Windows 7’s official name revealed

Posted at: 3:46pm 14th October 2008 by Ben Hardwidge

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.