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Why is it that every preannounced product has a code name? Lately all of the major vendors (and some not-so-major ones) have been naming beta products long before they are ready to ship. Names like 'Latte' and 'Blackbird' have been coming forth from corporate mouths in abundance.
I am not sure I fully understand the need for the names. Admittedly, they add an aura of excitement to otherwise dull products. The names may also make it easier for developers to talk to one another about projects in their early stages. Still, why can't they pick the release name early, and then use that name to consistently refer to the product?
Interestingly, some companies are using the code names to distinguish releases otherwise known only by a version number. For instance, Notes 4.5 is named Domino by Lotus.
Another problem I have with the industry code name is that they are often better than the released names. Take a look at some recent examples:
Company |
Released Name |
Code Name |
Microsoft |
Visual InterDev |
Blackbird |
Borland |
JBuilder |
Latte |
Microsoft |
Microsoft Commercial Internet System |
Normandy |
IBM |
OS/2 Warp 4.0 |
Merlin |
Oracle |
Universal Server Suite |
Bandwagon |
Apple |
HotSauce |
Project X |
Novell |
Netware 4.11 |
Green River |
Platinum |
Forest & Trees Version 4.0 |
Bedrock |
Microsoft |
Visual J++ |
Jakarta |
I will be curious to see if the code name phenomenon is a passing fad or whether it continues into 1998.