Nashville (previously ''Cleveland'')
[Comes v. Microsoft 3208] was the
codename
A code name, call sign or cryptonym is a code word or name used, sometimes clandestinely, to refer to another name, word, project, or person. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage. They may also be used in industrial c ...
for a cancelled release of
Microsoft Windows scheduled to be released in 1996, between "Chicago" (
Windows 95
Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented operating system developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows 9x family of operating systems. The first operating system in the 9x family, it is the successor to Windows 3.1x, and was released to manufacturi ...
) and "Memphis" (
Windows 98
Windows 98 is a consumer-oriented operating system developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows 9x family of Microsoft Windows operating systems. The second operating system in the 9x line, it is the successor to Windows 95, and was released to ...
, at the time scheduled for release in 1996, later 1997), causing it to be referred to as Windows 96 by contemporary press. Nashville was intended to be a minor release focusing on a tighter integration between Windows and
Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer (formerly Microsoft Internet Explorer and Windows Internet Explorer, commonly abbreviated IE or MSIE) is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft which was used in the Windows line of operating systems ( ...
, in order to better compete with
Netscape Navigator
Netscape Navigator was a web browser, and the original browser of the Netscape line, from versions 1 to 4.08, and 9.x. It was the flagship product of the Netscape Communications Corp and was the dominant web browser in terms of usage share in ...
.
Microsoft claimed that Nashville would add
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
integration features to the Windows 95 and NT 4.0
desktop
A desktop traditionally refers to:
* The surface of a desk (often to distinguish office appliances that fit on a desk, such as photocopiers and printers, from larger equipment covering its own area on the floor)
Desktop may refer to various compu ...
, building on the new features in the
Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer (formerly Microsoft Internet Explorer and Windows Internet Explorer, commonly abbreviated IE or MSIE) is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft which was used in the Windows line of operating systems ( ...
3.0
web browser
A web browser is application software for accessing websites. When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from a web server and then displays the page on the user's screen. Browsers are used o ...
(due for release a few months before Nashville). Touted features included a combined
file manager
A file manager or file browser is a computer program that provides a user interface to manage files and folders. The most common operations performed on files or groups of files include creating, opening (e.g. viewing, playing, editing or pr ...
and web browser, the ability to seamlessly open
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office, or simply Office, is the former name of a family of client software, server software, and services developed by Microsoft. It was first announced by Bill Gates on August 1, 1988, at COMDEX in Las Vegas. Initially a marketi ...
documents from within Internet Explorer using
ActiveX
ActiveX is a deprecated software framework created by Microsoft that adapts its earlier Component Object Model (COM) and Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) technologies for content downloaded from a network, particularly from the World Wide We ...
technology and a way to place dynamic
web pages directly on the desktop in place of the regular static
wallpaper
Wallpaper is a material used in interior decoration to decorate the interior walls of domestic and public buildings. It is usually sold in rolls and is applied onto a wall using wallpaper paste. Wallpapers can come plain as "lining paper" (so ...
.
A leaked build had version number 4.10.999 (in comparison to Windows 95's 4.00.950, Windows 95 OSR2's 4.00.1111, Windows 98's 4.10.1998, Windows 98 Second Edition's 4.10.2222 A, and
Windows ME
Windows Millennium Edition, or Windows Me (marketed with the pronunciation of the pronoun "me"), is an operating system developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows 9x family of Microsoft Windows operating systems. It is the successor to Windo ...
's 4.90.3000). The project was eventually cancelled as a full release of Windows, with Windows 95 OSR2 being shipped as an interim release instead. The codename "Nashville" was then reused for the
Windows Desktop Update
Windows Desktop Update was an optional feature by Microsoft that was included with Internet Explorer 4 (IE4, released in September 1997), which introduced several updated shell features to the Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 operating systems. These ...
that shipped with Internet Explorer 4.0
[Comes v. Microsoft 2667] and delivered most of the features promised for Nashville. The Athena PIM application would be released as
Microsoft Internet Mail and News
Outlook Express, formerly known as Microsoft Internet Mail and News, is a discontinued email and news client included with Internet Explorer versions 3.0 through to 6.0. As such, it was bundled with several versions of Microsoft Windows, fro ...
in 1996 along with IE3, which would later be renamed to
Outlook Express
Outlook Express, formerly known as Microsoft Internet Mail and News, is a discontinued email and news client included with Internet Explorer versions 3.0 through to 6.0. As such, it was bundled with several versions of Microsoft Windows, from ...
in 1997 with IE4.
See also
*
List of Microsoft codenames
Microsoft codenames are given by Microsoft to products it has in development before these products are given the names by which they appear on store shelves. Many of these products (new versions of Windows in particular) are of major significance ...
Notes
References
;Microsoft confidential
*
Comes v. Microsoft
Microsoft has been involved in numerous high-profile legal matters that involved litigation over the history of the company, including cases against the United States, the European Union, and competitors.
Governmental
In its 2008 annual report, ...
Plaintiff's Exhibit 2013 "Desktop Operating Systems Mission—Draft". Microsoft Confidential (February 4, 1994).
*Comes v. Microsoft
Plaintiff's Exhibit 3208 "Desktop Operating Systems Mission Memo". Microsoft Confidential.
*Comes v. Microsoft
Plaintiff's Exhibit 5648 "Systems Three Year Plan". Microsoft Confidential (April 1994).
*Comes v. Microsoft
Plaintiff's Exhibit 2247 "Personal Systems Division 3 Yr Outlook". Microsoft Confidential (February 28, 1995).
*Comes v. Microsoft
Plaintiff's Exhibit 5735 Microsoft Confidential (October 25, 1995).
*Comes v. Microsoft
Plaintiff's Exhibit 2667 (March 10, 1997)
;Articles
* Miller, Michael J. (24 October 1995).
Beyond Windows 95. ''
PC Magazine''. pp. 75–76.
* Honeyball, Jon (June 1996).
The Road to Cairo Goes Through Nashville. ''
Windows IT Pro
''Windows IT Pro'' was a trade publication and web site owned by Informa serving the information needs of IT professionals working with the Microsoft Windows platform. The magazine's editorial offices were located in Ft. Collins, Colorado, US ...
''.
;Other
* Schnoll, Scott.
The History of Microsoft Internet Explorer".
External links
*
Windows Nashville (build 999) on the
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
{{History of Windows
96
96