Microsoft Windows XP SP3 beta

[(10/19/07)Editor's Note: The version of Microsoft Windows XP SP3 reviewed here is a first beta and not available to the general public.]

With Service Pack 2 installed, Windows XP has proven to be a notably durable and reasonably secure version of the operating system. The August 2004 release of SP2 dramatically upgraded the security of the original XP, adding the Windows Firewall and Windows Defender, along with easily configurable options to block or allow specific kinds of traffic into your system. Since SP2 came out, Microsoft has continued to supply fixes and enhancements via Windows (and Microsoft) Updates. For the most part, Windows XP Service Pack 3 simply rolls all the fixes and upgrades into a single convenient package, though there are a few brand-new additions with SP3. Whether the new additions catch your eye or not, security upgrades make applying the service pack a good idea—but make sure you know about possible compatibility issues (detailed later in this review).

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SP3 may well be the end of the line for XP service packs—Microsoft's mainstream support for the OS ends in 2009, although extended support will run through 2014. That's not to say that there isn't plenty of room for improvement in the now venerable XP. My wish list includes new functionality (such as the ability, in Windows Explorer, to switch between folder and favorites views and to navigate folders from the locations field), along with better memory management—es