Miscrosoft To Give Up On Creativity
While there are many that would say that Microsoft has already given up on creativity (including a few of our own writers), I would argue that they are still trying, if only a little. Correction: I would have argued that. Then I read this. And I sighed a heavy, heavy sigh and dropped my head in despair and started reading Den Den's Apple Live blog post...
What's so depressing? Well, Microsoft officially announced the real name for Windows 7... as Windows 7... yeah...
Windows 7, Microsoft? Really?! I mean, that's just about the most boring, uneventful name I've heard for an operating system ever! Putting aside the idea that this won't really be the seventh Windows release, the name is just boring! Look at the various Linux Distros with their Hardy Herring's and Red Hats, or hell, look at Apple whose boringly named Mac OS "Ten" at least uses and X to try and seem hip and edgy. But Windows 7?
At least when Vista launched, there was excitement. People were lining up to get their copy (at first). And part of that was the iconic name, Vista. It sparked ideas in your mind of limitless potential awaiting your discovery on the horizon. It's an evocative title. 7 is not evocative, nor does it in any way inspire hope or excitement.
I suppose all we can do is wait and see what happens with the release. Here's to hoping that the Windows OS actually packs enough goodies to overcome a lackluster name.
Jesse James
Posted to Hot Stuff, On Your Desk on 14 October 2008
· Comments (4)
Other stuff like this: microsoft, name, windows 7
Dude, OSX? Try OS 9, or OS 8, or the real big deal, when it came out System 7. If I remember correctly, that was the first of apple's OS's to have a name. I think there are a lot of reasons to say Microsoft has given up on creativity, but this doesn't go very far to prove that.
I find microsoft's code names much better than the final names their marketing department comes up...
I would have loved to work with "Office 12" instead I'm stuck with "Office 2007".
I would also have bought "Windows Longhorn"...
Mac OS X versions are usually referred to by their big cat code names after release, i.e. the current Leopard, so it's not like they lack a name.
XP was a stupid name, though it allowed them some cross-branding, kind of like Nintendo with their Super, 64, Virtual, Advance, and DS affixes, but Vista is just a stupid name. It sounds like a crappy motel with a southwest pastel aesthetic and bad paintings.
I like that they're going with 7 as the name. I think the idea was simplicity, efficiency, and professionalism, and it works. We don't need Windows Diamond, Pearl, Wrath of the Lich King, Cool Ranch, and AIDS. 7 says enough, even if it is a lie.
Of course, they'll probably ruin it by splitting it into fifteen subtitled editions.
Thank you Andy B. I like numbers better than meaningless names. With numbers you can immediately tell which one is a successor to another (assuming a continuously increasing pattern).
Why wasn't (or don't I remember) this being a big deal with XBox 360. I think that is the worst name ever. the only reason they did that was because the Playstation brand was on number 3 and obviously 2 isn't as good as 3.
retarded!
I commend Sony for using the names Playstation, PS2, and then PS3.
I find XBox 360 unprofessional because it was only used as a direct response to Playstation THREE and not as a creative initiative and then tried to play it off with interviews about how creative the name is and all that the name implies. bogus.
I'm glad they're calling it Windows 7.