The next update to both the desktop and embedded XP products is called "Service Pack 2" (SP2). Windows XP Professional SP2 is slated to ship in the Summer 2004 timeframe, Microsoft says, with Windows XP Embedded SP2 shipping shortly thereafter. According to Microsoft, Windows XP Embedded with SP2 will contain the following enhancements:
- Security-related features which enable OEMs to build a more secure device
- Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series
- Microsoft DirectX 9
- Bluetooth Protocol Stack
- A client for Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 (SMS 2003)
- Microsoft .NET Framework, version 1.1
- Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), version 5.2
- All the Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Embedded fixes since the release of Windows XP Embedded with Service Pack 1 (SP1)
The next major release of Windows XP Embedded is code-named "Longhorn Embedded," which aligns with the code name for the next major version of Windows XP, "Longhorn." These new versions of Windows are scheduled for release in the 2006 timeframe.
Microsoft says that its releases of Windows XP Embedded are timed to ship within 90 days of a release of the desktop version of XP, so that all of the features and enhancements that are built into updates to the desktop version of the product become available as feature components for Windows XP Embedded shortly thereafter.
Based on the same binaries as Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Embedded delivers the power of the Windows desktop operating system in componentized form, according to Microsoft. Windows XP Embedded currently provides over 10,000 components from which to build a customized, reduced-footprint operating system with the latest multimedia and networking technology support. By way of comparison, Windows NT Embedded, the predecessor of Windows XP Embedded, included fewer than 350 feature components.
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