Apparently the release of Windows XP SP3, the long awaited and widely expected update, will be offered by Microsoft on April 29. At least that’s what the tech forum Neowin reports.

“With Service Pack 3 for Windows XP just over the horizon, we've managed to get our hands on the internal schedule for the release of the highly anticipated update to the aging operating system,” wrote in a post one of the Neowin users.

According to this information, on April 21 Windows XP SP3 will be released to

Original Equipment Manufacturers, Volume License, Connect, and MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Eight days later, it will be made available through Microsoft Update, Windows Update and Download Center. On June 10 Microsoft will start to push SP3 as an automatic update.

The new Service Pack 3 for Microsoft's previous operating system will feature more than 1,000 hot fixes and patches that have been issued in the past three years, as well as at least four new features, some of which will be ports of Vista tools.

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that Windows XP Home will be available for ultra-low-cost PCs, especially laptops marketed in developing markets, for another two years. Michael Dix, General Manager of Windows Client Product Management, pointed out that the decision was taken because ultra-low-cost PCs, also called ULPCs, are unable to run Microsoft's latest operating system Windows Vista.

Also, yesterday, The Associated Press reported that Galen Gruman, has started a Save XP Web petition, gathering since January more than 100,000 signatures. Gruman and the users who signed his petition hope to convince Microsoft to keep selling Windows XP until 2010, when the next version is expected.