Microsoft has further delayed the release of Service Pack 3 for Windows XP, moving expected availability from the second half of 2007 to the first half of 2008. The change came silently in an update to the company's service pack roadmap. Here is the table containing the details:
Operating System |
Preceding Service Pack |
Current Service Pack and Date of Availability |
Next Update and Estimated Date of Availability |
| Windows XP Home Edition |
SP1 |
SP2
August 6, 2004 |
SP3 for Windows XP Home Edition is currently planned for 1H CY2008. This date is preliminary. |
| Windows XP Professional |
SP1 |
SP2
August 6, 2004 |
SP3 for Windows XP Professional is currently planned for 1H CY2008. This date is preliminary. |
Windows XP SP3 will be the first major upgrade to the operating system since XP SP2 debuted in August 2004. SP2 was an extensive upgrade, bringing a new security center and improvements in wireless networking and Internet Explorer. However, with SP3 arriving three years later, the update will focus security patches and bug fixes rather than feature enhancements.
Source: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/servicepacks.mspx
