Microsoft today confirmed that it has secured the Internet domain "windowsvista.com" as home for its new operating system that is scheduled to become available as first beta on August 3. The company, however, has registered a range of other domains, which indicate either that these names were considered for the operating system formerly code-named "Longhorn Client," or that they are still actively under consideration for the name to replace "Longhorn Server."
A Whois search of registered Internet domains reveals several Windows-related domains that were registered by an anonymous registrant on March 31 of this year, Tom's Hardware Guide discovered. Along with "windowsvista.com," the domain names "windowsruby.com," "windowsseven.com," "windows07.com," "windows06.com," "windowssapphire.com," and "windowsemerald.com" were registered at the same time.
A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to Tom's Hardware Guide this afternoon that "windowsvista.com" was indeed registered by Microsoft. The spokesperson declined to with regard to any other domain names, stating that Microsoft does not share this kind of information with the press. Sharing the same date of registration and the same organization through which the domains were secured, it is very likely that Microsoft owns those domains as well and considered them as possible names for the next Windows.
In addition, on April 1 - just one day later - Microsoft registered "windowsvista.us," and on the same day also registered "windowsruby.us," "windowsseven.us," and "windows07.us." Registrations in the .US TLD space cannot be made anonymous. Microsoft used Register.com as its registrar of record - the same registrar that appears in the records for the anonymous .COM registrations placed on March 31.
Last Thursday, the Web developer's blog bink.nu reported that it had discovered Microsoft's Dutch subsidiary had registered the domain name "windowsvista.nl," and correctly speculated with regard to why. This speculation probably made bink.nu the first Web site with the news of the change from Windows Longhorn Client--up until last week, the operating system's official code name--to Windows Vista, which Microsoft announced last Friday morning. This afternoon, the same site is reporting this afternoon that Microsoft also registered the names "windowsseven.nl" and "windowsruby.nl."
The bink.nu blog, which is run by Windows developer Steven Bink, expressed an opinion that it was possible that the two .NL domain names it discovered were registered perhaps in an effort to distract speculators, though the blog doubts that possibility.
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