Microsoft Corp yesterday began shipping the first copies of the anticipated Beta 2 versions of Window NT Server 4.0, almost two months behind the latest schedule. It was reportedly delayed by more than 20 show-stopper bugs. Our sister publication ClieNT Server News says NT-creator Dave Cutler kept demanding a bug-free second beta. Industry pressure to get Beta 2 out has been mounting for weeks, but Cutler’s reportedly been almost fanatical about it being good enough that a third beta wouldn’t be needed. A third beta would play havoc with 4.0’s launch schedule. Microsoft’s expects 4.0 to go gold this summer, a subtle switch from earlier mid-year promises though major OEMs assume they won’t get final code until September, which means 4.0 systems wouldn’t ship till October. 4.0 includes the Windows 95 interface and new management wizards, new installation and browser-based management, Internet Information servers 2.0, the distributed component object model (DCOM), plus performance improvements over NT 3.51. NT Workstation 4.0 enhancements include the Windows 95 interface, Internet explorer, built-in management tools and additional multimedia support
