Windows 7 to officially be called… Windows 7
The successor to Vista will definitely be called Windows 7, Microsoft has confirmed. While not unexpected, it’s still rare that the firm would stick to a project codename in the final launch.
Writing on the official Vista blog, Mike Nash (the man in charge of Windows as a product), said the decision was down to wanting to keep things simple. He said using a date (as in Windows 98) doesn’t make sense because there isn’t a new edition each year.
Surprisingly, given Vista’s public image, he added that Microsoft decided against using a non-specific word because:
coming up with an all-new “aspirational” name does not do justice to what we are trying to achieve, which is to stay firmly rooted in our aspirations for Windows Vista, while evolving and refining the substantial investments in platform technology in Windows Vista into the next generation of Windows.
It’s notable that Microsoft is making a strong point of putting across that Windows 7 is fundamentally a revamp rather than an all-new system. While it’s admirably honest, it may come across as a little too defensive of Vista. That said, it’s pretty understandable why Microsoft didn’t opt for calling the new system ‘Vista 2.0’ or ‘Vista 2010’.
Nash explained that the new system’s name was chosen simply because it’s the 7th edition of Windows. There’s been some online debate about that point – by some methods Vista itself could be called the 8th edition – though that’s really not going to make much difference in the real world.
It’s not unknown for a Microsoft product to stick with its production codename, though it’s comparatively rare (much to the relief of the US Ambassador to Fiji). Generally codenames are picked from places visited by Microsoft staff: XP was known as Whistler (a Canadian mountain resort where the firm held a retreat), while Vista’s working title was Longhorn (a bar in Whistler).
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October 16th, 2008
Tentative names included Windows Blackcomb, Windows Vienna, WindOS X, Windows Steak and Bl*wj*bs Edition!!! (which proved in beta testing to be Tofu and Long Querulous Discussion About Where Our Relationship Is Going Edition) and Windows 2007^W2008^W2009^W2010.
Blog rant: http://tinyurl.com/3l8pws
October 17th, 2008
Quote: ‘coming up with an all-new “aspirational” name does not do justice to what we are trying to achieve, which is to stay firmly rooted in our aspirations for Windows Vista, while evolving and refining the substantial investments in platform technology in Windows Vista into the next generation of Windows.’
“… while evolving and refining … platform technology”, eh? The same technology that gave Mike Nash what he described as a “$2,100 email machine”?
As an aside, someone should tell the Mr Nash that, given the context, it should be “whilst”, not “while”, and furthermore that one cannot “evolve” anything. I am surprised that someone so senior has such a poor command of the English language.