Compaq and Microsoft have once more gone out of their way to deny that they will launch a version of Windows 2000 Pro for the Alpha chip platform, but the software does exist.

Although there is absolutely no doubt, according to our source, that this software will ever become a product, boffins in the US have seen Windows 2000 Alpha Professional.

According to the source, work on the doomed product continued for over a month after Compaq pulled the plug on the platform in August 1999, as exclusively reported here.

The CD Rom, called Windows 2000 Alpha Professional Build 2128, and dated the 23rd of September 1999, is marked "For internal Microsoft use only" and emanated from the W2000 Burnlab in Redmond.

According to our sources, the software was considered too important to Microsoft's internal efforts for the firm to can it. But Compaq wrote strict rules that keep the builds confined to Redmond Central only.

It will never become a product the likes of you or us can get our mitts on, but it still exists.

It's sort of the Man in the Iron Mask of the software industry. ®

See Also

Microsoft kicks Compaq's Alpha in teeth and associated links.