Clouds on Vista's horizon to be dubbed Strata?

When Ballmer dropped a few sprinkles of information about Vista's successor, he dubbed it "Windows Cloud," but said the real moniker would be unveiled at the Professional Developers Conference later this month in LA. That show's agenda was recently posted, and interestingly contained a number of sessions under the header "Windows Strata," leading many to believe that it's the true name of Redmond's next offering. That the section was quickly changed to "Windows 7" makes things all the more suspicious, but don't go cyber-squatting WindowsStrata.com just yet (oops, too late). Strata -- a term that can apply to the layers of the atmosphere -- might be more of a general classification for numerous cloud computing-related offerings destined for all manner of devices. But if so, why rename the sessions, and why the secrecy? And, most importantly, why are we so intrigued?

[Via CNET]

[whatishalo? @ Oct 9th 2008 3:34PM]

Cool. Will they have Eric EStrad(t)a be the spokeperson?

CHiPs rulz...

[Alexandre Emond @ Oct 9th 2008 4:40PM]

Bogus comment system.
Sorry, this comment is about the post http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/09/switched-on-the-t-mobile-g1-by-google-and-whats-their-names/#comments that we can't add comment. And it's not the first one. Is it intend to be that way or is it a bug?

[kipmartin @ Oct 9th 2008 7:09PM]

eric estrada. sheesh.

[eiki @ Oct 9th 2008 6:27PM]

that switched on article is daft because it says there is less google results for 't-mob g1 htc' than there is +apple, well of course there is, HTC as a brand is not really bandied and branded about as much in the US and Europe, whereas people are going to compare the phone in reviews to apple iphone, hence more results with apple in, t-mobiles branding is much more to the fore rather than HTCs! duh!

[Irwin @ Oct 9th 2008 11:31PM]

I'd go further n' say all the Switched On articles are daft.

I wish we could comment on them.

[PM1 @ Oct 9th 2008 3:37PM]

You know what would be cool, if the entire Windows lineup had some cool names. For ex:

Windows 7 - Windows Strata
Windows Server Editions - Windows Nimbus
Windows 7 X64 - Windows Cumulus

so on and so forth. It would be rather cool, as opposed to Windows 98, XP, Server 2008, MCE, Vista...it looks all over the place.

My 2 cents.

[sburko @ Oct 9th 2008 3:50PM]

and then Windows Cirrostratus, Nimbostratus,Cumulonimbus and my favorite Cumulocongestus. Bring back the Windows 95 Clouds!!!

[Christian Martin @ Oct 9th 2008 3:50PM]

Windows HD4850
Windows X4250
Windows GTX 260 Core 842 Rev2 R2 SP1
Windows 7950 GX2 XXX OC Edition Home Premium
And so on...

[fanman @ Oct 9th 2008 4:00PM]

Then they would be critised for all being the same. :P

Unless it was windows strata nimbus, windows strata culumus, etc.

[Nicholas @ Oct 9th 2008 6:02PM]

Windows Cunni Ling.. US Edition Lol

[Backlin @ Oct 9th 2008 6:05PM]

Why would you name Windows after hardware?

[Decoy @ Oct 9th 2008 7:58PM]

Windows Bay
Windows Double Glased
Windows Stained Glass
Windows Sash

[liv @ Oct 11th 2008 1:21PM]

http://livioo.deviantart.com/art/Windows-Strata-100422897

I liked your idea so much I actually made a mock-up. Nimbows is in my opinion the funkiest name :))

[mlody @ Oct 9th 2008 3:51PM]

In Polish, Strata = Loss/Fail...

[fred @ Oct 9th 2008 4:41PM]

Yeah, um, we speak English in the U.S., so it means something different. OK?

[Kevin Farley @ Oct 9th 2008 4:46PM]

No you don't you speak American, Canadians speak English.

[Luigi193 @ Oct 9th 2008 5:12PM]

@Kevin Farley
Whatchu talkin aboooot willis.

[Abuzar @ Oct 9th 2008 5:13PM]

Kevin, so do American's speak English or not? You established that Americans don't speak American and that Canadians speak English.

Maybe you need to brush up on your own English? This is coming from a native Seraiki speaker.

[Abuzar Baloach @ Oct 9th 2008 5:14PM]

That should be Americans, not "American's." My bad.

[drumdbeat @ Oct 9th 2008 7:03PM]

@ Abuzar

His lack of a comma seems to confuse you.... So I added one....

No you don't, you speak American, Canadians speak English.

[Kevin Farley @ Oct 9th 2008 7:25PM]

@ Abuzar

Seraiki is actually spelled Saraiki since your describing the language so apparently you can't speak either. I on the other hand am gramatically challenged which is something completely different.

@ drumdbeat

Merci.

[Joshua Walters @ Oct 9th 2008 8:30PM]

@Kevin

Canadians are made of fail.

[Abuzar Baloach @ Oct 9th 2008 8:30PM]

Umm, yes he was missing a comma. I think it's ironic when you criticize someone else's English yet yours doesn't make any sense.

Oh and I have always spelled it Seraiki. Never been corrected before in school. I think my way is just fine.

[fanman @ Oct 10th 2008 9:54AM]

Enlgish? American English? All I'm hearing is bullshit.

[MatthewJ @ Oct 9th 2008 3:47PM]

I don't know why I didn't see it before, Microsoft has been way ahead of the curve on this "cloud computing" thing, after all, the default wallpaper for Windows 95 was clouds!

[brandon @ Oct 9th 2008 5:08PM]

Was it just me, or did Bill say earlier that future Windows versions would be based on cloud computing?

[Juxtah @ Oct 9th 2008 3:50PM]

I don't care about the name, I just hope MS learns (haha very likely...) and gives us a blend of a vastly stripped down Vista and XP for Windows 7 and it might turn out not half bad.

[Jeremy @ Oct 9th 2008 3:53PM]

Then, sometime before launch time, they will rename it Windows Event Horizion or something (remember Longhorn, I mean, Vista?)

[Zorque @ Oct 9th 2008 4:30PM]

Longhorn was the development code name before they came up with Vista, they do it with basically every product (XP used to be known as Whistler). Windows 7's code name has just been... 7, so far. I doubt they'd make a point of announcing a new name that they're only going to use for a few months.

[diego cruz @ Oct 9th 2008 3:54PM]

the name for later matter, just fix the product

[Jagster @ Oct 9th 2008 4:08PM]

The cyber-squatting confirms that Strata is not the final name for Windows 7. I'm sure Microsoft has already registered all the possible names on their short list. It's only $7 per domain, so they could register a thousand different domain names for just 7k instead of going through the hassle of paying millions to some squatter.

[Tony @ Oct 9th 2008 4:29PM]

you DID say Cloud though....
dont be such a grouch

[Raja @ Oct 10th 2008 1:42AM]

I dont think windows strata has got to do anything with windows 7. Windows strata is designed for cloud computing.
Regarding the cybersquatting .....Windows Strata is not trademarked.

[who? @ Oct 9th 2008 4:08PM]

Didn't some other company recently release a cloud/software-related product?

Two words, and no surprises here: Mobile Me.

[Godfail @ Oct 9th 2008 4:15PM]

Mobile Me is not cloud computing...in fact, it's not even remotely related.

[who? @ Oct 9th 2008 4:17PM]

I didn't say it was cloud computing.

I didn't say it was remotely related.

Reading is cool...

[dkrift @ Oct 9th 2008 9:39PM]

Ever heard of Exchange?

[SleepingPanda @ Oct 9th 2008 4:31PM]

From what I understand, you're just another apple fanboy, so who cares whether it's related or not (even though it really is).

[Zorque @ Oct 9th 2008 4:31PM]

You didn't say it, you just implied it. Nice save.

[Alan Strangis @ Oct 9th 2008 4:35PM]

That was an epic fail.

Who failed?

That's right.

No, I'm asking you... WHO failed?

Who?

No, I mean the person...

Who.

Wrote...

Who.

The lame post.

...etc

[jakem @ Oct 9th 2008 5:07PM]

Does Mobile Me even work? Isn't that just Apple's failed attempt at copying Exchange?

[who? @ Oct 9th 2008 7:36PM]

Obviously you guys all have your heads stuck so far up Bill's ass that you don't realize that I was making the caparison between the Mobile Me (released in 2008) 'Cloud' symbol that was probably the inspiration for Microsoft's 2009 OS. Kind of like when Vista 'borrowed' the OSX aqua look.

[inno8sky @ Oct 9th 2008 8:41PM]

ha ha ha ha, what a twit!

[Zorque @ Oct 9th 2008 9:42PM]

Yeah, a cloud is such a unique and heretofore unused symbol for anything in the corporate world.

Oh wait, wasn't it Microsoft that had that cloud wallpaper all those years ago? I guess Apple's RIPPING THEM OFF AND STEALING THEIR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY!!!

[David @ Oct 9th 2008 4:24PM]

It's a bit of a nitpick, but they didn't change it to Windows7, they just took it out.

Take a close look at the screenshot and you'll find Windows7 there just above and to the left of the Windows Strata entry.

[Kyanges @ Oct 9th 2008 4:43PM]

Keep trying sparky.

[Steven Ryland @ Oct 9th 2008 5:24PM]

cloud computing is such a ridiculously bad idea, and i am not sure why people are so hyped-up about it! it is just asking for the government to pass a law that allows it to login and look at your files whenever they want. what is computing coming to? i just dont know...

[Cornelius @ Oct 9th 2008 5:37PM]

Government (well judges) can simply subpoena cloud "providers" (like Google, Yahoo, etc) into giving them access to your online documents. In fact, the government would likely prefer it as it would be far easier than getting a warrant to enter your home and physically take/inspect your computer.

No new laws are necessary.

[Esteban @ Oct 9th 2008 9:10PM]

that is exactly why this is a bad idea

[Esteban @ Oct 9th 2008 5:25PM]

lol