Windows XP Reloaded

**MattM** · 02-27-2004, 08:21 PM

Despite Microsoft's repeated denials, the company will indeed release an interim version of Windows XP that will bridge the gap between the initial XP release and Longhorn. The interim XP version will ship as a new retail product that replaces existing retail boxed copies of XP and as a set of updates, called XP Reloaded, that existing XP users can install separately. XP Reloaded will include all the features from XP Service Pack 2, as well as a host of other unique features, including Windows Media Player 10.

Other details about XP Reloaded are unknown at this time, although the update kit apparently will include a Web-based installer application that will let users choose optional features. Reports about an XP Version 2 release first cropped up more than a year ago, but Microsoft officials repeatedly denied that the company planned to issue such a release. In early 2004, when the company revealed the new security features that XP SP2 will include, the rumors resurfaced. The XP Reloaded OS refresh will clearly include a lot more than security updates, possibly in a bid to revive consumer excitement about XP while Microsoft preps the ever-delayed Longhorn release.

**Mike** · 02-28-2004, 01:18 AM

I thought they may, it seems a long time until Longhorn will be released.

**incka** · 02-28-2004, 01:44 AM

How much is reloaded update going to be sold for?

**MattM** · 02-28-2004, 02:42 PM

That is still unknown, but I figure same price as what XP currently is, as it will replace existing boxes.

**Westech** · 03-02-2004, 03:53 PM

Let's hope that this "interim version" won't be like the last interim version they released: Windows ME. Ugh! They should have called that one "Reloaded." I had to reload it at least 3 times a day.

**MattM** · 03-02-2004, 04:15 PM

Originally, there was going to be a consumer edition of Windows 2000, based off the NT/2000 kernal, it was codenamed Neptune, but Microsoft cancelled it and instead later began development on Windows ME, which is based off the Windows 9x kernal. This is one of the reasons why ME is so unstable.

**incka** · 03-03-2004, 12:30 AM

Yeah, it was ace functionally, but the crashing... It cose me several hundred when it crashed and the hard drive had to be replaced because the on-harddrive backup had crashed too...