The XFree86 project released the second RC for their upcoming 4.4.0 X server version.

This message was posted in the ReactOS mailing list: "For those of you who haven't followed the progress with Explorer closely, take a look here. This screenshot was taken with current CVS and Filip's Wine DLL snapshot here. There are still many stability problems (lots of multi-threading issues), unimplemented and buggy ReactOS features, but all in all we're much better shape than I had expected to be at this point in time. If we can keep up this pace, 0.2 will be on time (before WineConf) and will rock!" UPDATE: Quake2 running on ReactOS.

ITBusiness.ca has an interesting success story about how LinuxMagic switched FitnessWorld to Linux and KDE. Although the article does not mention KDE, we know they are using KDE thanks to this KDE Success Story that was submitted to KDE::Enterprise. Our Take: Last night we watched the X-Men 2 DVD and in the feature documentaries on the second DVD disk, in the one regarding the visual effects, one of the SGI animators was clearly using KDE as well.

Apple released a Security update for 10.3.2 and 10.2.8 along with the 10.3.2 OS update for OSX Server.

A brief thread on the lkml discussed whether or not Reiser4 would soon be stable enough to be merged into the 2.6 kernel as an 'experimental filesystem'.

The Linux distributors detail their plans on when they'll be introducing Linux 2.6 into their commercial releases, while the analysts consider what 2.6 will mean to Microsoft and users. Fedora already has some test 2.6 kernels and Slackware now too in its -Current tree.

S3 is back on the scene with its first new GPU architecture in five years. Rather than take aim at the high-end, S3 has set its sights on the midrange price/performance category, which is currently dominated by ATI's Radeon 9600 XT and nVidia's GeForce FX 5700, both of which are under $200. Today S3 unveils the DeltaChrome S8 GPU, which represents the midrange of its upcoming line of DeltaChrome GPUs.

Sun Microsystems' top software executive criticized Microsoft's decision to drop older software products that rely on Java software and offered a steep discount on Sun's own desktop software. Elsewhere, RealNetworks files a $1 billion lawsuit against Microsoft, accusing the software giant of illegally using its Windows monopoly to limit consumer choice in digital media.

MacMinute reports that Apple has released Xcode 1.1, an update to its set of powerful developer tools for Mac OS X. Version 1.1 provides overall stability and performance enhancements to Xcode IDE, as well as improvements to debugging, workflow, the Xcode build system and CodeSense. Apple recommends that all Xcode users install this update. Xcode 1.1 is available via the Software Update preference pane. Apple also released today iTunes 4.2 and QuickTime 6.5.

The author of this article, Tom Adelstein, articulates in unique detail the importance of Sun's JDS more effectively than Sun itself has done. And he explains within the context of .Net and its limitations how the scope of JDS extends beyond the GNU/Linux community's parochial horizons.

With the new Qt-ATK bridge, Qt/KDE applications will integrate seamlessly with existing assistive technologies on platforms that support Sun's accessibility framework. First snapshots can be expected in early 2004. Elsewhere, here's another KDE 3.2 beta2 mini-review.

Jonathan Shapiro has changed his mind about halting EROS development. In an email this morning, he wrote:"The EROS project is back. I'm sure this will seem very funny to some of you, but sometimes you have to firmly put something down in order to step back and think clearly about it." Since his first email, the list has hosted a flurry of productive discussions about the strengths and weaknesses of EROS.

Sources close to Microsoft confirm that the long awaited Beta for Service Pack 2 of Windows XP is due today. The reported build is 5.1.2600.2055 (XP SP_2 Beta 1.031215-1745). Update: There is also an alpha release of SP1 Beta 1 for Windows Server 2003 released today.

Pycs has posted a mini article on KDE 3.2-b2 while the KOffice project released 1.3-RC2. Changelog.