Microsoft XP beta rollout suffers delay

As initial prices for Microsoft's Windows XP leaked out, the company suffered more embarrassment over the rollout of Windows XP Release Candidate 1 (RC1) today, when it emerged that some beta testers are still waiting for their preview copy of the software.

Reports are suggesting that some testers may not get their hands on the product until the end of the month, just as RC2 is scheduled to launch.

It is still unclear how many beta users are affected by the hiccup, but there are claims that as many as 100,000 users have not yet received the beta software. Microsoft would not confirm numbers, however. "That is still rumour and speculation," said a spokeswoman.

But most embarrassing for the Redmond giant is the fact that, while users who have paid to beta test RC1 cannot get hold of it, thousands of unsolicited users downloaded the product late last week when a rogue link to the company's download site went up with no password protection.

Paid up users should have received the software either in the mail last week or from the Microsoft website but, while many are still waiting, further reports claim that some users have received false installation keys, preventing them from installing the software anyway.

Price wise, Amazon.com was this morning taking orders for Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade at $99.99, Home Edition full product at $199.99, and Professional at $299.99. The company stressed that the product was not set to ship until 25 October.

Now, however, the product data seems to have mysteriously disappeared from the Amazon.com website, although a search on the site still claims an even more mysterious four matches.