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Microsoft will announce this week that Windows XP is slated to ship in late October, two sources familiar with the software giant's plans say.

That ship date will match Microsoft's plans to get the next version of its Windows operating system out the door by the end of the year. But it is unclear whether the relatively late date--October 29, according to one source, who requests anonymity--will upset the schedules of PC makers, who are looking to Windows XP to boost sales, particularly during holiday season.

A Microsoft spokesperson would not comment on the announcement, which is expected to come on Tuesday. He only will say Microsoft is on target to release Windows XP in the second half of 2001.

Staving Off Rumors of Delay?

Microsoft officials hope the announcement will quell speculation that production of Windows XP has slipped, and that the operating systems might not see the light of day until 2002. Windows XP will be available both as Windows XP Home Edition, for consumers and Windows XP Professional Edition, for corporate use.

Windows XP, currently in the beta 2 testing stage, is the upgrade for the Windows 9x line of operating systems. The most recent iteration in the family is Windows Millennium Edition, or Windows Me, and the line includes Windows 2000. With the release, Microsoft is moving all its Windows offerings to one code base, based on the Windows NT kernel.

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