SuperSite Blog

Smart move.  Vista was a horrible name.  I have always liked the numbers, XP, ME was bad as well, but not as bad as Vista.

Windows 7 is actually my favourite Windows name and  has the potential to be an excellent brand.

Now will they go and spoil it with 'Windows 7 Home Basic N 64-bit edition' and similar?

Good name.  It also gives the impression that it's a big release.

Not that I hated the Vista name, but Windows 7 is a simple and strong name.

XP was an aspirational name? huh? I keep forgetting how little "marketting speak" makes sense.

Did they give up on date-based naming when they released a version of windows in 1998, 1999, two in 2000, and 2001?

Maybe they realised that having two windows 2000s would be confusing? or 3 versions of vista?

oh, wait.

This is good.  Vista's name is mud (justified or not) and Windows 7 is a nice, simple substitute with strong branding possibilities.

Windows is not a strong name. It's a tarnished brand, ridiculed and a joke.

There's an even higher logic here. The launch of Windows Seven will be in tandem with Windows Mobile Seven, an evolution of the platform as a whole.

Since the beginning, I tought they would keep it... It totally surpasses any other scheme used before.

As said above, I REALLY hope they won't spoil it with several SKUs that don't add up to clarifying more than they do complicate things. Keep it Home, Server, Business. Ultimate it's certainly out of focus already.

Make it an opt-in, like a membership, and everyone's happy. (Windows Plus! somebody?)

I always liked the name Vista. Something about giving your product a sweet sounding name always made it nice to say. I love to say "In Vista you can do this" or "in Vista you can do that"... I don't know if it will be as cool to say "in Windows 7 you can..."

From a marketing standpoint it might work though. 7 sounds strong. Everyone knows Windows. So Windows 7 gives a nice first impression.

I like this decision. I was hoping they would keep the name because at least in my mind Windows 7 already had a lot of positives going for it already.

This is MS once and for all admitting that Vista is a failure (not counting the copies that are force-fed to people by OEMs, which are most of the copies by far).

If Vista had been a success, they'd have continued the name. Vista 2.0, or whatever.

@rseiler

Vista 2.0? your kidding me. They would have probably chosen another name anyways if vista was a sucess. Failer or not i dont think they would ever give a product the same name as the one before and slap a lame ass 2.0 to it. (not to say they have not to other products though...)

Well I guess Vista will be remembered as the 2nd to least popular Windows of all time (after Me of course)... Welcome Windows7 !

So, I wonder what the actual version number will be? Mike;s guess was 6.2.6300. Could MS be artificially increasing the version number for marketing purposes or was Mike W  R  O  N  G?

community.winsupersite.com/.../78927.aspx - "I'm guessing (and it's just a guess) that it will be something like Windows 2010 and that it will have a version of something like 6.2.6300"

--tayme

But isn't Windows 7 really 6.1?  It is really just a Vista "Second Edition" isn't it?  All of the screen shots look identical to Vista.  I can't imagine it getting a major overhaul between now and when it is released.

Windows 7 is /not/ a codename. If they truly think it is, then they are so lame at picking cool code names.

Windows Mobile 7 is the version which copies iPhone OS. Plain and simple. Took Microsoft 6 versions to get it wrong. Pathetic.

Microsoft fanboys, bloggers and shills are so pathetically sad (as are MSFT themselves)

news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10064580-75.html

Hello!?? "Vista" means "view", like the great expanse when you look out a good _window_.

I don't like "7" because it sounds exactly 3 steps behind OS X.

George Constanza won't be happy...

tayme

Wow. My guess (called out as a guess) was wrong.

Funny, though, that the only people who seem to care about things like naming are the ones who will be setting their alarms to make sure they don't miss a minute of tommorrow's Steve Show while those of us who actually use Windows consider this a non-event (like tomorrow's Steve Show)

Now, Silverlight 2 shipping. That's news I actually care about.

drylight

The article on the Apple Tax has some great points like  "You've also got an upgrade tax. The only machine, as far as I know, within the Apple lineup that's actually upgradeable is the Mac Pro, the $2,800 version, which is [more expensive than] just about any PC configuration that you get from any one of our manufacturers."

Thanks for sharing it.

Personally I can't wait until Mac OS X finally runs out of point releases and has to move to 11.  When that happens they can hire the guitarist Derek Smalls from Spinal Tap and have him say, "This one goes to Eleven."

As for Windows naming, I have a good friend who works for MS and he absolutely loathed the naming when NT moved from NT 4 to Windows 2000.

For me personally I always thought that numbering was the simplest way to keep track of the latest version.  Even with Mac os X I can never keep track of the cat names, Leopard, puma, tiger, etc.  

This may be good sign for MS, it may mark the beginning of a simplification of its products, by starting with the name.

Regards

Joe Dokes

Nah. The real Apple naming crisis will come long before the replacement for OS X 10.9...

The real crisis will come early next year when Apple has to come up with the 3rd generation iPhone and realizes that iPhone 3G is already taken and iPhone 3G 2G is just bizarre.

Why don't they call it Windows VII. That would be cool and only three major releases until they get to X :-)

Why are people making fun of the name "Windows 7" on CNET and such? They never complained about the name before. Why now?

Man, if they seriously don't like windows so much, why are they still using it? Man, all there doing is bashing MS and waiting for there god Jobs tomorrow.

I don't mind marketing with a number -- in fact I was hoping that Vista would have been simply named Windows 6.0.  The thing is, it's gotta be the real version number of the OS.  Windows "7" is Windows 6.1.  Period.  It's not gonna miraculously change to 7.0.

There's going to be a lot of confusion when people see "Windows 6.1" or "Version 6.1" showing up in about boxes, sysinfo utilities, logfiles, useragent strings, updates downloaded from MS download center, etc.  And worse when the "real" Windows 7.0 comes out.

They'll probably end up pulling a Java -- Java stayed in the 1.x's until they went from 1.5 to 6.0.  Sun did something similar with Solaris -- 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 7.  I can picture Windows staying in the 6.x's for numerous releases and then jumping up at some point in the future.

I love drylight's "windows 7 is /not/ a codename"

I beg to differ........

lol

Wellcome Windows 7 !! Nice !!!

PS . @ troll

Pls resolved this

discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa

@patriot

As far as i'm aware, even the "milestone 1" build is numbered 6.1 something.

There's still two years before the release, so I don't think it's entirely impossible for the version number to reach 7.

However, there may be good reasons to keep the major build number at 6 regardless, and some of these have been discussed on their engineering windows 7 blog, namely that badly written apps will check for a specific version number, rather than check for greater than or equal to version numbers.

Exciting!

Seven is my favorite number. Perhaps keeing it simple will resonate more so with people. However, their logic in justifying 7 was explained by Ed Bott in his article about it. Because the family tree of this code base is the NT codebase, not the 9x lineage. So throwing out the 9x versions, it literally would be the 7th version of the NT line. I know, corny but thats the explanation.

Hate it or love it, a lot of people are intriegued by Windows Seven. We will be keeping an eye on this one.

7 in Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/.../Seven

Subzero, the NT7 moniker is fairly widely understood.

However, the discrepancy is whether or not it will actually BE an NT7 version in truth, or if it will be NT6.something.

I'd imagine that it will be NT7, but whether that's done artificially (ie. it will still be the 6.x kernel with an UI overhaul) or not remains to be seen.

They have already stated that the majority of the underpinnings will be compatible fully with Vista, so there will be no need for driver re-writes.

Whatever the case, it does look set to be a worthy update, and in my mind is worthy of a new full release number, whether or not it actually uses a new kernel.

@Mike - Yes, your guess was wrong. So much for you doing all of the research that you claim that makes you always right. Regarding caring, you sure seemed to care last week when it was being discussed. Go back and read your own words on the link I posted last night. Actually, what you really seemed to care about was Apple's naming/numbering convention. You seem obsessed with Apple and every move that they make.

--tayme

Gorath,

I agree 100 percent. We'll have to see when the beta is out. If its an improvement in the same mannor of 98 was to 95 or XP was to 2000, then it would be worthy.

However, I know a few people were scratching their heads as to how in the heck do they come up with Seven?

I know some of the people who blog on here know their stuff. I'm sure we have some readers who don't blog that might not understand the reason. I tend to refer people here and to other sites.

fairy muff :D

Very nice. Simple. To the point.

Good stuff MS :)

tayme

That's why it was a guess and labled as one (not spoken as fact from on high as some people's guesses are presented).

Now keeping track of all my old posts, that's obsessed (and a bit creepy)

@Mike - You sound just like a politician...

Yeah, I guess I'm your cyber-stalker there, Mikey...actually, I am not keeping track...I just remember you making that "guess" and ranting about other companies artificially increasing a version number. What is your "guess" now? Will MS follow suit and do the same or will the version number remain as 6.x.yyyy?

--tayme

what exactly are the prerequisites for changing major product number anyway?

tayme

If you go back to everyone else who made guesses in that discussion while you were there and flamed them (especially those who didn't label their guesses as such), I'd believe you. But, you didn't. Which leaves it, again, a bit obsessive and creepy.

"keeping track of all my old posts, that's obsessed (and a bit creepy)."

So now it's obsessive and creepy to hold someone responsible for their opinions?

Wow. Nice argumentative technique there, "mikegalos".

@Mike - Again...you are wrong. I did go back and look. I only posted one time in that thread. It was in response to somebody else that was arguing with your biased logic. My comment was that that person was probably correct, that Apple used X(10) in much the same way the Sun uses the sub-version in the product name of the Solaris OS.

"lotsa" is correct and your debating style is very flawed. You refuse to be held accountable for your statements and put twists and turns throughout, in an attempt to confuse the issue.

--tayme

lotsa

No. It's obsessive and creepy when you keep track of one person's guess in a discussion over a week old.

As a test, can you tell me what Waethorn's guess was without looking? How about daveinla's? What about johnbaxter's or benjwah's or richardfrisch's or master3's?

Wow, Mike...its obsessive and creepy that you remembered all of those names without looking. I think its obvious that I did not "keep track" of your guess...I just remembered you ranting and went back to look because you are obsessive about being uber positive about MS and uber negative about any other OS provider.

--tayme

@mikegalos: Just keep digging that hole. I don't care about those particular opinions, per se, so please quit changing the subject.

As a point of curiosity, what exactly *is* your "sell by" date on opinions? A week? Three days? Two? Should Paul delete his archives when his writings and opinions get stale and lose their shelf appeal? One of the things I admire about Paul is his willingness to take a stand and have an opinion, even when he's dead-on wrong (like the time he gave effusive praise and four Paul-heads to Windows '95). He may be wrong, but he doesn't criticize others when they point it out; he rightly turns it back on them and says, "Hey, jackass--when did YOU last have an opinion?"

You make yourself a target because of *your* obsessive commenting, your arrogance and your dismissive attitude towards those with whom you disagree.

As do I. And I got over it. As should you.

Mike, you really do come across as a ranting fanboy a-hole most of the time (as do some others here)

I think you need to learn to chill.

tayme

I followed your link to see who posted.

See what you Mac guys don't like is Mike uses logic and facts for his statements.  Whereas you Mac people use pure emotion.

Mike, it will be iPhone 3G + or plus. That's my guess, as lame as it sounds. But dammit Jim, I'm a doctor not a phone repairman!

Did you know that I bought a $400 Vista laptop that works pretty darn well?

DRWAM,

Did you know I have an almost 4 year old Dimension 9100 that runs Vista great?

The Mac guys aren't going to like us. How dare we keep admitting Vista runs good/great for us?

@Delmont - I am not a "Mac guy" and what I "don't like" is that Mike uses opinion and bias for his statements. Other than that, he is obviously a very smart guy, when it comes to Windows...but due to that bias, not so much when it comes to other Operating Systems.

--tayme

@DRWAM - My sister was in the market for cheap laptop...was going to buy a used, naked one from where she works for $200. I told her about this one and she went and got it. I am going over to her place tomorrow night to install the extra RAM, clean all of the crapware off, and migrate her data for her. I'll be very disappointed if it doesn't live up to the image you have been portraying...I'll have to get one of my east coast buddies to come over and lay the smackdown on your candy *** <---  ;-)

--tayme

She'll like it. It choked on the first DVD try after awaking from hibernation. but it did fine after restart, and played a Webkinz game while watching, with only 2GB RAM and all the included software, even that dang McAfee and Google junk. The screen is pretty too. It runs better than my Inspiron 8200 with 1 GB RAM with XP. Also, it has no problem with MS Office, as well as MS works that was included. I see minimal difference with 4GB RAM, bt it was speedy to begin with.

I am going to make a quote from your recent Windows 7 FAQ:

Quote:

"Q: Why Windows 7?

A: Since Windows Vista is really Windows 6.0, Windows 7 will presumably be version 7.0. Current beta versions list the version number as 6.1, which is the same version number as Windows Server 2008. This will change."

Windows Vista is NT 6.0, Windows 7 remains NT 6.1. The kernel version will not be incremented as you assume you had predicted. The reason for this is compatibility, something Steve Sinofsky described he wants to bring 'forward' in his interview with Ina Fried on CNET. Its a safety net as I am learning, not all applications are programmed to do OS version checking. So, an application coded to see NT 6.0 or NT 5.1 would encounter errors on installation when it sees NT 7.0. Microsoft does not want to go through that again, at least not until NT 7.0 actually arrives in the future.

Still, regardless its NT 6.1, it still could be the major version, since XP was 5.1 and was considered a major released that introduced the improved Start Menu, Task Panes, improved compatibility compared to Windows 2000 Pro and the first consumer version of Windows built on NT.

tayme

"Mike uses opinion and bias for his statements"

Back it up or retract. (Not the bias, we all have those, but the allegation that I present my opinion as fact)

@mikegalos - Wasn't it you claiming that MS is the only company that innovates in the OS market. That is OPINION....not FACT. It is opinion and not fact because there is absolutely no way that you can know what every OS provider in the world is working on at any given time(plus, its just not true). I remember well the attempts at conversation that John Papola and others had with you regarding that, and you just kept repeating opinions...not facts.

Does that meet you needs? (I am guessing not...but what the hey...)

--tayme

tayme

No, I was the one asking for examples of other company's innovating in the OS market.

People! Windows 7 is NOT a codename. Vista is a 6.x build, so the next major release will be, yes go for it, you know it... 7! Windows 7 is the next release. So it's not a codename but the actual release version. A codename is something like "Avalanche" or "Lightning".

Pingback from  Next version of Windows to be called Windows 7