While we've had hints about a naming change for Windows 9 for much of this year, the early Vegas line was that Microsoft would dispense with the numbers and just go with the more general "Windows" name for this release. Maybe not. A Microsoft web site—since pulled—says the name, or at least the codename, will be Windows TH. Which is obviously an homage to me.
Just kidding.
Obviously, TH is a placeholder that stands for "ThresHold," which we already know to be the actual codename for Windows 9. So perhaps Windows TH is just a shorthand way of saying this codename, one that will be an easier replacement in documentation whenever Microsoft later figures out or announces the actual final name of the product.
What do I mean by that? In the past, Microsoft would use an awkward lengthened codename convention for a future Windows version when mentioning it in documentation. So where a sentence might normally read "Windows 9 will deliver stunning performance," Microsoft would during the pre-release phase write "Windows codenamed Threshold will deliver stunning performance." By using "TH" instead of the ponderous "codenamed Threshold," they can provide a something that is smaller and closer to the eventual final name. Which is Windows 9.
Microsoft's Terry Myerson, who will be presenting at the official Windows 9 unveil event in San Francisco on Tuesday, recently tweeted the image you see at the top of this post as a gag response to a tweet from Mary Jo Foley and Tom Warren. They were (jokingly) guessing that Windows 9 would be called Windows XP.
Windows X? Unlikely
Mr. Myerson wrote back via Twitter that Microsoft was "still deciding" the final branding. But if you look at that shot, there's obviously room on the right side of "Windows" for a 9 ... or perhaps for a "TH." There is absolutely not room for a "Threshold." And it's not just Windows.
So we'll see what happens on Tuesday. :) Stay tuned. I fly to San Francisco Monday for several meetings and then the official event Tuesday.
