I got a question from someone recently asking what the naming convention we have been
using for Visual Studio represents. Is Orcas a character in Lord of
the Rings? Answer: No. Here's the real answer: The versions of Visual Studio
represent cities/islands in the Northwest that are progressively farther away from
Redmond, WA.
Visual Studio .NET 2003: Codenamed Everett is
on the mainland
Visual Studio "Whidbey" is an island
a little farther away
Visual Studio "Orcas" is also an island
farther away then Whidbey.
For more information on what's coming in Whidbey and Orcas, check out the Visual
Studio Roadmap or come to PDC :)
Other snippets you may not know:
The next version of Windows, codenamed "Longhorn" is named after a now infamous
bar close to Whistler and Blackcomb ski resorts.
The well-known Microsoft Duwamish Books Sample: Duwamish is the name of a native
american tribe in the pacific northwest.
Seattle: Seattle is named after the chief of the suqamish indian tribe.
Here are some chief Seattle
quotes brought to you by Google.