Well Microsoft's marketing department sure is good. Remember Palladium - Microsoft's 'secure' computing initiative that would essentially give them control of our applications and files on our computer? Well for some reason they decided that name wasn't suitable for such an over-bearing and over-controlling technology that is a big over-reaction. No, they didn't call it something appropriate like "Operation Overlord" or "Operation Enduring Lack of Freedom" or maybe "1984". No, Microsoft isn't that clever. Instead of all the cool names they could have choose (hell, Palladium was even mildly cool) they choose a buzzword filled sentance. Yes thats right their new code name is... ready for it... this will blow you away... "next-generation secure computing base."
Whoa, I don't know about anyone else but that codename really knocked my socks off. Not only is it stylish, but its so darn catchy! Doesn't it just roll off your tongue! And look at that innovation! Microsoft has innovated with the first eleven syllable code name in computing history! Thank god they won their "right to innovate" in the case against the US Justice Department or else we wouldn't see such amazing nomenclature.
Lets go through the amazing words that make up this amazing name.
Next-Generation: Well, this is really two words hyphenated together, but its still pretty cool. I guess it is suppose to make people think that their technology is that of the future, kind of like people giving 110% effort. I just think of Star Trek.
Secure: Well thats what they want you to believe. All the little consumers will willingly pay their money and have their lives taken over by Microsoft and the RIAA for the sake of their security. In reality the only security Microsoft cares about is how secure their profit flow is.
Computing: Not much to say here. Obviously it is a computing thing. Microsoft makes computer products don't they?
Base: So Microsoft is going to be the base of my computer? This tells me that they are going to have control over anything that goes on top of the base.
OK, now that I've met my sarcasm quota for the night I can be serious. What are they thinking? Their marketing department should really be fired. Not to mention the fact that Palladium (I'm still going to call it that) is far from secure. In the CNET article there is a quote by an employee in "Microsoft's Windows Trusted Platform Technologies Group" (another great name!!!) where he says essentially that they wanted to change the name because it was tarnished by controversy. Well thats smart, except this name will still be tarnished by controversy since they haven't made any attempt to fix the problems.
Congratulations Microsoft on creating the worst code name ever!
In other news a worm that infects Microsoft's SQL server is still worming its way around the net wreaking havoc as it goes. Monopolies suck.
That name is the most ridiculous thing I've hear from M$ in a while! What were they thinking? What were they SMOKING? geeeez... Good sarcastic breakdown of the name, very funny!