# Version numbers



## symphonix (Sep 10, 2003)

Recently, I had a helpdesk call that went something like this...
"Hi, what can I help you with?"
"Oh, hi, I was wanting to install  and the box says it requires Lotus Notes 5.0.3 or higher."
"Right."
"Well, I have Notes 5.0.11, where can I get an upgrade?"
"Oh. I see. Well, 5.0.11 is actually _higher_ than 5.0.3."
"It is?"  
"Yes."
"How do they figure that?"  

Which brings me to my look at one of the IT industry's more bizarre trends: version numbering schemes in contravention of the _Being @#$%@ Stupid Act of 1997 (Amendment 12)_ 

Chief amongst the offenders is Microsoft, who have a system that goes: 1, 2, 3, 3.1, 3.11 for Workgroups, 95, 98, NT, ME, CE, 2000, XP, 2003 Server ...
They then supplement these with security patches labelled MS03-0026 (my favourite) and MS03-0007, etc.
I've fielded at least a dozen calls from people who have been told to install Office XP on Windows 2000 and are convinced it won't work, and with well thought out logic that fails to take into account the mind-warping surrealism favoured by marketing managers at M$.

Apple, always willing to think different, have toyed with such foolish ideas when they decided - after 20 years of one number following another - to go to roman numerals. And then to large cats. We could let them off with a warning for that one, since they at least stuck to the numbering system.


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## Trip (Sep 10, 2003)

Wow. Strange...very strange.
It just proves mac developers are smarter.


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## Arden (Sep 10, 2003)

Well, if you look at the box, you'll see that it is actually Maci OS X 10.2 Jaguar.  The build is simply a moniker they seem to favor.  I think they added the X to show that this is completely new and different, and also based on UNIX.

I'll never understand how Microsoft names their OS's.  They go from 3.1 to 95, to 98, to ME, to XP, to Longhorn.  Bleat!


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## Cat (Sep 11, 2003)

Longhorn is just the internal nickname AFAIK, just like Jaguar and Panther. It will probably be marketed differently, like "Windows 007"


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## MikeXpop (Sep 11, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Cat _
> *Longhorn is just the internal nickname AFAIK, just like Jaguar and Panther. It will probably be marketed differently, like "Windows 007"  *


 Hopefully it won't self destruct when I use it


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## Darkshadow (Sep 11, 2003)

It wouldn't suprise me if they were working on a way to do that.

"We have detected an unauthorized installation of 007.  This computer will self destruct in 10 seconds...."

You know, what I've been wondering about OS X is that the *X* stands for 10... so why are they actually labeling it Mac OS X 10.x ?


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## mr. k (Sep 11, 2003)

Because OS X is a moniker just like Jaguar, but these monikers are official, and part of the name.
Apple didn't want to ruin the nomenclature it had going for so many years, but also wanted to distinguish OS X from the previous versions of the Finder, so they changed it a little.
At least I remember reading that in macworld about two years ago.


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## Arden (Sep 12, 2003)

I think it is that, and to show how different it is: it's based on UNI*X*.

It's funny how you guys mix James Bond and Mission:Impossible.  "Does.  Win Does."  (As in multiple female deer, not a form of "do.")


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## Darkshadow (Sep 12, 2003)

Well, I couldn't think of anything really funny to say with James Bond.  So sue me.


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## Cat (Sep 12, 2003)

Then you're clearly not the "Man with the golden pun"!


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## JetwingX (Sep 12, 2003)

alright some one break out the ten puns ><;


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## Arden (Sep 13, 2003)

I in-X-d to.  (As in the Roman numeral, not Mulder and Scully.)


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## MikeXpop (Sep 13, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Cat _
> *Then you're clearly not the "Man with the golden pun"!  *


 If I had a shoe and you were in a place I could throw it at you, I would throw said shoe at your head which does not exist.


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## Cat (Sep 13, 2003)

*virtually ducks*


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## Arden (Sep 14, 2003)

*virtually gooeses*

???   That made no sense...  maybe it's because it's almost 4 in the morning.

Is there a topic here anymore?


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## Trip (Sep 14, 2003)

Topic? What is this "topic" you speak of?
Mac OS X sounds a lot cooler than Mac OS 10. But then again that all counts on how you read it.


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## nb3004 (Sep 14, 2003)

i dont know anyone who reads it Mac OS X (the letter), but it does look a lot cooler than OS 10


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## Trip (Sep 14, 2003)

I say it "Macosex". Not to be crude, but that's really how I say it.


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## Androo (Sep 14, 2003)

But version 5.0.11 wouldnt be higher because of decimals, it would mean 5.0.1.1. Pretty dumb, but as long as i have the damn program, its all okay.


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## Androo (Sep 14, 2003)

I say Mac Oh Ess Ex, because that's how it is spelled. Sure its a roman numeral. But when Steve Jobs invented the name,  he probably thought of X, since it is one letter that is "Cool". So then people say X, and then people are like wow that sounds cool!
If Jobs wanted it to be OS 10, he probably would've done the plain, old, dumb number 10.


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## Darkshadow (Sep 14, 2003)

Probably not, 'cause then Apple could have been sued for using 'OS 10'


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## fryke (Sep 14, 2003)

no, that was 'OS 9', really, the one with the copyright problem.

I say 'eks', and there are a lot of people around me doing it, too.


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## Arden (Sep 15, 2003)

I say "Mac OS X" and "10" in different contexts.  I definitely read it like the letter instead of the numeral.

I like G's idea: Mac OS XXX!


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## symphonix (Sep 16, 2003)

_Actual CIA transcript_

*Steve Jobs:* Okay, guys, we have to work out what to call this new operating system. Now, logically it should be 10, right?

*Techie:* We've already decided we don't want the users to see binary. It confuses them.

*Steve Jobs:* But 10 isn't binary.

*Techie:* Well, actually it is.

*Evil Bill:* You could call it XP!

*Steve Jobs:* How does he keep getting in here? Get him, Woz!

_* sound of struggle, glass breaking, etc. *_ 

*Steve Jobs:* Enough! You broke the G5 glass and crystal prototype!

*Woz:* Guess we'll just have to build the aluminium one, eh?

*Steve Jobs:* We could just give it a symbol instead of a name. Something ... like ... this!

*Techie:* Err... what is it?

*Steve Jobs:* It's the greek letter pi.

*Woz:* Haha! That's great! Apple Pi! (insane laughter)

*Steve Jobs:* Well, it wasn't that funny ...


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## Cat (Sep 16, 2003)

LOL!  

Great symphonix!


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## Androo (Sep 17, 2003)

???????


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## Androo (Sep 17, 2003)

damnit that was supposed to be pi signs 
lol that was a funny thingything, i award you with this cookie.


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## symphonix (Sep 17, 2003)

I would be very much interested to see Apple Mac Os 3.141592654, he he he.


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## Arden (Sep 19, 2003)

Apple Pi... lovely! ::ha::


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