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Windows 7’s official name revealed
For the first time in Windows’ history, the final release will use its codename as the official name
Microsoft has previously always used a codename for new versions of Windows before officially announcing the new official name. Windows XP was codenamed Whistler, Windows Vista was codenamed Longhorn and the official name for Windows 7 has now also been revealed. Are you ready? The name of the next version of Windows is, wait for it, Windows 7.
Yep, it turns out that Windows 7 wasn’t a codename after all and that this will, in fact, be the official name of the new OS when it’s launched. Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows Product Management, Mike Nash, revealed the announcement on the Windows Vista Team Blog yesterday, saying: ‘we have been referring to it by a codename, "Windows 7." But now is a good time to announce that we've decided to officially call the next version of Windows, "Windows 7."’
Nash says he’s ‘pretty sure’ that this is the first time that a version of Windows has used the codename for its final release. The name is ‘about simplicity,’ says Nash, explaining that Microsoft has previously ‘used version numbers like Windows 3.11, or dates like Windows 98, or "aspirational" monikers like Windows XP or Windows Vista.’
However, he points out that a new version of Windows doesn’t come out every year, and that an ‘aspirational’ name wouldn’t convey the message that Microsoft apparently wants to stay ‘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.’
‘Put simply,’ says Nash, ‘this is the seventh release of Windows, so therefore "Windows 7" just makes sense.’ Is it the seventh version of Windows? Let’s have a look: Windows 1, Windows 2, Windows 3x, Windows NT 3x, Windows 95, Windows NT 4, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP and Windows Vista.
Nope, that’s at least 11 versions of Windows, and that doesn’t include the server versions. Presumably, Microsoft is instead referring to the build number. Windows 95, 98 and ME were all revisions of Windows build number 4, while Windows 2000 and XP were revisions of build NT 5. Windows Vista is build number 6, so it follows that Windows 7 uses build number 7, although this isn’t going to make a lot of sense to the everyday guy on the street.
A few details have already been revealed about Windows 7, including the fact that it will have a revised User Account Control system, and that it won’t come with photo, video and email apps as standard, instead giving you the option to download the apps . Microsoft has also demonstrated the OS with a multi-touch interface. Is Windows 7 a sensible name for the new OS? Let us know your thoughts.
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Ok its new but still old fast maybe good for games and the like who knows Back doors yes a lot you know that.
Comment by Sleeper at 1:13am 21st October 2008
Please get some facts straight before you post them: Win7 is actually the 7th version of Windows (6.5 technically). 1.0 - Windows 1. 2.0 - Windows 2. 3.x - Windows 3x. 4.0 - Windows 95. 4.1 - Windows 98 (actually a subversion of 95 and you forgot Win98SE). 4.9 - Windows ME (also a subversion of 95). 5.1 - Windows XP. 6.0 - Windows Vista. Interestingly, the leaked Alpha's of Win7 actually display the version number as 6.5 meaning Windows 7 is to Vista as 98 is to 95 but they seem to have changed their minds on that. Windows NT 3x, Windows NT 4 and Windows 2000 (and, technically, XP, Vista and 7) are all part of a different family but share version numbers with the main family.
Comment by pnlrogue1 at 10:56am 20th October 2008
Just imagine the situation - you're talking to some dumbass PC owner - the Average Joe or Joanne at the pub with some mates and they ask you about Windows: Joe: What Windows have you got? Guy 1: XP, mate. Joe: What about you? Guy 2: Um, I've got Vista. Joe: And you? You: Seven. Joe: What, you've got seven copies of Windows? You: No, no, Windows 7. Joe: Nah, mate, that doesn't exist, surely? Aren't you mistaking it for Windows Server? You: Shut it.
Comment by King_Jimi at 12:23pm 17th October 2008
There is a lot of talk about simplicity here, which is a good sign. I don't have much beef with Vista as an oporating system. In fact, for the average computer user, with little technical knowledge, it is now a very good oporating system. However, as Cool_CR states, Vista does, by it's "helpful" nature perform a lot more in the background. Also, due to it's nature, some people may find it a cluttered and, perhaps even slightly inllogical (That's me btw) OS. It takes a bit too much out of my hands, so I have stuck with XP. My hope is that Windows 7 will be a smoother, simpler OS. Putting the control back back in my hands a bit, whilst providing high compatability and stepping forward technologically - DX11, WinFS et al. Just as a thought. Perhaps a way forward would be dual releases of future Windows - The Vista-esque version for those who are happy to let the OS make every decision for them, and the less cluttered version for those like most of us on here who need a little more control. Probably be a lot of work, but it would be a little like the vista Home, Busines and Ultimate editions, only more useful IMO. hrmm.
Comment by SanguineAngel at 3:24pm 16th October 2008
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1643&tag=nl.e539 Vista SP2 before Windows7. The question asked here is whether MS add a few tweaks to Vista to get us ready for W7. That probably wouldn't be a bad idea since some XP users got scared of their comfort blanky being taken away.
Comment by crazyceo at 10:38am 16th October 2008
But it's the BEST available and that includes XP. On WinFS, I heard Mr Gates was mighty pissed that Vista couldn't launch with WinFS. His techs had it running but just wasn't at the right stage to ship. The fact they are starting to push W7 this early must mean they have it ready.
Comment by crazyceo at 10:15am 16th October 2008
.. So, i think some people think they are "high" level techs or what have you but.. they really arent. i've installed Vista on many machines with no problems. Now that Vista is up to SP1 there are no reasons for you to have problems... other than you are tying to run it on a pentium 4 with 512mb ram...or something.. then... yeah, it's slow!! But, it runs!! BTW.. if you did an upgrade install.. then you definitly are not "high" level tech. The fact is Vista rocks. I like the idea though that they are going to "Windows 7". maybe this will leave the "stigma" vista has gotten. But, i am wondering about this "Windows 7" i think that is B.S. and it's probably more like Vista SP2 which will probably now include WinFS. The new Hard Drive filing system to replace NTFS.
Comment by code7master at 4:38pm 15th October 2008
Windows has support for new Hardware and point and click idiot proofing with Vista infinity omni do you really really really want to run this box. Linux not even Suse 11 which i do like alot has quite the same easy feel and safety that 3 or 4 badly placed click could kill everything. Crazyceo you can say what you want but Vista is not perfect, when 7 is launched people will struggle with the tiny changes MS makes and the new security flaws they have opend with the new OS (400mb DL after installing Vista so no one say there werent any flaws). As for the people who say Vista is slow well yah it does more than XP so it will be slower. Just like XP was slower than 98se it has more back ground processes and other stuff for your conveniance.
Comment by Cool_CR at 3:28pm 15th October 2008
Windows has support for new Hardware and point and click idiot proofing with Vista infinity omni do you really really really want to run this box. Linux not even Suse 11 which i do like alot has quite the same easy feel and safety that 3 or 4 badly placed click could kill everything. Crazyceo you can say what you want but Vista is not perfect, when 7 is launched people will struggle with the tiny changes MS makes and the new security flaws they have opend with the new OS (400mb DL after installing Vista so no one say there werent any flaws). As for the people who say Vista is slow well yah it does more than XP so it will be slower. Just like XP was slower than 98se it has more back ground processes and other stuff for your conveniance.
Comment by Cool_CR at 3:28pm 15th October 2008
It's the clowns installing it that cause the problems. Yougotkicked obviously one of them. I know many people who installed Vista on day one and many who have only just installed it and I have never heard any of them say they had problems. If its a driver issue then just download the new one. XP does exactly the same thing, it installs the windows driver then when complete it searches for the specific driver through automatic updates. Linux/Apple are incompatible with most windows based equipment and software. All the open source patches in the world can't compete otherwise they would all be using Linux. Just to add a quick point here, according to Asus, they have 4 X as many returns of their Linux notebooks than their XP ones to quote "Due to incompatibilty issues".
Comment by crazyceo at 3:23pm 15th October 2008
A system building party? And you couldn't get Vista to work???? I struggle to see why Vista still has this stigma attatched, I have put our 100's of systems now with no problems.
Comment by Nadulike at 10:40am 15th October 2008
@ l3v1ck It's convenient having Internet explorer built in. Makes it easier to go to www.firefox.com !
Comment by mi1ez at 8:38am 15th October 2008
You can pretty much guarantee that they will keep the naming convention for the next release too. Windows 8 will go like wildfire in China!
Comment by Spreadie at 8:23am 15th October 2008
Well, at least we know what windows 8 is going to be called.
Comment by stuartpengs at 12:50am 15th October 2008
I hope vista users get cheap (free not likely) upgrade. I actually bought vista 64 for home, made it dual boot but have never really used it. I have a MS corporate volume licence for Vista but I will not roll it out to my client base.
Comment by kingwahwah at 11:49pm 14th October 2008
vista still has a reputation for being general crap amongst the people i know. i was at a 'system building party' (excuse to get a bunch of people from a modding forum together at Bill Owen's workshop) and after vista was installed it immedietly crashed. and the windows auto-install drivers suck massively, my DVD drive won't work under windows but it will work under Linux. what's this talk of compatability heaven crazyceo?
Comment by yougotkicked at 10:35pm 14th October 2008
If you don't like it, go join the Linux/Apple crowd. While the rest of us move on in compatibility heaven. There is only operating system provider and that's Microsoft.
Comment by crazyceo at 9:13pm 14th October 2008
Windows 7 was indeed codenamed Vienna in the past, but it's been mainly codenamed Windows 7 by Microsoft over the last few months. I could have probably been clearer about this in the article, but the main point is that Windows 7 is going to be the official name, and it's also been the codename for a while now.
Comment by hardwidge at 8:57pm 14th October 2008
Windows 7, core i7. Something MS and intel aren't telling us?
Comment by do_it_anyway at 8:10pm 14th October 2008
Aye, I remember seeing Bill Gates quite some time ago referring to it as "Vienna". Perhaps they ditched that when Bill passed on the baton.
Comment by adidan at 7:53pm 14th October 2008
I have always found it funny that they want to keep the official name secret but release spec and app details. As for the name, I think it's fine. The people who would get confused by it woun't really care what it's called, just that it works. The average user doesn't even realise that Vista is not as good as it could be. @damafia - As for your machine being slow... there is nothing wrong with Vista now (Well... not really) you just need to chuck as much RAM as your version can take. The main issues come from software support for media editing and creation. Music and video editing software just has major issues through Vista and old skool coders and editors tell me that they just can't get their apps and programs to run through Vista. Apart from the obvious DX10 issues, I would like to know what other issues people still have with Vista. At least MS have acted fairly quickly to replace Vista.
Comment by PokerMuppet at 7:17pm 14th October 2008
WinFS seems to have gone very quiet since they dropped it out of Vista. I wonder if it will finally make it into a version of Windows (i.e. Windows 7)?
Comment by jonisaksson at 7:12pm 14th October 2008
Reading up on it and DAMNIT, why can't they ditch 32bit version already?!!!! No-one without a 64bit processor is going to want a new os!
Comment by mr_nips at 7:09pm 14th October 2008
"Windows 7 (formerly codenamed BLACKCOMB and VIENNA) is the next version of Microsoft Windows and the successor to Windows Vista."
Comment by mr_nips at 7:05pm 14th October 2008
Good move, cuts the crap, I like it.
Comment by mr_nips at 6:57pm 14th October 2008
No one will misspronounce it... unless they're just being t*ts an say Sven... Goran (sony) Erricsson
Comment by NikoBellic at 5:58pm 14th October 2008
Windows 7 DID have a codename , it was known as "Vienna" for the last year or so, at least within microsoft.
Comment by Nadulike at 5:46pm 14th October 2008
I like the name, 7 is the magic number after all ;p
Comment by yodaowns at 5:22pm 14th October 2008
yawn if its good its good hope fully they learned from vista if i want a slow pc ill underclock or use vista does the same thing lol
Comment by damafia at 4:43pm 14th October 2008
Honestly, does anyone care about the name? I mean I'd happily use an OS called 'panty pant, mcpants pants' if it works well. I can't imagine anyone being put off, or being attracted to an OS, because of its name, it's not a friggin' logo on a t-shirt.
Comment by adidan at 4:39pm 14th October 2008
Give it a chance here. A simplistic name for Windows is probably a better thing. The software could be good, and since microsoft dominate the market just about in PC Operating systems, you cant exactly call them sucky can you? Lets wait and see what it will become over the next few years.
Comment by Lightning_Pete at 4:10pm 14th October 2008
Sorry, Custom PC comments are now closed.
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