XP coming early?
C|Net | at | by Mike
PC buyers may be greeted with Windows XP, Microsoft's long-awaited new operating system, far earlier than they expected. Microsoft has given PC makers the green light to ship Windows XP as soon as one full month before the operating system's official Oct. 25 launch date. Computer makers plan to debut PCs and notebooks with the new operating system in late September, a move that could help jump-start stagnant sales. How soon customers could receive the PCs from the manufacturers is not clear. The early release would benefit Microsoft by beating any possible injunction that would delay the new operating system's debut, analysts said. Getting Windows XP to market may have been behind Microsoft asking the Supreme Court to take its antitrust appeal. The action could make it more difficult for the Justice Department and 18 states to seek an injunction against the upcoming operating system.