Windows 7 Will Be Called…Windows 7

By Geoff Duncan October 14, 2008

As a company, Microsoft may not put much stock in numerology, but it could be hoping that a little bit of luck might ride along with this decision. In a first for the company, they’ve decided to make the codename for an upcoming operating system its real name when the product goes to market. Gone are the days of OS names like Windows Millennium Edition, Windows XP, and high-concept names like Windows Vista. No: the forthcoming WIndows 7 will be officially known as “Windows 7″—and will be the first time Windows has been named for its version number since the bad old days of Windows NT 4.0.

“The decision to use the name Windows 7 is about simplicity,” wrote Microsoft’s Mike Nash on the Windows Vista blog. “We’ve used version numbers like Windows 3.11, or dates like Windows 98, or ‘aspirational’ monikers like Windows XP or Windows Vista. And since we do not ship new versions of Windows every year, using a date did not make sense. Likewise, coming up with an all-new ‘aspirational’ name does not do justice to what we are trying to achieve, which is to stay firmly rooted in our aspirations for Windows Vista.”

Windows 7 was previously known by the codenames Blackcomb and Vienna.

Microsoft will be rolling out a pre-beta developer release of WIndows 7 at its PDC and WinHec conferences in the next few weeks, which will give developers and partners their first detailed look at what Microsoft hopes to achieve with Windows 7. Overall, Windows 7 doesn’t intend to stray very far from Windows Vista. Windows 7 will be more user-centric, roll in a number of performance improvements, increased integration with Microsoft’s online and mobile technologies, along with a taskbar overhaul, a wealth of new gadgets, and support for adventurous PC configurations, such as running multiple graphics cards from different vendors.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

Windows 11 tips and tricks: 8 hidden settings you need to try

Windows 11 on a tablet.

Windows 11 has been around for quite a while now. The operating system isn't as new as when it first came out in 2021, but many people are still updating it for the first time from Windows 10. Yet whether you're new to Windows 11 or have been using it since launch, there are a few things that you still might want to tweak to get a better experience. Microsoft doesn't have all these settings upfront, but we're here to surface them for you.
Move the Taskbar and Start Menu to the left

One of the biggest differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11 is the location of the Taskbar and Start Menu. On Windows 10, the Taskbar and Start Menu are positioned to the left of the screen. Windows 11, though, changes that by moving both to the center. If this annoys you, then you can easily change it back.

Computing

How to set up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account

microsoft surface laptop 5 review 04

The best way to use Windows 11 is with a Microsoft account. You can sync different settings, use the Microsoft Store to download apps, and restore Windows by using backups from OneDrive. All of this is part of the reason why prompts to use a Microsoft account with Windows 11 will show up during initial setup of the operating system.

Computing

How to type an em dash in Windows

Overhead view of someone typing on a Surface laptop.

The em dash (—) is a supremely useful (and fashionable) piece of punctuation used in writing and editing, often in place of a comma, colon, or parenthesis. While you might want to utilize it to make your grammar look fancy, the symbol on a computer can be a little challenging to access if you don’t know how, especially on the Windows operating system.

Fortunately, there are several methods available to insert the em dash punctuation into your text. Check out the following tips to learn how to become more familiar with the em dash on your computer.
Keyboard
The em dash keyboard shortcut is one of the easier methods to access the punctuation. Though it might take a little bit of getting used to, once you master it ,you’ll be an em dash typing master. Turn on Number Lock by pressing the NumLock key on the upper number row of your keyboard. Then hold the Alt key and type the sequence 0151 on the numeric keypad of your keyboard. Release the Alt key and the em dash will appear.