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CE 6.0 - why the codename "Yamazaki" ?

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I've been asked why we used the name "Yamazaki" as a codename for CE 6.0 - There's some history behind the naming of Windows CE versions, here's the short version...

Before the Windows CE product was released we had an internal set of tools known as the Oem Adaptation Kit also known as the OAK - an OAK of course is a type of tree.

The initial releases of Windows CE were therefore named after trees, as follows.

  • Windows CE 1.0 - Alder (Nov 1996)
  • Windows CE 2.0 - Birch (Nov 1997)
  • Windows CE 3.0 - Cedar (Apr 2000)

Interestingly, there was a second team within the Windows CE group that worked on the tools, I guess you could consider tools to be something that makes a job easier, or cuts the job down to size - therefore the tools releases were named after things that cut down trees  - as follows...

  • Windows CE 1.0 - Alder - Tools: Axe
  • Windows CE 2.0 - Birch - Tools: Buzzsaw
  • Windows CE 3.0 - Cedar - Tools: Chainsaw

For Windows CE 4.0 the original plan was to call the O/S DougFir (DouglasFir), the thing that cuts down DougFir trees was going to be Dozer (BullDozer) - interestingly, at Windows CE 4.0 the o/s team and tools teams merged together to form a new, combined team - the codenames for the operating system and tools also changed at this time from trees/tools to <drumroll>Whiskeys</drumroll> - so the codenames for Windows CE 4.0 onwards are as follows.

  • Windows CE 4.0 - Talisker (Jan 2002)
  • Windows CE 4.1 - Jameson (Jun 2002)
  • Windows CE 4.2 - McKendric (Apr 2003)
  • Windows CE 5.0 - Macallan (Aug 2004)
    • Windows CE 5.0 Network Device Feature Pack - Tomatin (Apr 2006)
  • Windows CE 6.0 - Yamazaki (Sep 2006)

Don

*originally posted on Mike Hall's Weblog

Comments

  • Anonymous
    September 30, 2006
    Test Embedded CE 6.0 - why the codename Yamazaki 4.0때 팀이 통합되면서부터 위스키 이름을 붙였다고 합니다. 주류에는 전혀 문외한이라 모르고...

  • Anonymous
    December 06, 2006
    while,you still don't tell us why the CE6.0's name is Yamazaki,not others!

  • Anonymous
    December 07, 2006
    zhaoyongpeng, The code name "Yamazaki" is following the second half of our naming convention; it's named after a whiskey.  Specifically, a Japanese whiskey (http://www.whiskeywise.com/Japanese-Whisky-Yamazaki.html) Thanks, Jason Hoobler (Microsoft) -- This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

  • Anonymous
    December 29, 2006
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    April 12, 2007
    what exactly does the CE in windows CE stand for?

  • Anonymous
    May 04, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    May 16, 2007
    The CE in Windows CE stands for Compact Edition

  • Anonymous
    June 14, 2007
    Well am a heavy drinker of Chivas!! can i name the wince 7.0 by "chivas"  :)

  • Anonymous
    April 16, 2008
    摘自：http://blogs.msdn.com/testembedded/archive/2006/09/29/777063.aspxI'vebeenaskedwhyweusedthe...

  • Anonymous
    June 01, 2009
    PingBack from http://woodtvstand.info/story.php?id=12107

  • Anonymous
    April 07, 2010
    Actually CE 1.0 was Pegasus.  Alder was 2.0 and Birch was 2.12 (with the first PPC). Mark Miller(Microsoft)

  • Anonymous
    May 09, 2012
    To be exact, all the codenames: msdn.microsoft.com/.../aa459168.aspx CE stands for nothing according to MS books (not sure which one, either "Inside Microsoft Windows CE" by John Murray or "Introducing Microsoft Windows CE for the Handheld PC" by Robert O'Hara).