The next version of the Windows Operating System, code-named “Longhorn,” was “officially” dubbed Windows Vista today. Watch the “Longhorn” naming announcement video.
Microsoft is trying to keep the Windows Vista hype to a mininum – some analysts think this is an effort to protect the Windows XP revenue stream by not diverting focus from XP to an OS that won’t be available until late in 2006. Good idea.
I came across a sharp list of performance promises for Windows Vista that I think represents some of the best marketing I’ve seen in regards to the future OS. Why? It’s benefit oriented and I can immediately see the impact it will have on my Windows computing experience.
Peroformance Promises:

• launch applications 15 percent faster than Windows XP does
• boot PCs 50 percent faster than they boot currently and will allow PCs to resume from standby in two seconds
• allow users to patch systems with 50 percent fewer reboots required
• reduce the number of system images required by 50 percent
• enable companies to migrate users 75 percent faster than they can with existing versions of Windows.

Additional Resources:
ZDNet – Good article related to the announcement