RSSWindows 7 In-Depth: Naming the Beast
Nov 26
Tech Articles Microsoft, windows, Windows 7 View Comments
I should have started my Windows 7 coverage with this article instead of divulging more exciting User Interface stuff. Before we get overwhelmed with even more Microsoft news, I think it’s important to get the essentials straight before we go drifting off daydreaming about geeky OS fluff.
Talk of the day:
- Microsoft’s decisions
- Build numbering schemes
- Windows 7 release schedule
Who needs one name if you can have four?
Microsoft has been flicking names around like crazy in the past few years before they settled on Windows 7. Prior to Microsoft delivering Windows Vista (previously codenamed ‘Longhorn’), Windows 7 was initially baptized ‘Blackcomb’, ‘Windows Vienna’ and ‘Windows Seven’. Obviously, Microsoft’s vision on what this release was supposed to become has changed quite significantly as time passed. Windows 7 was once destined to evolve into one of the more (most?) important iterations of the Windows platform. This task was ungraciously passed down to its closest sibling, Vista, as it laid all the foundational and architectural work that was necessary for future versions. Evidentially, Windows 7’s feature scope is focused on fit-and-finish and fine-tuning of system performance. Additionally, it will also introduce a significant number of new and valuable features. This will be the topic of discussion of a future article. For now, we’ll get back to the names…
A recurring source of inspiration for Microsoft has to be Canadian ski-resorts, since Blackcomb, or “Whistler-Blackcomb” as it’s formally referred to, is actually such a resort. If my (Google-assisted) memory serves me well, ‘Whistler’ was also the codename for Windows XP during development. Windows Vista’s codename (‘Longhorn’) was a nod to the Longhorn Bar located at ‘Whistler Blackcomb’. These repeated references must mean Bill Gates was a regular visitor of the resort. Who knows, he could even have gotten drunk a time or two at the Longhorn Bar. Perhaps not.
Windows 7 is Windows 27 in disguise
There has been a lot of (relatively) unfounded commotion about Microsoft’s naming scheme for the next version of its flagship OS (and no longer ‘only’ operating system: Windows Azure is number two). The ‘7’ implies that the OS or kernel has reached version seven, which is outright baloney, of course. As numerous techies have stated, the actual version number exceeds far beyond whatever conservative statements Microsoft’s PR-department disclosed. According to my own modest and very insignificant calculations, and without taking mobile versions into account, Microsoft has come out with up to 26 distinct versions of Windows since its debut to the market back in 1985.
With all those fact(oids) in mind, I’m of the opinion that ‘Windows 7’ may well be the best name Microsoft has come up with in years. Compared to previous ‘inspirational’ names (Me, XP, Vista), ‘Windows 7’ could do away with the [unjust] flaky perception of Windows Vista by virtue of the mere contrast. Its dissimilarity in nomenclature could be enough to make the bad taste that Vista left behind fade away.
Building up numbers
Historically, the numbering-scheme Microsoft applied to the internal builds of its OS reflected the actual version number. That was, until MS decided to artificially bump the build number to accommodate its PR-needs. The most memorable example of this was near the end of Vista’s development cycle; where they bumped up the build number to 6000 upon RTM (‘Release To Manufacturing’). Currently, Windows 7 has landed at build 6948, as demonstrated on the ‘Engineering Windows 7’ blog, and will most likely be brought up to 7000 (or something) when it ships.
Is this justified? One could get into the specifics of this endlessly, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter, since build numbers are an internal way of keeping track of things. They have absolutely no relevance to consumers, whatsoever.
(It’s also significant to BitTorrent users wanting to snatch the latest build from the interwebs.)
Development Progress
Microsoft, for the first time in history, is planning to only put out one beta and one release candidate, demonstrating that the componentization groundwork they’ve put in with Vista allows for easy deployment and timely releases.
For now, this is what the rudimentary schedule looks like:
- M1 (build 6519)
- M2 (build 6589)
- M3 (build 6780)
- Build 6801 (PDC 2008)
- Pre-Beta 1 (builds 6933, 6936 and 6948)
- Beta 1
To be expected in early 2009. - Release Candidate
- Final Build
Approximately mid-2009 for RTM, which would make it in time for the 2009 shopping season.
