The current trend is to introduce a new operating system every year, whether such an update is called for or not. Apple does it. Microsoft just started to do it with Windows 10. Google does it with Android. And the next Android version looms nigh on the horizon.
Way back when, which is where I go before spewing about current technology affairs, new software was introduced “every so often.” A new OS came out when it was necessary. Making a quarterly Wall Street deadline wasn’t a concern.
Sometimes an OS update came quick: The disastrous DOS 4.0 was quickly followed by DOS 4.1. DOS 5.0 was welcome, but then Microsoft saw how much money they made, they quickly foisted DOS 6.0 upon everyone.
Apple started the annual update trend with OS X back in the early 2000s. Many of the recent updates are truly minor in their effect. These are good improvements; OS/X 10.11 “El Capitan” is a much better version of OS X than 10.7, which I was using before. But every year? And a new release number, too?
Microsoft has hopped on the annual update treadmill with Windows 10. For now they’re still calling the OS “Windows 10.” My guess is that the next major update happens sometime in August, after the obnoxious “Upgrade to Windows 10 Now!” warnings cease.
For Google, the Android OS has been on an annual update schedule for about four years. Each new version gets a letter, such as Android N. Then when the new OS is officially introduced, the letter becomes a dessert name and the version gets a number.
The dessert names started with Cupcake, then Donut, followed by Eclair. The first version of Android I used was Froyo, for Frozen Yogurt, though I kept saying “Frodo.” The latest version, announced last year, was Android M, which became Marshmallow.
Android version numbers don’t parallel the names in a logical progression. Both Android J “Jelly Bean” and Android K “Kitkat” were versions 4.x. Android L “Lollypop” was versions 5.0 and 5.1. Android M “Marshmallow” is version 6.0. Android N could be 6.1 or 7.0. Who knows?
So what will the N stand for?
The real question is, if Google sticks to the dessert/candy theme, what’s delicious that starts with the letter N? I would guess Nutella, but there’s a strong contingent that the name could be Nerds, which has a delightfully double meaning.
Guessing the correct name is a challenge since Android K became “KitKat.” The online community was certain it would be “Key Lime Pie,” as Google had never chosen a specific, brand-name candy or dessert. Will Google do the same with Android N? Everyone will know in just a few weeks.
