“The new name of Microsoft’s next-generation computer operating system — Windows Vista — may not have the vibe of Xbox, its game console, or even that of Tiger, Apple’s operating system,” John Boudreau writes for Mercury News. “But where some see bland, the world’s largest software giant sees grand.”
MacDailyNews Take: Dictionary.com defines “vista” as: “A distant view or prospect, especially one seen through an opening… An avenue or other passage affording such a view.” So, “Windows Vista” is aptly named after a narrow passage affording a view of a distant prospect through an opening. Microsoft certainly made a decent choice with “Vista.” After all, they could’ve named the whole mess “Windows Sphincter.” “Windows Balloon Knot” might have been nice.
Boudreau continues, “On Friday, the Redmond, Wash., company officially crowned the upcoming version of its Windows operating system as ‘Vista,’ a brand it hopes conjures an image of a sweeping view into the digital world. The Windows Vista title was created after more than eight months of review by focus groups and Microsoft customers, said Greg Sullivan, group product manager for the Windows client division. The operating system is being designed to give computer users new tools to manage and access the increasing amount of e-mail, digital photos and other material stored on their PCs and networks, he said.”
MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s Mac OS X already does all of that and more. View QuickTime movies of Mac OS X Tiger features in action.
Boudreau continues, “‘It is your window into your digital information,’ Sullivan said. ‘We are doing a lot to brush away the clutter so you can really focus and create that personalized view.’
MacDailyNews Take: One question, who put the clutter there in the first place?
Boudreau continues, “Microsoft has promised that the new system will include powerful search capabilities, impressive graphics and stronger security.
MacDailyNews Take: Mac OS X already has all of that and more. View QuickTime movies of Mac OS X Tiger features in action.
Boudreau continues, “‘This marks a turning point,’ Sullivan said. ‘It demarks the point where we go from the code name to the product name.'”
MacDailyNews Take: Ooh, demarcation! Any company that holds an event (and even webcasts the spectacle, no less!) to announce the (boring) new name for their vaporware has no new ideas.
Full article here.
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PC World names Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘Best Operating System’ – June 01, 2005
Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘is the most advanced operating system on the planet’ – May 31, 2005
TrustedReviews: After using Mac OS X Tiger ‘going back to Windows XP is something of a joke at best’ – May 18, 2005
The Butler Group: ‘Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger the best desktop operating system in the world to date’ – May 13, 2005
BBC News: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘the most stable and reliable OS, well ahead of Windows XP’ – May 10, 2005
Windows users show strong curiosity about Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger – May 09, 2005
Windows tech writer Thurrott: ‘In many ways, Mac OS X Tiger is simply better than Windows’ – May 07, 2005
EarthWeb: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger is a ‘serious enterprise operating system, a pivotal release’ – May 06, 2005
BusinessWeek: ‘Tiger bolsters Mac OS X’s edge as the best personal-computer operating system’ – May 06, 2005
The Guardian: Mac OS X Tiger a powerful solution while Microsoft’s Longhorn remains on drawing board – May 06, 2005
Chicago Sun-Times: Mac OS X Tiger shows ‘there’s never been a more compelling time to switch to Mac’ – May 05, 2005
Dan Gillmor: ‘With Mac OS X Tiger, Apple is plainly in the lead today’ – May 05, 2005
Jupiter Research VP: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘runs rings around Microsoft Windows’ – May 04, 2005
The Independent: Apple’s ‘faster, smarter, simpler’ Mac OS X Tiger ‘a must-have’ – May 04, 2005
Mac OS X Tiger review for a Windows PC audience finds Tiger’s ‘far, far better than Windows XP’ – May 03, 2005
Boston Herald: Mac OS X Tiger should compel Windows PC users to think about switching to Apple Mac – May 02, 2005
Mac OS X Tiger will likely improve performance of your Macintosh – April 30, 2005
PC World review gives Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger 4.5 stars out of 5 – April 30, 2005
Ars Technica: Mac OS X Tiger ‘at least twice as significant as any single past update’ – April 28, 2005
BusinessWeek: ‘Tiger bolsters Mac OS X’s edge as the best personal-computer operating system around’ – April 28, 2005
Associated Press: Mac OS X Tiger ‘provides another excellent incentive to switch from Windows’ – April 28, 2005
Mossberg: Apple’s Tiger ‘the best, most advanced personal computer operating system on the market’ – April 28, 2005
InformationWeek columnist: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘a compelling upgrade’ – April 28, 2005
NY Times: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger is the most secure, stable and satisfying OS on earth – April 28, 2005
Wired News: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘full of welcome surprises’ – April 27, 2005
Apple posts QuickTime movies of Mac OS X Tiger features in action – April 13, 2005
Where are the graphic artists? We need an image looking out a window with a whole group of Tigers and/or Leopard’s converging on the window.
“Ooh, demarcation!“
-ROTFLMFAO!
Thanks, MDN, I needed that!
I do believe Windows ‘Vista’ is a well chosen name, as we’ll believe it when we see it.
MDN, there is no need to use dictionary.com. In case you’ve forgotten Tiger has one built in.
I personally find it funny that the word comes from the word visto meaning “seen” as in we’ve already “seen” this in Tiger, Panther etc.
Sitting here in my cube, programming on a sunny Saturday, I came across the line “‘Windows Balloon Knot’ might have been nice” and spit my Diet Coke all over my monitor and keyboard. Thanks, MDN, now I have to go find paper towels.
Wait until we wake up. After all, this announcement is enough to send anyone to sleep. Also helps if something is important enough to lampoon, lampooning a lampoon has its limitations ya know.
Mac OS X Tiger’s dictionary needs a revision to the word “vista” in the built-in dictionary. That’s probably why MDN used Dictionary.com’s instead. MDN seem to know all about Tiger’s dictionary features:
No more misused, misspelled words! Secrets to using Tiger’s new Dictionary with Safari – May 03, 2005
You’re right Bryan, Vista is a well chosen name. Longhorn has always been distant and far off into the future.
Microsoft seems to have chosen the new name wisely:
V= viruses
I= intrusions
S= spyware
T= trojans
A= adware
mw=feed as in feed us more b.s. microsoft
Longhorn was what 2 years behind schedule, so now Microsoft can say that Vista is on time & will be shipped late next year, or maybe only a few months behind schedule.
Whoa! Awesome! I’m impressed.
Gonna throw my Mac and all its paraphernalia in the dumpster and watch Batman reruns with orgasmic anticipation until MS Vista hits the streets.
MS top dogs must have gotten tired of hearing “Shorthorn” and “Longwait”.
It is all over for Apple. The fat lady is warming up and ready to sing. In 4 years since the release of Windows XP, Apple has lost market share. What hope is there now?
I wonder what the hardware requirements will be for VISTA. Way back, before they started cutting features I undderstood the requirements were quite restrictive. Anyone know?
And did you see the quality of that video?!?!?!
If that’s what WMV has to offer Hollywood, M$ might get a contract running WB re-runs!!
“Hasta la vista, windows”
http://homepage.mac.com/hogfish/PhotoAlbum2.html
“Microsoft’s Windows ‘Vista’ promises similar features to Apple’s already-shipping Mac OS X”
Ahhh…..the benefits of innovation.
Hmm…promises?. Come on, they only have to copy…unless they don’t know how to do properly
Hey, about that video, bad news bear, I did try to watch the video. I’m on a XP SP2 Media Center Edition 2005 (might have nothing to do with it but…) with Windows Media Player 10… and the video DIDN’T RUN!
only Microsoft can celebrate such mediocrity on a grand scale, @ least when we do it we actually have new products! to show.
WB is too good for them. More like UPN reruns.
It took them 8 months just to pick the name. Is it any wonder they missed their 2003 shipping date.
“Vista!”
“Bless you!”
Sound like hay fever to me.
There making a lot of hoopla yet they have no operating system yet. I thought the big grand search engine they promised was cut like all the other features they promised two years ago when they announced Longhorn. Most of the developers are calling it XP SP3 because so many features that were promised were cut out. Maybe thats what they meant by ‘We are doing a lot to brush away the clutter”.
Pissta
M/W: You heard it here first
snowy2005, Why don’t you download Quicktime for XP?