This morning, while watching the announcement of Windows Vista on video, one couldn't help but notice the crowd cheered wildly once the name was announced. Why? Vista is a nice name, but it certainly doesn't seem worthy of manic applause. Would they have cheered the same for Windows Blue or Windows XLerated or any other random collection of characters following the Windows name? We have a few theories about the reaction:
1) The people in the video are those that had placed money on Vista at GamblingOnWindows.com.
2) Steve Ballmer was off in a corner holding up an "Applaud
Your Job Depends On It" sign.
3) Bill Gates was off in corner holding up an "Applaud
We're Going to be Rich(er) Next Fall" sign.
4) The Microsoft employees in the video (marketing guys, not engineering) thought the name was all that was holding back the product from being released.
5) Rumors that they would name the product Windows Touareg turned out to be false.
After years of speculation, Microsoft has finally settled on a new name for the next major release of the Windows operating system. "Bravo!" We say, but don't think that long wait didn't give us ample time to come up with a few ideas of our own. Let's bid a fond farewell to the wondering with one long last look at what might have been.
Michael Miller, PC Magazine Editor-in-Chief: "Windows 06? 07? 2010?"
Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft Watch Editor: "Some have suggested Windows XP Service Pack 3."
Ben Gottesman, PC Magazine Executive Editor: "I think they'll follow Apple's lead and name the OS after an animal. Probably Windows Elephant. Really big. Really powerful. Quite smart, too. But still a big target for bad guys."
Michael Steinhart, PC Magazine Features Editor: "Windows XQ."
John C. Dvorak, PC Magazine columnist: "How about Windows DOA.? Meaning Derivative Operating Application, of course."
Todd Spangler, Baseline Community Editor: "CashCow 2006? Better Late Than Never 5.0? Likeyoureallyhaveachoiceanyway Professional?"
Laarni Almendrala Ragaza, PC Magazine Online Section Editor: "Windows Finally Except for Few Bugs That We Will Tinker With Until The Next OS Comes Along Professional Edition."
Tony Hoffman, PC Magazine Staff Editor: "If they keep pulling interesting features, I might suggest WinDoze."
Jeremy Kaplan, ExtremeTech Editor: "Windoesn't."
Lance Ulanoff, PC Magazine Online Editor: "All Your Apps Are Belong to Us."
Rich Fisco, PC Magazine Technical Director: "OS Xl?"
David Murphy, PC Magazine Intern: "Windows 2: Bugs in the Hood."
Joel Santo Domingo, PC Magazine Lead Analyst: "Windows CUCompulsory Upgrade."
Sarah Pike, PC Magazine Features Editor: "Windows ATAntitrust."
Michael Dluginski, PC Magazine Associate Managing Editor: "Windows Longawaitedhorn."
* Longhorn to Be Christened 'Windows Vista'
* Longhorn Product Guide
Terry Sullivan, PC Magazine Lead Analyst: "I think they need to have a more humanistic, approachable name with cultural cachet that will remind us of both childhood fantasy and, of course, the crunching heavy metal of Black Sabbath: Windows OZ. Think of the marketing possibilities: You could have an Apple-like commercial where Judy Garland sings 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' and then slowly fades into Ozzy Osbourne singing 'Over the Mountain'with the tagline: 'Welcome to OZ
Windows OZ.'"
Gary Berline, ExtremeTech Production Editor: "Windows, Windows, Bo-Bindows, Bonana-Fanna-Fo-Findows, Fee-Fy-Mo-Mindows, Windows
Xp was a good name. Vista is not. 
They have no pull. 
Through when I saw the thread title I thought M$ had bought the search engine. 
