Unlike Windows Vista, when I first heard the next version of Windows was going to be called Windows 7 I instantly liked it. It is simple, logical and most importantly does not sound anything like Vista.

Let’s not kid ourselves; Microsoft is not the best at naming its products. Just take a look at what the marketing guys did to SMS.  It was recently “reinvented” from Microsoft Systems Management Server to Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2.  The Windows 7 name is a breath of fresh air from a marketing team that seems to be obsessed with long names.  In fact, Windows 7 the shortest name of any consumer Windows release.

Logically, Windows 7 will be the seventh major consumer release of Windows.  Microsoft Windows VP Mike Nash explained this but there seems to be some confusion how this was reached so let me explain. My first thought was that if you count just consumer releases Windows 7 will be the seventh release. 

1. Windows 3.1
2. Windows 95
3. Windows 98
4. Windows ME
   
5. Windows XP
   
6. Windows Vista
7. Windows 7
   

Another way of counting the releases and is what Mike Nash clarified today is by build numbers with the exception for compatibility.

1. Windows 1.0
2. Windows 2.0
3. Windows 3.0
   Windows 3.1
   Windows 3.11
   Windows NT 3.1
   Windows NT 3.5
   
4. Windows 95 (4.0)
   Windows 98 (4.0.1998)
   Windows 98SE (4.10.2222)
   Windows ME (4.90.3000)
5. Windows 2000 (5.0)
   Windows XP (5.1)
6. Windows Vista (6.0)
7. Windows 7 (6.1)
   

According to Mike Nash the reason why Windows 7 is not build 7.0 is to maximize application compatibility with Vista compatible apps. 

"We learned a lot about using 5.1 for XP and how that helped developers with version checking for API compatibility.  We also had the lesson reinforced when we applied the version number in the Windows Vista code as Windows 6.0-- that changing basic version numbers can cause application compatibility issues. "

Some are concerned that because the build number will be 6.1 that mass confusion will occur.  I feel that concern is greatly exaggerated.  In fact, it is common with operating systems to have a different product version than the actual inner workings of the OS called the kernel. For example, the latest version of Ubuntu 8.10 uses the Linux kernel version 2.6.27. Apple OS X 10.5.5 is based on a modified version of the Mach 3.0 kernel. 

As I mentioned earlier the most important reason why I like Windows 7 as the name for the next Windows client is because it does not sound anything like Windows Vista.  For most of us geeks that is not a big deal but for the average user that was brainwashed by those highly successful Mac vs. PC ads it is extremely important.  Just as Microsoft proved with the Mojave experiments the product name Vista has such a bad perception that users believe that it is an absolutely horrible OS.  When they were actually shown it most were blown away but the damage was already done.  It is next to impossible to undo the damage in a few months what Apple had accomplished over years.  I feel that Windows 7 will do much better since its reputation is not connected to the damaged Vista brand. Assuming of course that Microsoft does not let Apple trash Windows 7 like it did with Vista but it sounds like Microsoft has finally learned its lesson on that.

Updated 10/14/2008