Microsoft is publicly aiming for 2006 again for the availability of the next client version of Windows, code-named "Longhorn," the company said Friday. The accelerated delivery schedule comes at a cost -- a highly touted new storage subsystem for Longhorn called WinFS is now planned for delivery sometime after Longhorn ships.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 27, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft updated its Tablet PC operating system for the first time since 2002 by including Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 as part of Windows XP Service Pack 2.
                    
			            - By Becky  Nagel
- August 26, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 beat the date in its own name with a release to manufacturing this week and a mid-October general availability date. But the Microsoft management suite that will include MOM, Systems Management Server and some other tools won't arrive until next year.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 26, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft posted a new kit to the download section of its Web site for testing application compatibility and fixing any problems that crop up during Windows XP Service Pack 2 deployments.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 26, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft took the final major online step in distributing Windows XP Service Pack 2 on Wednesday by posting the service pack to Windows Update and starting the distribution to Windows XP Professional customers via Automatic Update.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 25, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft on Wednesday announced the release to manufacturing of Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2005 and MOM 2005 Workgroup Edition, a new edition that the company previously called MOM 2005 Express.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 25, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Intel announced price cuts of as much as nearly 35 percent this week that cut across seven of its processor lines and encompassed 28 individual processor models.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 24, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft's decision to drop Windows XP Service Pack 2 on the world just a few weeks before the start of classes has some higher education IT departments overworked and agitated.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 24, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    An updated version of the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer that brings support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 is now available for download from Microsoft's site.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 19, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft is going with a simpler name for the versions of Windows that will support the AMD64 and Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology processors.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 19, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Official and anecdotal reports of commercial applications broken by Windows XP Service Pack 2 are stretching into the triple digits as the staged rollout of the service pack continues.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 19, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft also split its legacy platform interoperability server into standard and enterprise editions for the first time.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 18, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Hefty system requirements for Windows "Longhorn" could create a drag on PC buying in 2006, a financial research firm warned.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 18, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Users generally like what they see in Windows XP Service Pack 2 and are planning aggressive rollouts of the major security overhaul of Microsoft's flagship client operating system. At the same time, Microsoft's new tool to prevent client systems from automatically installing SP2 and the latest delay on Automatic Update deployments dovetail nicely with users' plans to continue thorough testing of SP2 before deploying it.
                    
			            - By Stephen  Swoyer
- August 18, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft has pushed back the general rollout of Windows XP Service Pack 2 over its Automatic Update delivery channel. Widespread distribution of the critical, security-focused service pack had been planned to begin on Monday.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 17, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Three top executives were replaced at HP after a disappointing quarter for the company's enterprise servers and storage business unit. 
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 12, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft is moving ahead with plans to introduce a stripped-down, low-cost version of Windows XP in countries where economic realities make the full release of Windows with its hefty price tag a hard sell.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 11, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft will begin distribution of Windows XP Service Pack 2 to individual PCs through the Automatic Update feature of Windows Update on Aug. 16, company executives said Wednesday.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 11, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft this week publicly posted the network installation version of Windows XP Service Pack 2, making the critical service pack available for IT administrators to download and begin rolling out.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 10, 2004
 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    A newly discovered flaw in the Outlook Web Access service of Exchange 5.5 Server could allow a remote attacker to take partial control of the Exchange server. Microsoft released a patch for the vulnerability on Tuesday.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
- August 10, 2004