Tech ARP were the first to break the news on the release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and the final RTM schedule of Windows XP Service Pack 3. Now, we will be the first to release the full details on Microsoft’s Windows XP Service Pack 3, which as we know will be available for manual update on April 29, 2008. That’s just a few days away!

Before we start, let’s take a look at what we have posted in the past about Service Pack 3 for Windows XP :

1. Windows XP Service Pack 3 will contain hotfixes and updates released since Windows XP SP2. It will also include an expanded set of product keys for Windows XP Professional that were originally introduced in Windows XP SP2c.

2. Microsoft clarified that there will not be any integrated SP3 release for Windows XP Media Center Edition or Windows XP Tablet Edition. That means you won’t be able to buy or obtain a complete Windows XP Media Center Edition / Tablet Edition SP3 CD. In addition, users of Windows XP Media Center Edition or Windows XP Tablet Edition will only be able to update to Service Pack 3 through Windows Update.

3. All languages will now be released in two waves. Earlier, Microsoft said that languages support for Windows XP Service Pack 3 will be released in three waves. What was previously identified as wave 2 and 3 have now been combined into a single wave 2.

4. Microsoft had to delay RTM for Windows XP Service Pack 3 to provide sufficient time to incorporate feedback from the beta testers.

5. Windows XP SP3 will be an optional supplement for OEMs.

6. Existing end item part numbers will continue to be used for Windows XP SP3. New end item part numbers are not being created for Windows XP SP3.

Due to the changes in language releases, here is the final release schedule.

Chinese (Simplified), English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish - April 21, 2008
Manual Update (Microsoft Update, Windows Update, Download Center) April 29, 2008
Arabic, Chinese (Hong Kong), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Swedish, and Turkish - May 5, 2008
Automatic Update (Windows Update) June 10, 2008

Now, let’s take an inside look at Microsoft’s upcoming Service Pack 3 for Windows XP…

“A just-published IBM patent application for a Software Inspection Management Tool claims to improve software quality by taking a chess-clock-like approach to code walkthroughs. An inspection rate monitor with ‘a pause button, a resume button, a complete button, a total lines inspected indication, and a total lines remaining to be inspected indication’ keeps tabs on participants’ progress and changes color when management’s expectations — measured in lines per hour — are not being met.”

A Microsoft deadline for Internet service company Yahoo to accept its 44.6-billion-dollar (28.5-billion-euro) acquisition offer expired at midnight Saturday, setting the stage for a hostile takeover bid by the software giant.

Neither of the two sides made any comment as the Sunday 0700 GMT deadline came and went.

The deadlock was likely to pave the way for an ugly proxy battle — a fight by Microsoft for a vote by Yahoo shareholders to place pro-Microsoft officials on its board of directors.

In an open letter to the Yahoo board of directors on April 5, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer gave the Internet pioneer three weeks to accept the 31 dollars-a-share takeover offer or face a proxy fight.

Ballmer also warned that any further delays could result in a less attractive offer for Yahoo.

Facing a June 30 deadline to stop selling PCs with Windows XP, the world’s largest computer makers are getting creative.

Taking advantage of the “downgrade rights” offered as part of the Windows Vista license agreement, Hewlett-Packard and Dell both plan to offer machines loaded with XP well beyond June.

Technically, the computers will be Vista Business or Vista Ultimate machines that have been factory downgraded to XP at the customer’s request. In practice, they are more like XP machines that come with an already paid-for upgrade to Vista when and if the customer chooses to do so.

HP said it plans to continue selling the “pre-downgraded” desktops, notebooks, and workstations to its business customers until July 30, 2009. Dell is already pitching the same option on its Web site and promising the models will stick around long after it stops taking standard XP orders on June 18.

A Saudi blogger detained without charge for more than four months after expressing pro-reform opinions has been released, a colleague said on Saturday.

Fouad Farhan was detained in early December after running an online campaign over 10 men arrested since February 2007 on suspicion of financing militant groups, but whose supporters say they are being punished for pro-democracy activity.

“I spoke to him and he’s in good spirits. He said he was treated really well,” said Ahmed al-Omran, who published the news on his website (https://www.saudijeans.org).

“It was surprising. After blocking his website, I thought his detention would go on longer. It’s good news.”

Saudi authorities blocked Farhan’s website (https://www.alfarhan.org) earlier this month.