Writing Windows
The table above makes clear the potential for over-reaching or under-reaching when discussing the various extant Windows.
For example, the noun phrase Windows XP SP3 encompasses
- Windows XP Starter SP3
- Windows XP Home SP3
- Windows XP Professional SP3
because it explicitly includes ‘SP3’. That same fragment means the phrase implicitly excludes
- Windows XP 64-bit Edition
- Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
since neither of these editions have had a third Service Pack.
Or, consider the noun phrase Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. The ‘R2’ fragment excludes the earlier, NT 6.0 kernel-based, Windows Server 2008. By not explicitly specifying the platform, however, the noun phrase implicitly encompasses AMD64 and Intel 6410 and Itanium (IA64).
This latter implicit inclusion could be unfortunate. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, for example, does not run on Itanium and does not support Itanium-based guests.
Dealing with the implicit inclusion of the Itanium platform in the second noun phrase above is, theoretically, a matter of extending the phrase to- Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 for AMD64 and Intel 64.
- Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 for AMD64 and Intel 64 (NB: Windows Server 2008 R2 Itanium is not supported).
Likewise with the first noun phrase above — Windows XP SP3. Despite the implicit exclusion of both Windows XP 64-bit Edition and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition it is unwise to assume a reader will do the implied excluding.
Best to add an explicit note to the effect. Something like:
- Windows XP SP3 (NB: no editions of Windows XP 64-bit Edition or Windows XP Professional x64 Edition are supported).
With regards explicitness of this sort, as of this writing (2012/07/17) the nomenclature relationship between Windows 8 and Windows RT, if any, is unclear.
Windows RT is a specific Windows 8 edition. It is also an OEM-only Windows edition (ie, it will not be available for general sale). Consequently it is currently unclear if Microsoft will brand this ARM-specific version separately or subsume it into general Windows 8 branding.
Until this is clarified by word or action, prudence suggests explicitly calling out the inclusion or exclusion of Windows RT when discussing Windows 8.
More generally, implicit inclusions and exclusions are the most problematic parts of this (or any) complex nomenclature.
Taking the extra time to write (or say) only and explicitly what you mean to say will routinely feel like an irritating waste of time in the moment.
Better that momentary irritation than a longer and more troubling time later when a customer makes a commercial decision based on a theoretical but legally reasonable mis-reading of your hurried and only self-evident phrasing.
Abbreviations
The clumsiness of phrases like
- Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 for AMD64 and Intel 64.
makes abbreviations such as
- Win2K8 R2 SP1 for x64
almost irresistable.
Resist, nonetheless. Ambiguity is no virtue, especially in technical documents. In public-facing documents always spell product names out, in full.