Windows NT 5.1 will follow 5.0 closely

Though Windows NT 5.0 has been delayed several times and Microsoft isfinding itself defending its bloated feature set, the company is alreadyhard at work on the next version of NT, Windows NT 5.1. This upcomingrelease, which is code-named "Asteroid", seems to be designed specificallyto address the features that don't make it into 5.0. Microsoft may use theAsteroid release as an excuse to drop features from NT 5.0 because theycan argue that those features will be added to the OS well before the 6.0release that's due sometime in 2001-2002.

It looks like Hollywood isn't the only place that's excited about Asteroidsthis year: Microsoft has got one up its sleeve and it may save the NT 5.0release date from slipping any further than it already has. The release ofWindows NT 5.1 is expected within a year of 5.0, now due in early 1999