"While I know there have been a few cases at Microsoft when the codename of a product was used for the final release, I am pretty sure that this is a first for Windows," blogged Microsoft's Mike Nash, Corporate Vice President of Windows Product Management, yesterday as he announced that the next release of Windows, which has been codenamed 'Windows 7' until now was going to be officially called...Windows 7.

Conscious that developers would inevitably raise questions as to why Microsoft was shifting from "names" like Millennium, XP, and Vista back to numbers again, Nash continued:

"You might wonder about the decision.

The decision to use the name Windows 7 is about simplicity. Over the years, we have taken different approaches to naming Windows. 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, while evolving and refining the substantial investments in platform technology in Windows Vista into the next generation of Windows.

Simply put, this is the seventh release of Windows, so therefore 'Windows 7' just makes sense."

Nash went on to sat that Microsoft plans to be talking about the details of this release at the PDC and at WinHEC. There will be a pre-beta "developer only release," he said, that will be shared with attendees of both shows and giving them the first broad in-depth look at what the Windows team has been up to.

"I can't wait for them to see it," added Nash.