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Windows Millennium Nears Release

Microsoft issues first 'release candidate' and freezes features for OS update.

By PC World staff   

Microsoft's official word is still that it expects to release the upgrade, dubbed Windows ME, during the second half of this year. Issuing a release candidate is "an important milestone" to the delivery of Windows ME, a Microsoft spokesperson notes.

Beta version 3 of the operating system update, which went to beta testers in early April, contained all the planned program features, according to Microsoft. The initial beta was released last November. Developers are working only on quality and performance improvements at this point.

Among those new features are an increased emphasis on multimedia, including bundling Windows Media Player 7 and new image-editing programs. Its Windows Image Acquisition technology accepts and manages still images, and the Windows Movie Maker provides basic video production functions.

The operating system also bundles Internet Explorer 5.5, which is already available as a free downloadable beta edition. It has a smaller footprint, faster rendering, and automatically completes Web forms. It includes Outlook Express, NetMeeting, and FrontPage Express, and expands the browser's support for Dynamic HTML, Java, and the Channel Definition Format.

Windows Millennium also has some automated diagnosis and repair functions that Microsoft refers to as PC Health functions, and home networking capabilities that let multiple machines share an Internet connection. A new Home Networking Wizard helps with setup.