Ooops I did it again - Microsoft accidentally posts Office 2003 beta 2
Microsoft posted the second beta of Office 2003 to its Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web site on Wednesday, only to pull it a few hours later.
"A copy of the second beta was inadvertently posted yesterday. It was subsequently pulled because it is not ready for customers," a Microsoft spokeswoman in Europe said Thursday. "We expect the beta 2 to ship in March."
Microsoft won't specify how many MSDN subscribers downloaded the beta, saying only that it was "a very low number."
With the posting, Microsoft also confirmed Office 2003 as the name for the successor to Office XP, dropping the Office 11 code name. IDG News Service first reported the name change last week.
"We can now confirm the Office 2003 name," the spokeswoman said. The name is in line with the nomenclature for other new Microsoft products. For example, Microsoft earlier this year changed the Windows .Net Server product name to Windows Server 2003, with the launch of the server platform scheduled for April 24.
One of those who got a sneak preview of the software is Steven Bink of