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Microsoft Reveals Post-RTM Updates to Windows XP

Time: 08:01 EST/13:01 GMT | News Source: WinInformant | Posted By: Julien Jay

At a recent meeting with Microsoft, I was briefed on the status of the company's upcoming new operating system, Windows XP, which will be made widely available October 25. Some of the information I received was previously known, but much of it was new and frankly, rather exciting. If you're interested in XP, you might be pleased by some of the changes Microsoft is announcing.

First, regarding the controversial new Windows Product Activation (WPA) technology, Microsoft told me that the vast majority of new PCs shipping from PC makers will have WPA tied solely to the BIOS.
For users who choose to upgrade existing systems to XP, the news is also good. Microsoft has changed the reactivation requirement to at least 6 hardware components as long as the machine has a network interface card (NIC) installed. That is, users will be able to change at least 6 hardware devices in such a machine before XP would require a reactivation.
Last week, Microsoft confirmed that it will offer Family License packs: The licenses will offer an $8 - $12 discount over the normal XP cost, and will require at least one retail or OEM copy of XP to be purchased first.
To address the needs of XP Home Edition users wishing to upgrade to Professional Edition, Microsoft will also offer a Pro Step-Up pack for only $125, a $75 savings.
The MP3 Encoding and DVD Playback Add-on Packs for Windows XP will also be less expensive than anticipated. Microsoft told me that the MP3 pack will sell for less than $10, and be available from several vendors via the Web. The DVD pack will also be available from a variety of software makers, and should cost $10 to $15.
Since Windows XP was released to manufacturing, a number of system components have been updated, and users will be able to download these updates via Windows Update when XP becomes widely available. Windows Messenger will be extensively updated, for example, and will include compatibility with Exchange Server 2000. Windows Movie Maker (WMM) will be updated from version 1.1, which ships in the box with XP, to version 1.2. WMM 1.2 includes support for Windows Media Audio (WMA) and Video (WMV) version 8 and will include a 640 x 480 WMV mode for digital video. A number of system drivers have been hardened since the RC2 release, in order to prevent system failures; previously, users could install these drivers even when warned by XP.

ActiveWin Update: Microsoft is indeed working on MSN Messenger 4.5 that'll bring back the support for Pager notifications, among other things.