Next Memphis beta delayed

Microsoft will delay the first beta of Memphis--the code-name for the nextversion of Windows--and will probably not include an integrated IE 4 inthe release.

"We're trying to accelerate shipment of the beta," said Moshe Dunie, Microsoft's director of test and release management. "There are a lot of hardware features that we can and should test now, before we integrate [IE 4.O]."

Attendees at the WinHEC conference in San Francisco received an early betarelease of Memphis this week. The build given out at WinHEC was not thewidespread beta Microsoft had hoped to have ready by now and it did notinclude IE 4.0. Microsoft is trying to give hardware manufacturers a solidbuild to test new device drivers, however, so the lack of IE 4.0 is notreally an issue.

It was reported earlier that Memphis would not be ready for an August release and could therefore not be bundled with systems in time forChristmas. Microsoft is now considering a retail-only release for Memphis,which might be on shelves for Christmas. The only snag in this plan is thathardware vendors would be angered at such a release.