Microsoft is changing gears on a number of plans it has for its Windows family of operating systems, including adding a migration path from Windows 3.1 to Windows 98, and pushing back the release of Windows NT 5.0. For a few months now, Microsoft has maintained that developers would receive the first NT 5.0 later this month at its Professional Developers Conference in San Diego. While developers will indeed receive a build of NT 5.0, it will be far from beta quality. In fact, if it's considered too buggy for release, developers may not even receive that.
"We are certain we will be able to meet our 1997 milestone for a beta," said Enzo Schiano, an NT product manager at Microsoft. "Whether that’s the PDC or not is something we’re not discussing at this time."
With the release of Windows NT 5.0 slipping yet again, Microsoft has moved up its projected release date for a Windows 3.1-to-98 migration tool. The company is now committing to releasing the tool within 90 days of Windows 98's release, sometime in the first quarter of 1998.
"We've had a lot of customer feedback about a 3.1 upgrade. There’s been a lot of concern that there will be one," said Stacey Breyfogle, a Windows product manager. "We’re working now on the delta between the product release and when the Windows 3.1 upgrade will ship. It will be three months.
