What is Windows XP (“Whistler”)?
“Whistler is the code name for the next iteration of Windows,” says Craig Beilinson, the lead product manager for Windows 2000. “In an effort to streamline Windows development efforts, we’re combining [Neptune and Odyssey] into one product.” In other words, Whistler is the next generation of Windows, and it will be based on Windows 2000, not the old Windows 9x kernel. Windows XP–as the desktop versions of Whistler–will ship in a Professional Edition for businesses and power users, as well as a new Home Edition for consumers that will replace Windows Me. Previous to Whistler, Microsoft had planned to develop its future consumer and business versions of Windows separately. A consumer product dubbed “Neptune” was already in the works, while a business-only follow-up to Windows 2000 called “Odyssey” was in the planning stages. On Friday, January 21, 2000, I broke the news that Microsoft had consolidated these two products into Whistler. Then, on Monday, January 24, 2000, I wrote an in-de
