I was just over @ Computerbase.de, when I spotted there Microsoft plans Windows XP SP1a and SP1b news. Here's a quick translation as the site's in German.

Microsoft plans to publish still in February the service luggage 1a for Windows XP. The service luggage 1a is identical to that already for a long time published service luggage 1, only that Sun Microsystem`s Java is integrated. The service luggage 1b will then follow in June and contains a newer version of Java. Microsoft plans these steps, in order to become a court decision fairly, that mentioned that Microsoft must have integrated at the latest 120 days after 21 January this yearly the Java run time environment by means of a service of luggage.

Update: Just got word that you may also get more info @ Neowin.net.

Thanks Voodoo.

If you installed MSDE 2000 from the Beta 1 Office 11 CD for use with Access 11, your system may be at risk of spreading the slammer worm. Use the steps below to install the update as noted:

Read More & download @ Neowin.net.

The Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Platform Software Development Kit (SDK) contains the information you need to develop applications for Microsoft Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition. The Tablet PC platform encompasses Windows XP and its extensions that enable input and output of handwriting and speech data on a Tablet PC as well as interchange of this data with other computers.
The Tablet PC Edition Platform SDK homepage. Download it here www.download.microsoft.com.

This might be of interest to those of you that have Windows XP and DirectX 9 installed. From The Inquirer.net.

ANTONIO TRAPANESE at Italian site hardware irc says he has now heard back from Microsoft about the problem with DirectX 9 that he reported at the end of December! It can be solved with the SP1, by uninstalling FS2002, installing Windows XP Service Pack 1, and then re-installing FS2002.

Windows 2000 Patch: Q328477_W2K_SP4_X86_EN.exe: This update addresses the "Services.exe May Hang When You Restart a Service" issue in Windows 2000, and is discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) Article 328477. Download now to resolve the hang in Services.exe caused by repeatedly starting and stopping the Logical Disk Manager administrative service.

Well it appears that the Windows 2003 server team has decided to give its public testers one final shot at finding bugs in the impending final build. Just posted this evening to testers is build 3757 of Windows 2003 server. Official Beta testers will find 3 versions to download, Bla/Srv/Ads.

The "Slammer" virus is an Internet worm targeting un-patched Microsoft® SQL Server 2000 and MSDE 2000 systems resulting in a high volume of network traffic on both the Internet and private internal networks. We recognize that our partners are on the front line helping their customers manage this issue. This email provides crucial information and resources you and your customers need to help protect systems from the "Slammer" worm

The Windows Movie Maker 2 has now been released in the german language.
Get more informations and download in our german section over here

Windows Movie Maker 2 ist jetzt in Deutscher Version verfügbar.
Der Movie Maker 2 ist ermöglicht einen einfachen Einstieg in die Welt der Videobearbeitung, durch zahlreiche Assistenten, eine ansprechende Bedienungsoberfläche etc ist der Moviemaker ideal für den Einstieg.

Mehr...

Microsoft has released a patch that eliminates three security vulnerabilities in Microsoft® Windows Media? Player 7.1. One is a Cache Disclosure vulnerability via Windows Media Player. The second is a Privilege Elevation vulnerability through Windows Media Device Manager Service. The third is a Media Playback Script Invocation vulnerability.

Microsoft® Windows® Movie Maker 2 is an update to previous versions of Windows Movie Maker! Dated 1/28/2003.

New features such as a new user interface, wizards, transitions, effects, titles, and AutoMovie make creating home movies easier. Windows Movie Maker 2 also takes advantage of the latest Windows Media® 9 Series audio and video codecs.

This update addresses the ""Stop 0x0000006b" or Setup Stops Responding at "Setup is Starting Windows" When You Install a Windows XP SP1 Client Image from a Windows 2000 RIS Server" issue in Windows 2000, and is discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) Article 327536. Download now to resolve program Install errors between Windows 2000 RIS servers and XP SP1 Clients.

Customized Media Center Edition skin to be used with Windows Media Player 9 Series. This skin is optimized for Windows XP.

Just got word from our good friends Neowin.net that Windows 2000 SP4 Beta should be out soon.

We are pleased to inform you that the release of Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4) beta is near! You will receive detailed information about the beta program as soon as SP4 beta ships. Once the beta has been released it is very important that you install and test SP4 and we expect you to submit feedback via newsgroups on a regular basis.

Overview: The Microsoft® .NET Framework Software Development Kit (SDK) includes the .NET Framework, as well as everything you need to write, build, test, and deploy .NET Framework applications?documentation, samples, and command-line tools and compilers. If you want to distribute the .NET Framework with your application, you will also need to download the .NET Framework Redistributable.

Thanks Voodoo @ Neowin

Dear Office 11 Beta Participant, In preparation for [Office 11] Beta 2 which will be coming in Q1 2003, the Office 11 pre-release program that you are participating in will be upgrading the Hosted SharePoint Team Services Beta 1 servers to Beta 2 bits in mid February 2003.

For those of you who dare install Pre Release M$ software updates, WinFutures have posted a Pre-SP2 Service Pack

I mentioned NT in an earlier post so before you hide it back in the hardest to reach recesses of your mind I found this cute little explanation of the true meaning of 'NT' over at bink 'During a trip to Microsoft's Redmond campus this week, I had the opportunity to meet with Mark Lucovsky, one of the original architects of NT. We had a long discussion about the development and evolution of NT, but one of the more fascinating tidbits he revealed was that NT does not, in fact, stand for "New Technology," as documented in books such as "Showstoppers" and "Inside Windows NT." Instead, the name comes from the earliest days of the product's development, when it was targeted at the Intel i860, a RISC processor. In those days, Intel's chip was behind schedule, so Microsoft had to use an i860 emulator called the N10. NT was so named because it worked on the "N-Ten." I'll have much more information from my meetings with Lucovsky and others involved with Windows Server in the days ahead.'