//beconfused

Around a month ago, Microsoft had this idea to call the version of Windows XP without Windows Media Player the “Windows XP Reduced Media Edition”. Their sense of humor is not entertained by the European Union (EU) much, if at all.

After being found as a monopoly by the EU, Microsoft is forced to sell a version of Windows XP without the Windows media components.

And you thought Microsoft’s pure un-creativity came out with such a stupid name to mislead the public. I am not surprise if they did so intentionally. EU block the naming to “Windows XP Reduced Media Edition” of course. Having rejected 10 earlier ideas from Microsoft, EU decides to step in to suggest something smart and Microsoft agreed.

The new Windows XP without the Windows media component is here - Windows XP Home Edition N.

Okay, that isn’t exactly the smartest name I heard.

And a cache page in Google revealed that Adobe is going to be making a official press release on information regarding Adobe Photoshop 9.0. If you’re fan of Photoshop, you would have realized your favorite graphic application is named after a first-person shooter called “Counterstrike” when at 8.0 (Adobe Photoshop CS). And you thought the next one would probably be Adobe Photoshop HL (Half Life) or something.

Well, it turns out that Adobe has decided to follow SquareEnix’s nomenclature in sequel. The sequel of Adobe Photoshop CS is Adobe Photoshop CS2. Okay, very smart naming. [I attached a portion of Adobe's press release from Google's cache since it may be gone any time.]

Upon reading here, you probably wonder what does the smart EU mean when they say “Edition N”. Does it stand for “Normal” perhaps?

BBC reported that the ‘N’ in Windows XP Home Edition N stands for “not with media player”. And you thought they were more sane. Even the English phrasing is incorrect!

I knew it’d be gone soon. It really is gone, luckily I kept a copy, lol..

**Advanced Tools for Digital Photographers, Graphics and Video Professionals**

Photoshop CS2 integrates a new set of intuitive tools, including an enhanced Spot Healing Brush, for handling common photographic problems such as blemishes, red-eye, noise, blurring and lens distortion. Smart Objects allow users to scale and transform images and vector illustrations without losing image quality �?? as well as create linked duplicates of embedded graphics �?? so that a single edit updates across multiple iterations.

Responding to requests from film, broadcast and video professionals, Photoshop CS2 now allows non-destructive editing and the creation and editing of 32-Bit High Dynamic Range (HDR) images, ideal for 3D rendering and advanced compositing. FireWire Previews can also be viewed on a television monitor through a new direct export feature.

Photoshop CS2 users will test the limits of creativity with new tools like Vanishing Point and Image Warping. Vanishing Point cuts tedious graphic and photo retouching tasks by allowing users to clone, paint and transform image objects while retaining visual perspective. Reinventing workflows such as product packaging development, Image Warping makes it easy to fold, stretch, pull, twist and wrap an image into shape by selecting an on-demand preset or dragging custom control points.

Source: Adobe [cache from Google]

Tags: adobe, branding, design, google, humor, microsoft, names, news, software, technology