"Microsoft introduced additions to Windows XP designed to make the operating system better tuned for peer-to-peer applications. The software giant on Wednesday unveiled a beta, or testing version, of the Windows XP Peer-to-Peer Software Development Kit. The programming tools are designed to let software providers or corporate developers more easily build peer-to-peer applications on top of Windows XP." Read more at ZDNet.

"Michael Robertson has a software glitch in his belfry. He's a crazy man. Certifiable. And God bless him for it. Maybe he'll finally give the technology industry some spine when it comes to going up against Microsoft. That, or he is tech's Chuck "The Bayonne Bleeder" Wepner, about to get turned into goulash by the Muhammad Ali of software. Either way, this bout should be entertaining." Read the article at USA Today, by Kevin Maney.

With Microsoft buying Virtual PC, which lets Macs run Windows wares, Apple's independence may well rest with programs such as Bochs. Read the article at BusinessWeek. OSCast has a similar editorial as well, in Mpeg4 audio format.

We are pleased the announce the birth of a new addition to the family: New Mobile Computing, a daily news site dedicated to examining the leading edge of technology that you carry around with you. If there are OSNews readers who are interested in this topic, pay us a visit. We need lots of help with news submissions, commentary, and giving the mobile computing forums a jump-start. We are also looking for volunteer editors. If you'd like to help, pay the site a visit, or email the NMC staff.

The popular X11 desktop environment XFCE, which originally created to offer a free CDE-like DE for Unix/Linux, is closer on releasing the next big version, 4.0. XFce 4 has a radically different architecture from XFce 3. It embodies the traditional UNIX philosophy of modularity and re-usability. All of XFce 4's core components have been written from scratch in order to fit into the new architecture. Another priority of XFce 4 is adhereance to standards, specifically those defined at freedesktop.org (new screenshots, the first one in that list is the newest and most relevant one, showing the components of the DE). You can visit the CVS, or you can download a daily CVS snapshot and compile it. XFce 4 is under active development and should be considered alpha quality.

The first beta version of Vector Linux SOHO 3.0 is now available for download. Some quick features: vlautosetup tool has been integrated to the install routine so all hardware can be configured, namely the mouse, the network card, XFree86 4.2.1, cdroms, and sound are automatically setup and ready to be used upon first boot. KDE 3.1, IceWM, and XFCE are the available window managers/Desktops and OpenOffice.org 1.0.2 Koffice 1.2.1 are included. Screenshots here.

Apple's Chief Financial Officer Fred Anderson said the company's aim is to expand its share of the computer market. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Technology Symposium, Anderson said a "good intermediate" goal would be to reach 5% marketshare from 3% today (some statistic companies actually put Apple between 2,2% and 2,6%).

Counting viruses is simplistic, but there is evidence that Windows is becoming more resistent, and Linux is becoming more of a target. The report also points out that Apple is becoming vulnerable, "now that it is fielding an operating system with embedded Internet protocols and Unix utilities.". Read the article at ZDNet UK by John McCormick.

"Linux, Windows, Mac. All have their place, and before long that place will be in history books. The seeds of a new style of computing device have been sown, and as they grow they will inevitably lead to a world where the computer operating system as we know it today is as dead as the planetary transmission that drove the Model T Ford." Read the editorial at NewsForge, by Roblimo.

Microsoft, hoping to drive greater adoption of its Windows XP operating system, will unveil a new central Web site with revamped tools to help IT administrators make the switch.

SkyOS 3.9.6a has been released. This version includes new drivers, faster ATA/ATAPI drivers, a new OpenGL implementation, a new TCP/IP stack and many other new features and bug fixes. You can download the new version from the SkyOS website.

QNX released the much anticipated 6.2.1 version of their QNX Momentics Development Suite (Standard and Professional Editions) at Embedded World in Nuernberg. The non-commercial (NC) version is expected to be released by month end. Press release here.

"Since Java is no longer the "next big thing," and hype-heavy headlines about it have largely disappeared from tech and mainstream publications, one might harbor the impression that the language and platform are falling by the wayside. In fact, Java has finally achieved one of the highest honors the tech industry can bestow: It is taken for granted as part of the infrastructure on which many companies depend." Read the article at Yahoo!News by Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier.

The MacOSX 10.2.4 Server Update delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability for the following applications, services and technologies: AFP, SMB and NFS file services, DHCP, NetBoot, Open Directory, QuickTime Streaming Server, Sendmail and Workgroup Manager.