Last night was thinking on Windows, and its version numbering. I remember Windows 3.1. It was the last windows to have a number version before the recent Windows 7. That means we had 3 versions of windows that had being named other things. As we had more than 3 windows versions in this time, that means that some of them were not considered by Microsoft as major versions but as revisions (or crap).
Let us look at the list (I am omitting NT versions deliberately):
- Windows 95
- Windows 98
- Windows 2000
- Windows ME
- Windows XP
- Windows Vista
I think there is no doubt that Windows 95 was a new version, major release. Let’s call it Windows 4. In turn, Windows 98, while more stable than Windows 95, did not bring much novelty. At the moment the biggest change I recall is USB support. But there are other enhancements, I am sure. But we can not call it Windows 5 or we waste all versions too fast.
Windows 2000 was the first try to merge NT with Windows desktop. I recall to use it a lot of time, and it was stable (well, stable for a Windows). News? At least NTFS support and the supposed stability of NT. I think we should call it Windows 5.
About Windows ME, I think I do not have to make any comment. It is not a major version nor a minor version. I think it is not an operating system at all. I think that, from the list, it is the worst piece of software to date. Including Vista.
Follows Windows XP. This one is running for some time, and did not disappear with Vista. Unfortunately (for Microsoft), it made the Windows XP usage higher. Nobody really used or use Vista for work. If they say they do, they do not work. Therefore, Windows XP is Windows 6. No doubts, there.
Vista, accordingly with Microsoft, should be the successor, a major release. Unfortunately (for them) this piece of software is crap. I can not call it a minor version of Windows XP, nor a major version of Windows. I think Microsoft understood that, and that is why they are calling 7 to the new Windows version.