Microsoft plans to release a long-anticipated test version of an update to Windows XP on Thursday, a company representative said. The update, or Service Pack 1, will ship to about 10,000 testers, according to the representative. As previously reported, it will include features intended to make it easier for consumers to choose third-party software over Microsoft's own products, in compliance with a settlement brokered in Microsoft's 4-year-old antitrust case. The service pack will also introduce support for new technologies--such as Mira "smart" display devices, Tablet PCs and the Freestyle digital media interface--and will radically change how much control consumers or PC makers have over middleware components. Microsoft expects to issue a final version of Windows XP Service Pack 1 sometime in late summer, but the schedule is uncertain depending on testing. Already, the Redmond, Wash.-based company missed its tentative May release date for the service pack test version.
The recent string of Microsoft security patches has been so constant and nearly unmanageable that the US government, which relies on the Windows OS, is considering a plan to use its market power to force Microsoft to fix security problems once and for all or lose lucrative government contracts. The plan came to light this week when consumer advocate Ralph Nader joined the cause, noting that the government's software-purchasing policies can do more to curb Microsoft's questionable business practices than the fading antitrust case. Microsoft claims that Nader's recommendations, which include requiring Microsoft to disclose its data-file formats, are unrealistic. "We think that if Mr. Nader took a close look at the software industry he would find that no one delivers more technology at affordable prices to empower consumers worldwide," a Microsoft spokesperson said.
Microsoft's MSN Web portal unveiled a new service that alerts bargain hunters to sales at such Web sites as Amazon.com, Drugstore.com and Cooking.com. Called MSN Shopping Alerts, the service will notify people via e-mails sent to their MSN Hotmail accounts and through a variety of Web-enabled devices, such as cell phones, Pocket PCs and other handhelds. The shopping alerts are another example of Microsoft's .Net initiative, the software giant's plan to distribute services and software over the Internet. Although Microsoft eventually plans to charge subscriptions for its .Net services, MSN Shopping Alerts is currently free.
Mira, a portable wireless flat panel display designed by Microsoft for home users, will not be compatible with the Windows XP Home Edition, a company official confirmed Tuesday. Since the consumer version of the operating system does not include a remote desktop protocol, the device will only work with Windows XP Professional. Microsoft is currently working on a solution, said Eddie Wu, senior director for Mircrosoft's Embedded Systems Group in Asia. Wu said Microsoft could either release a service pack for the XP Home edition, or users can upgrade to the professional version. Although it contains software and a processor, Mira doesn't function as a standalone computer. It works in conjunction with a PC and acts as an entertainment control center to surf the Web, control TVs, game consoles and other devices. Mira devices are slated to go on sale this Christmas in the U.S. and Japan, said Wu. Prices are expected to range between US$500 and US$800, depending on the bundle and LCD panel size, which will be determined by the manufacturer.
The Microsoft Java Language Conversion Assistant is a tool that automatically converts existing Java-language source code into C# for developers who want to move their existing applications to the Microsoft .NET Framework. The Java Language Conversion Assistant provides the quickest low-cost method of moving existing applications to C# on the .NET Framework. Developers can then extend these applications to produce and consume Extensible Markup Language (XML) Web services and to take advantage of the benefits of the .NET Developer Platform, including Microsoft ASP.NET, Microsoft ADO.NET, and Microsoft Windows Forms.
Don't look now, but here comes Microsoft with its boldest attempt yet to blast into your living room -- with your teen as its biggest advocate. The software giant is pulling out all the stops to dominate a new market: online gaming via its Xbox video-game console. The virtual playground: Xbox Live, where gamers blast bad guys, play football or solve mysteries. So far, den-dwelling personal computer users have dominated online gaming. With Xbox Live, Microsoft this fall maneuvers online gaming onto the family TV. Eventually, the Xbox -- or something that grows from it -- could be the gateway for music, movies and communication services streaming into homes on a variety of devices, some created by Microsoft, some by others, company observers say.
Back when Windows had version numbers, the conventional wisdom--based on informed experience--said to wait for the .1 version. Now it says to wait for the first service pack. I've always thought this was a little simplistic; why not wait for the second service pack or the next full version after that? But anyway, it looks like it will soon be cool to get Windows XP; we're in the homestretch for the first service pack. Although this service pack is clearly a landmark for Windows and probably the most important service pack in the history of the software industry--politically as Gartner suggests--it may not mean much to you if you've been updating all along.
It's been suggested that this service pack could help convince the judge to accept the proposed DOJ settlement. At first I figured that it would have no weight in this regard; after all, Microsoft has suggested that it would be impossible to implement the nine dissenting states' proposed remedies. On reflection, the service pack's existence does give the proposed settlement an advantage: Assuming that SP1 properly implements the terms of the proposed settlement (something the court shouldn't just take for granted), then the terms have been met. In contrast, the timeline for the dissenters' proposed remedies is not only uncertain--Microsoft claims it may not be doable. Whatever you think of Microsoft's claims in this regard, clearly it would be a long time before we would see any solutions to the dissenters' proposed remedy.
Microsoft's "Mira" concept of a detachable computer monitor that can be taken around the house may first attract tech-savvy power users, but price cuts may be needed to attract a broader customer base. Mira, announced by chairman Bill Gates at the beginning of this year, is aimed squarely at household consumers who want the full power of a desktop computer but also want to surf the web or read email while lying on the couch. However, a relatively high price tag and the complexity of setting up a wireless computer network at home is likely to make tech enthusiasts the first Mira purchasers when it hits retail shelves in time for the 2002 year-end holiday season.
Microsoft is offering a low-cost version of its interactive TV service, allowing users to surf the Web for prices starting at $9.95 per month. The company on Tuesday announced its MSN TV Internet receiver, which hooks up to a TV set and a phone line to access the Internet. Manufactured by Thompson RCA, it's based on the Web TV product that Microsoft acquired in 1997. Microsoft renamed that service MSN TV last year and appeared to focus on more advanced interactive TV ventures, particularly its UltimateTV service, which combined TV-based e-mail and Web surfing with a DirecTV satellite service and digital video recorder technology. The new MSN TV box is priced at $99 and comes with two pricing plans: an economy plan costs $9.95 per month for 5 hours of service, with each additional hour costing $2.95. An unlimited access plan sells for $21.95 per month.
The database software maker has been caught in a firestorm of late, given contract controversy with the state of California, stiff competition from IBM and Microsoft, and the need to close deals at the end of its fiscal fourth quarter ending May 31. Oracle had to resort to heavy discounting in the final weeks of the quarter, and analysts are betting that the company will take a revenue hit. While concerns about Oracle's quarter have been persistent for the last month, the Wall Street bandwagon of worry is filling up.
Other analysts have also voiced concerns about Oracle's quarter. Wachovia Securities analyst Jason Maynard said Oracle's fourth quarter ended on an "extremely sluggish note." Maynard cut his revenue estimate for Oracle to $2.45 billion from $2.72 billion. His earnings estimate for the fourth quarter was cut to 12 cents a share from 13 cents a share. Consensus estimates for Oracle have been falling in recent days. Oracle, which will report its fourth-quarter results June 18, is expected to report a profit of 12 cents a share on revenue of $2.6 billion, according to First Call.