Neowin.net

Select testers have just received emails of their participation on the Microsoft® SQL Server “Yukon” Beta program, heres a snip:

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Welcome to the Microsoft® SQL Server “Yukon” Beta program! You have been invited to participate in the first beta of SQL Server’s exciting new product release! If you’ve seen any of the features or functionality we’ve developed for Yukon, you know that this is going to be an extraordinarily exciting beta!

Don’t get too excited though, I don’t have bits for you yet. This mail is simply intended to welcome you to the program. I’m sure that the first question on your mind is “when will you have bits?” and the answer is sometime in July. I don’t have an exact date yet because the release schedule for Yukon is quality-driven, not schedule-driven. In other words, we’re planning to ship the beta when we get our bug count numbers where they need to be and not before.

I hope a few of the Neowin members got on although I am hearing its a very selective Beta.

News source: In-House

Of course, Apple's Music Store uses one-click purchasing licensed from Amazon, so there's something of a technology fit already. Then again, that may be the only connection between the two companies and the only basis for the alleged negotiations.

That Apple is going to offer the service to Windows users, complete with iTunes software, suggests that the service is viewed by the company as a revenue generator and not a tool to attract buyers to the Mac platform. Since Apple is already sending 65 cents per 99 cent download to the music industry, it might not be all that keen on sharing any of the remaining 35 cents with Amazon.

Then again, a co-branded deal with Amazon would expose Apple to more customers - PC or otherwise - than it might reach on its own, and would give it a useful bargaining tool to achieve other outcomes, such as replacing Amazon's current Windows Media and RealPlayer downloads with QuickTime/iTunes versions