Windows XP Service Pack 1 alpha builds have shipped to OEMs and eventually will include many enhancements to the core OS as well as the usual bug fixes we are used to seeing with a service pack. Such enhancements include:

Ibelite.com Vibrant Logic claims to have interesting Information on the next version of Office Codenamed NGO. The site writes its codename as ONG, however the video shows it as NGO. I can't verify the authenticity of this presentation...but see for yourself, either someone at Microsoft wasn't too careful, or someone spent a long time on a fake.

It seems that a relatively extensive flash presentation on Microsoft's next revision of Office has been leaked. It details the features and pricing model for Office.NET or Office NGO. Suggesting that consumers can buy office and use its standard features, which look similar to current versions of Office XP or a buy into a contract based model, where they get the software and a 1 year subscription to an online workspace, with options to renew subscriptions or purchase a working copy of Office.

Just got word from Malti @ our sister site Planet-XP.de that he's snagged some more screenshots, this time for the following:

Exclusive Screenshots Of Microsoft Windows Memphis part 2.

Screenshots of Windows Neptun and Whistler.

Exclusive Screenshots of Internet Explorer 6 SP1 build 2800.1005

Just saw this @Neowin.net

Cheers IRazor for the link.. A quickie post to let you guys know we have received a link for the latest build of IE6 SP1 (Service Pack 1) and you can download it.. Sop grab it while you can and feel free to mirror it.

I can also confirm the new whacky dialog that warns the user of potential harm when downloading off the Internet. Not much else visably new and where is the RESUME feature!! gaaah. Pff, ah well theres always IE7!

Update From Ibelite.com:

How to Install

Option 1:

Ok Here is the Deal, this pack was missing a cab file called scripten.cab. Its 818 kb. IeXbeta set up a new *re-pack* of it. You can download Ie6 Sp1 from IEXbeta.

Option 2:

If you downloaded the existing file and recieved a prompt for a user and pass, download these files. Put them into your install directory and make sure you replace the iesetup.ini with the new one from the zip.

The .NET Framework Data Provider for Oracle is an add-on component to the .NET Framework that provides access to an Oracle database using the Oracle Call Interface (OCI) as provided by Oracle Client software.

This update resolves the "Opening Group Policy Files for Exclusive Read Access Blocks Policy Application" issue affecting Windows 2000 domain controllers, and is discussed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS02-016. Download now to prevent an attacker from blocking the application of Group Policy within a Windows 2000 domain.

This update addresses several CD Burning issues that are discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) Article Q309691 and Q320174. Download now to prevent problems with CD burning.

The Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) is a collection of useful tools and documents that enable both application developers and IT professionals to resolve application compatibility issues. The ACT can be used on both Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

Microsoft has released a patch that resolves the "Unchecked buffer in the Multiple UNC Provider" security vulnerability in Windows XP. The vulnerability results because of a flaw in the Multiple UNC (uniform naming convention) Provider (MUP), which is a network file system resource locator that runs in kernel-mode memory in Windows. Download now to prevent a malicious user from causing your computer to restart or to run unauthorized programs.

Planet-XP.de our sister site seems to have got their hands on some exclusive screenshots of Microsoft Windows Memphis. I bet your wondering wtf is this? So am I. Here's a quick translation using babelfish cos both Degger and Rancho have been on a 4 day p*** up! Told them not to go too that beer festival. LOL

Windows Memphis - which is what? You will ask yourselves surely - the solution is quite simple:

Windows Memphis was the first beta version of the later Windows98 - from Microsoft.

Neowin.net are reporting a new version of Internet Explorer SP1 build 2800.1005 has been released. Here's what they have to say about it:

To install IE 6 SP1 build 2800.1005 you must either uninstall your previous tech betas or use a clean machine to install this release of Internet Explorer 6 SP 1.

128-bit doesn't appear when mousing over padlock on https site.

Mousing over the padlock in the status bar on a https site will not cause the 128-bit message to appear. However 128-bit encryption does still occur although the tool tip is broken.

The Shared Source CLI implementation (beta) is a complete implementation of the ECMA C# and CLI standards that build and run on Windows XP and FreeBSD. It includes a complete build environment, along with test harnesses, documentation, and tools for working with the Shared Source CLI.

This update resolves the "'Certificate Revocation List Is Not Available' Error Message Appears with Encrypted Outlook Mail" issue in Windows 2000 and is discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article (KB) 308707. Download now to prevent an error message from appearing when you receive an encrypted e-mail message.

Portqry.exe is a command-line utility that you can use to help troubleshoot TCP/IP connectivity issues. Portqry.exe runs on Windows 2000-based computers. The utility reports the port status of TCP and UDP ports on a computer you choose.

Microsoft® Windows® XP includes built-in processor performance control to take advantage of microprocessors that utilize performance states to operate the processor more efficiently when it is not fully utilized. This download white paper outlines the new BIOS implementations needed to expose this capability in Windows XP; this paper also details the functionality and policies employed by Windows XP for processor performance control.

This download white paper describes issues and solutions for achieving fast system start up on PC systems running the Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system. This paper provides guidelines for system manufacturers to improve boot and resume times for new PCs. This paper also briefly summarizes several of the changes in Windows XP that promote quick system availability.

The "28 March 2002 Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer" update eliminates all previously addressed security vulnerabilities affecting Internet Explorer, as well as two new vulnerabilities, and is discussed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS02-015. Download now to protect your computer from these vulnerabilities, the most serious of which could allow a malicious user to run code on your computer.

ActiveWin posted a review about the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Integrated Developer Environment. Here´s a bit of it: When I first decided to write a review of Visual Studio .NET, I thought it would be simple and straight forward. I mean, it was not a review on the .NET initiative, but of the Visual Studio IDE itself, and all integrated development environments are pretty much the same. You have an editor to write the code in, a way to compile your application with a single command, and most have nice debugging features built into the system. However, the Visual Studio .NET IDE has left me feeling a bit overwhelmed by the vast number of features and options that are available without making it complicated to use. Head over an read the complete review by using the above link.

RaisinCain in the Maxreboot Forums seems to have noticed that Microsoft has updated their BootVis Tool. Dated March 25, 2002. This version resolves a compatibility issue when using third-party IDE drivers.

Customer research shows a frequently requested feature that users want from their PCs is fast system startup, whether from cold boot or when resuming from standby or hibernation. The Windows development team at Microsoft has taken bold steps in making fast startup PCs a reality with the Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system.

Boot to a useable state in a total of 30 seconds

Resume from Hibernate (S4) in a total of 20 seconds

Resume from Standby (S3) in a total of 5 seconds

Boot and resume times are measured from the time the power switch is pressed to being able to start a program from a desktop shortcut.

Update: From Tim@majorgeeks.com: I ran it to get a version number: 1.3.36.0

The guys over @ Planet-Xp have some screenshots from the Windows.NET Server Build 3615.
They show you some shots from the installation of the internetserver, screenshot from the admin menu, Internet Explorer and some more.
So head over by using the above link and take a look.

KingNothing has done a nice little guide: Ever felt that the Outlook Today page on Outlook 2002 was a little too boring?

I wrote a short tutorial on how to customize your Outlook Today page to display a wallpaper, or add content such as contacts you frequently email, frequently visited web sites, a Google search bar, etc. You can add pretty much add any HTML code you want to make your page fit your style.