Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
XP means eXPerience in the long name.
Nope, I'm back on the same old account.
- Battler
- Donator
- Posts: 2117
- Joined: Sat Aug 19, 2006 8:13 am
- Location: Slovenia, Central Europe.
- Contact:
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
Evidently, Microsoft decided to drop the year branding starting with Windows XP, though not completely. The Server editions still use the year branding to this day (the latest being Windows Server 2016), and Windows XP used it for the MCE editions (MCE 2003/2004/2005), and the regular XP said "Version 2002" in System Properties.
Main developer of the 86Box emulator.
Join the 86Box Discord server, a nice community for true enthusiasts and 86Box supports!
The anime channel is on the Ring of Lightning Discord server.
Check out our SoftHistory Forum for quality discussion about older software.
Join the 86Box Discord server, a nice community for true enthusiasts and 86Box supports!
The anime channel is on the Ring of Lightning Discord server.
Check out our SoftHistory Forum for quality discussion about older software.
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
wasn't whistler at begining called Whistler 2001 ?
but anyhow, Consumer variants of NT are better without year
while Business // Server with
but anyhow, Consumer variants of NT are better without year
while Business // Server with
- DanielOosterhuis
- Donator
- Posts: 108
- Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2017 6:52 pm
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
Microsoft's naming schemes have always been over the place, in comparison to the fairly consistent naming scheme of Apple's operating systems. The reason Microsoft dropped the naming scheme of years has probably got to do something with NT becoming the standard for all computer users, not just workplaces and servers. With Windows 2000, they had several Server editions which introduced the Active Directory system, and Microsoft, in a bid to stay consistent there, probably decided to reserve the year names to the Server versions of Windows, whereas the home or workstation user would get a more personal operating system with a easier to market name, like XP and Vista. Of course, that was then dropped for numbers again, which also got inconsistent (7, 8, 10), but so far Windows Server versions still get named after their release year.
Last edited by DanielOosterhuis on Mon Dec 04, 2017 4:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
MCSA: Windows Server 2016 (70-740, 70-741, 70-742)
MTA: 98-349, 98-365
MTA: 98-349, 98-365
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
Because some marketing guy (probably a whole team) decided that it's going to be called so.
- DanielOosterhuis
- Donator
- Posts: 108
- Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2017 6:52 pm
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
Yep. And time and time again, Apple does show that their marketing team has it together more than Microsoft's. Hate 'em or love 'em, it's just the truth.AlphaBeta wrote:Because some marketing guy (probably a whole team) decided that it's going to be called so.
MCSA: Windows Server 2016 (70-740, 70-741, 70-742)
MTA: 98-349, 98-365
MTA: 98-349, 98-365
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
Offtopic Comment
In Microsoft's defense, Linux distros are known to use equally bizarre and confusing version names..DanielOosterhuis wrote:Yep. And time and time again, Apple does show that their marketing team has it together more than Microsoft's. Hate 'em or love 'em, it's just the truth.AlphaBeta wrote:Because some marketing guy (probably a whole team) decided that it's going to be called so.
Last edited by nixie on Mon Dec 04, 2017 5:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
Ubuntu has a pretty logical naming system these days.
Regarding MS, they tried to introduce a logical system for codenames several times. Just remember Chicago, Nashville, Memphis. Or more recently, Whistler, Longhorn, Blackcomb, where Whistler and Blackcomb are two peaks in Canada and Longhorn is some facility located between the two mountains, or so I recall.
Regarding MS, they tried to introduce a logical system for codenames several times. Just remember Chicago, Nashville, Memphis. Or more recently, Whistler, Longhorn, Blackcomb, where Whistler and Blackcomb are two peaks in Canada and Longhorn is some facility located between the two mountains, or so I recall.
- MasonSparkle
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2017 10:24 am
- Location: UK
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
To be fair to the whole situation, as most people know in Whistler 2211 the watermark did say "Whistler Windows 2001 Professional", so they knew they would be aiming to release the full OS in 2001, but it was still in codename at that time (March 2000) before they named it eXPerience.
Yes, Longhorn is a bar & grill in the middle of the two mountains (Whistler & Blackcomb) as what I have read & heard from various sources.Or more recently, Whistler, Longhorn, Blackcomb, where Whistler and Blackcomb are two peaks in Canada and Longhorn is some facility located between the two mountains, or so I recall.
Mason Sparkle
Full-on Windows nerd who loves to explore classic OSes, Betas & cancelled projects.
I'm also addicted to BBQ Hula Hoops & Lemon Fanta.
Full-on Windows nerd who loves to explore classic OSes, Betas & cancelled projects.
I'm also addicted to BBQ Hula Hoops & Lemon Fanta.
-
Mister RoyFoy1
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 9:29 pm
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
Don't forget Janus, Cougar, Neptune, Odyssey and Triton
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
Janus, Cougar and Triton arent the codenames of XP. Cougar is the fake codename and it's the Server one.Mister RoyFoy1 wrote:Don't forget Janus, Cougar, Neptune, Odyssey and Triton
Neptune and Odyssey both merged into Whistler, and they are not the final names of XP.
Nope, I'm back on the same old account.
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
It looks like he was just listing codenames and their themes.Drapy wrote:Janus, Cougar and Triton arent the codenames of XP. Cougar is the fake codename and it's the Server one.Mister RoyFoy1 wrote:Don't forget Janus, Cougar, Neptune, Odyssey and Triton
Neptune and Odyssey both merged into Whistler, and they are not the final names of XP.
- Random_User
- Donator
- Posts: 1222
- Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 2:48 am
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
Actually, there is a reference to "Windows Version 3.20 (Cougar)" in setup31.ver.Drapy wrote:Cougar is the fake codename
Windows Small Business Server 2008 to be exact.Drapy wrote:and it's the Server one.
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
Ok, thanks for correcting me.Random_User wrote:Actually, there is a reference to "Windows Version 3.20 (Cougar)" in setup31.ver.Drapy wrote:Cougar is the fake codename
Windows Small Business Server 2008 to be exact.Drapy wrote:and it's the Server one.
Nope, I'm back on the same old account.
- WATERMELONS10
- Donator
- Posts: 37
- Joined: Fri Jan 26, 2018 9:44 am
- Location: California, United States of America
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
Maybe it was to bring it in line with Office XP's name. XP is supposed to stand for "eXPerience" and I think Microsoft wanted to streamline the product names. Although, they did change it up when they released Office 2003.
- Random_User
- Donator
- Posts: 1222
- Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 2:48 am
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
The final names for both products were announced simultaneously.WATERMELONS10 wrote:Maybe it was to bring it in line with Office XP's name.
- WATERMELONS10
- Donator
- Posts: 37
- Joined: Fri Jan 26, 2018 9:44 am
- Location: California, United States of America
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
At the end of the day, who knows, except for those that worked at Microsoft when the name was made. Microsoft sure has an interesting way of counting to 10; 3.1, 3.5, 3.51, 4.0, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10. If you are wondering where 95, 98, and ME are, I am just counting the NT lineup.
Re: Why Windows XP isn't named as 2001 in the first place?
According to the official press release, XP, or eXPerience, was meant to symbolize "the rich and extended user experiences Windows and Office can offer by embracing Web services that span a broad range of devices." My guess is that with the new direction and release plan that Microsoft had, Windows and Office XP represented a new "generation" of software, while the server line was kept consistent with the earlier releases. I've also read somewhere that there were plans to make Windows and Office into a service at that time (hence the need for activation), but I can't find any sources on that right now.