP SP3? Well, the equation is rather simple. Officially, Microsoft will release Vista SP1 in the first quarter of this year, while XP SP3 will be made available by mid 2008. Off the record, both Vista SP1 and XP SP3 are planned for launch in early (!) 2008. And the fact of the matter is that Microsoft has virtually synchronized the development stages of Vista SP1, XP SP3 and Windows Server 2008 to the point where in mid December 2007 the company made available Release Candidates for all three platforms. There is an indisputable connection between the RTM builds of Vista SP1, XP SP3 and Windows Server 2008, and although the Redmond company has not delivered any confirmation pointing to this, the probability that the final versions of the service pack will drop concomitantly with Windows Server 2008 is quite strong.