Windows 2000 Feature Complete
Microsoft Corp. took a step closer to its third phase of beta testing Windows 2000 when the company handed Release Candidate 0 (RC0) over to about 1,000 testing sites in late December.
Microsoft Corp. took a step closer to its third phase of beta testing Windows 2000 when the company handed Release Candidate 0 (RC0) over to about 1,000 testing sites in late December.
Although RC0 is an intermediary move between beta 2 and beta 3, Microsoft says all that’s left between now and the shipping version of Windows 2000 is getting the kinks out.
"RC0 is feature complete," says Jonathan Perrera, lead product manager for Windows NT Server. "All the features expected in Windows 2000 gold code are present in this build."
RC0 includes a new version of Terminal Server that is melded into the operating system rather than remaining as a stand-alone product. The release candidate also includes a new wizard that automates the setup of Active Directory. Additionally, new multimedia device-driver support for mobile systems is included.
The 1,000 partners and developers that received RC0 are mostly makers of PC Cards, device drivers and software. The shipment ensures that RC0 complies with products from Microsoft’s partners.
The full version of Beta 3 is due in February or March. The final version is still expected to ship in the second half of this year.