Updates to the left of me, downgrades to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you-know-who
Windows XP Service Pack 3 is here -- almost. I'm not sure who's more excited about it, people currently using XP SP2 or frustrated Vista users begging for a downgrade.
Scheduled for availability on April 29, the Softies decided to hold off for a few days while they fix a recently discovered incompatibility (that means "problem") with Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS). The same issue applies to Vista SP1, which also is being delayed. And we're talking about 32-bit versions only; the 64-bit updates aren't due for at least another month.
As I write this on Wed., April 30, I'm a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to install the final shipping product, but since we've waited this long, another few days won't matter. Nevertheless, I am running the latest available download on a test machine without any problems. Of course, that machine does not run RMS.
As of this morning, XP SP3 and Vista SP1 are being withheld from the Microsoft Download Center while the company sets up filtering on Windows Update that will block machines running RMS from obtaining the download. That certainly seems like a good idea. Once the filters are active, it's reasonable to surmise the updates (both XP SP3 and Vista SP1) will become available through Windows Update.
If you want to grab the standalone SP3 installer (a 316MB download), you can go here (Note: This links to an .exe file). There are no guarantees how long this link will remain valid. By the way, using Windows Update for XP SP3 is a download of less than 75MB.
For those us who were there in the 1970s when Orson Welles concluded his TV pitches for Paul Masson wine with the memorable "we will serve no wine before its time" catchphrase, Microsoft often has been accused of doing precisely the opposite with some of its own products over the years.
But Microsoft also has a history of shipping products late, very late, sometimes even really, really, really late. There were those repeated delays with NT Server. Vista itself ran years behind schedule, denying the company projected revenue streams. But even with several extra years to get it right, it's still a work in progress. Many who have it would rather downgrade to XP. Others who have no choice but to get it when the IT department installs a new PC just aren't happy.
For those who choose to celebrate Christmas early, it's still possible to buy a new PC with good old XP on it. Microsoft is allowing sales of XP on new systems through June. And for those who believe alchemists really do turn lead into gold, or that monkeys and pigs can really fly, there's the Windows Vista Downgrade License. This is a legal deal, not a bits-and-bytes one. It simply allows users of certain Vista versions to replace it with XP, without incurring any additional license fee. Volume-licensed Vista, and retail and OEM versions of Vista Business and Vista Ultimate, include downgrade rights under which the owner is entitled to an XP activation key. Type "vista downgrade" into your favorite search engine, and you'll discover all you need to know, including step-by-step instructions for performing the transplant. The alchemy is this: You downgrade a Vista machine to XP but Microsoft tallies it as yet another purchase of Vista. Go figure.
As for the several PCs I use every day, here's my breakdown. My "business" machine, the one on which I write, do e-mail, and surf, runs perfectly with XP SP2. I'll be updating to SP3. My second machine, which runs Adobe Photoshop and other imaging, digital asset management, and printing applications also is happy running XP. It'll stay that way. It also runs Office 2007, whose user interface I still haven't figured out. Another PC, the laptop that controls all the lighting in the office, is tucked away in a closet, out of sight, out of mind, and problem-free running Windows 98 for more than a decade. Then there's the machine we upgraded to Vista. It's a sandbox, where we test things and sometimes watch them crash.
Lastly, I've come up with some advice that will undoubtedly save friendships: If anyone asks about upgrading an XP machine to Vista, my response is don't do it. (Sometimes its more along the lines of "are you nuts?") If it's Vista they want, my strong recommendation is to obtain it only by purchasing it pre-installed on a new PC. My 28 year-old son is solving the dilemma this way: A Windows user since getting his first PC in the early 1990s, he informed me that he's buying a Macintosh.
Related reading:
FAQ: What you should know before installing Windows XP SP3
Microsoft may keep XP alive after all
ITworld.com
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