- Next Microsoft OS Will Be Windows XP Reloaded -

[Joe Gronlund]

Microsoft will indeed release an interim version of Windows XP that will bridge the gap between the initial XP release and Windows "Longhorn," currently due in late 2005 at the earliest.

The new XP version will ship as a new retail product that replaces existing XP boxes and as a set of updates, dubbed Windows XP Reloaded, that existing XP users can install separately. Windows XP Reloaded will include all of the features from XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), due by mid-year, as well as a host of other unique features, including Windows Media Player 10

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[qxh]

Very interesting. Once I get my laptop, I'll probably be running XP so this'll be a nice upgrade.

[Dean C]

Surely they're not going to call it "XP Reloaded"?

[AWS]

This is simliar to what they did with 98. There was an alpha build, forgot the codename, that was supposed to be released as the next version of Windows. They instead created 98SE and later ME. The Alpha then became vaporware never to be seen again and they started work on XP.
Looks like they are following this same plan. My bet is we won't see a new OS until around 2006 or 07.

[Joe Gronlund]

Surely they're not going to call it "XP Reloaded"?

No press release yet, but the "Windows XP Reloaded" name will be associated with the OS in some way.

Yes its pretty much the same as,, Windows 98 Gold - Windows 98SE..

[sabret00the]

i hate installing upgrades so it will be a good opportunity to buy a new mobo and processor

[filburt1]

...including Windows Media Player 10

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Is the new feature more bloat?

I only use WiMP for playing videos and WiMP 6 at that. I don't need playlists or anything else for videos, and I use iTunes for all of my music.

Now that I said that, I guess the personal preference never-ending debate has begun...

[Guest]

Honestly unless something gets my intrest and makes me want to upgrade I will not be doing so. Over the last year and a half ive hacked my current installation of xp to bits and it is running circles around some faster boxes still, im good until longhorn

[Dean C]

This "Reloaded" suffix is ridiculous. Matrix Reloader, Kazaa Lite Reloaded, now Windows Reloaded! They could at least have called it XP2

[AWS]

MS didn't start with the service packs until Windows 2000. Before that they would release small hotfixes and patches for 98. Win98SE by todays standards would be SP1 and ME would be SP2. This allowed them to release a new OS every 2 years including all the hotfixes. With 2000 and XP they release services pack which is a major upgrade and could have been released as a new OS.
I think they are going back to releasing these SP as a new edition because Longhorn which will bring about a whole new UI and filesystem as well as other major changes is going to take a while to release. During the gap if there isn't anything released the revenue would fall.
By making XP SE or whatever name they come up with it would give them revenue flow until the next major release. If Longhorn is more than 2 years away I would expect to see a XP ME or something similiar as second release.
Not that MS is hurting or will ever hurt for money. It just makes good fiscal sense to have something in between to bring in dollars.

[Wayne Luke]

MS didn't start with the service packs until Windows 2000.

That isn't true. They didn't call updates for home use "Service Packs" until Windows 2000 but there were Service Packs for NT 3.51 and NT 4.0 which are much older than 2000.

If I recall correctly, NT 4.0 got up to Service Pack 6 or 7.

[Tungsten]

NT 4.0 went as high as SP6a

[WoodiE]

Wayne - your correct. Service Packs is anything but a new term, as you've pointed out NT 4.0 had many service packs, 7 to be exact.


-Michael

[WoodiE]

Tungsten,

Acutally there was 7 service packs... LINK



-Michael

[Marco]

Ugh... if you're going to post links then I suggest you click them yourself first. NT4 had six service packs.

"Based on customer feedback, demand for Windows NT 4.0 hot fixes, and the increased stability of NT 4.0 SP6a, Microsoft has decided not to release Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 7 (SP7), originally scheduled to release third quarter of 2001."

As for that XP Reloaded thing - it doesn't really sound interesting to me. Ofcourse, when it arrives, I'll probably get it anyway...