Windows XP Code Finished

As expected, Microsoft announced Friday morning, in the embattled Windows XP operating system is released to manufacturing.

Step, which means that the code is completed, and is destined for manufacturing plants, and OEM partners, is the most critical final step, in order to meet a wide range of availability target date, October 25. OEM partners, such as Dell and Compaq, and can be based on Windows XP system, which can even sooner.

Microsoft announced separate pricing for the two main versions of Windows XP. Windows XP Home Edition, which will cost 99 dollars, 199 US dollars for the upgrade and the new. Windows XP Professional upgrade will cost 199 dollars and 299 new. Windows XP Professional Edition will be in 64-bit versions.

Earlier in the week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told participants, in Sao Paulo will be a technical meeting in Windows XP might be ready Friday.

Intel and Microsoft is ready to spend 500 million US dollars on the sale of Windows XP. For Intel, the operating system version, Jump began selling its Pentium 4 processor.

Focus on improving Windows XP is that it unified the two routes Microsofts client operating system, Windows NT/2000 operating system and Windows 9.x/me business consumer operating system, the far more stable Windows NT/2000 operating system kernel. Microsoft has said that the unification as goals for years.

Focus on the most recent operating system has matured, and other reasons, but. Microsoft opponents argue that antitrust case, Microsoft ignored the Court of the United States government and its own Windows Media Player and Windows Messenger and other characteristics, in the operating system. Some of the efforts under way, we can make things uncomfortable between the RTM Microsoft technology and October 25. They include a possible court injunction against operating system related antitrust case, the Senate hearings in Windows XP and the Federal Trade Commission complaint brought by privacy groups.

Market research firm IDC predicts that Windows XP, Microsoft is the biggest operating system version, but by unit sales, partly because it is the first time Microsoft has released an operating system, aimed at consumers and enterprises at the same time.

Dwight Davis, analyst at Summit strategy that Windows XP is an embarrassing time in the business, with the majority of customers in the complex and ever-changing Windows 2000 spread. Story is different consumers, he said.

"I am surprised, if XP does not do so very well, in the consumer space, in a relatively short period of procedural problems, I think this is a convincing operating system and correct a lot of next-generation applications the interests of the consumers, [such as] digital photography and media files, "Davis said.