Windows to Roll Out XP Operating System
Microsoft Corp. Thursday will officially launch its long-awaited successor to Windows 98, a new operating system called Windows XP. The most attractive feature for consumers, reviewers say, is its increased stability, or resistance to crashes.
The new software will also make it easier for consumers to record music and video CDs and connect home networks.
For Microsoft, the new software will help promote its bundle of online services, which are key to its new .NET strategy.
The release of Windows XP had drawn complaints from consumer advocates because, unlike previous Windows operating systems, it requires consumers to buy a separate copy for each home machine.
As Microsoft rolls out its new operating system, as well as its Xbox video game console, the Redmond, Wash.-based company expects revenue to climb in the current quarter to $7.1 billion to $7.3 billion, up from $6.5 billion last year The company unleashed a $500-million marketing campaign for XP last week, and some top personal computer makers, including Compaq Computer Corp. and Dell Computer Corp., began selling some PCs loaded with the system last month.
