Microsoft has delayed the release of Windows XP Service Pack 2 until late summer, and the software might not be officially released until the Fall. The delay has major implications for OEMs and third party software developers, who because of underlying security changes in the code, have been warned to test their software for compatibility.
SP2 was originally due to be released "later in 2003". The major release not only rolls up service patches but adds new firewall and wireless features. XP currently ships with a software firewall (ICF), but for the first time users will be strongly persuaded to turn this on. Microsoft's neglected web browser Internet Explorer finally gains tabbed browsing and a pop-up blocker.
And where supported, hardware-based memory protection (NX, or "Execution protection") will prevent code execution from data pages - although only Opteron and Itanium are the only Windows-ready architectures that support this to date.
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