14 DAY TRIAL // The first downloads of Windows XP Service Pack 3 are now live. One day after the release to manufacturing of XP SP3, Microsoft, under pressure from the community, is diverging from its timetable for the release of the service pack and is making the first downloads available. According to the initial XP SP3 availability schedule leaked by Nick MacKechnie, Senior Technical Account Manager at Microsoft New Zealand, the service pack was supposed to be delivered exclusively to the company's OEM partners concomitantly with the RTM on April 21, 2008. With the exception of original equipment manufacturers, the serving of the gold bits of XP SP3 was postponed until the end of the month. This is no longer the case.
Caving in to pressure (via WinBeta) exercised by subscribers to its websites designed for the needs of IT professionals, the Redmond company strayed from the schedule that had the XP SP3's availability set for May 2, 2008, as far as the Microsoft Development Network (MSDN) and TechNet hotspots are concerned. The latest moves on the XP SP3 RTM front indicate that the final bits of the service pack are now available via both MSDN and TechNet. However, the same appears not to be valid for Microsoft Connect at this point in time.
MSDN and TechNet subscribers now have access to XP SP3 RTM Build 5512 via Top Subscribers Downloads. The package weights in at 544.86MB. However, even if the Redmond company is pushing XP SP3 to a select pool of testers and clients, the mass of Windows XP users will have to wait until April 29 in order to get their hands on the service pack. At the end of this month, Microsoft will drop the third and final service pack for Windows XP via Windows Update and the Download Center.
Update: Windows XP SP3 RTM Build 5512 available for download here.