I read this post here:
http://lowendmac.com/musings/09mm/why-windows-7.html

And I thought it was just funny  (not sure if the author thought of the article in the same mindset as I did).  Basically I love the breakdown the author provides on how Windows has progressed via the version releases, Win 1/2/3/4 etc..

Windows 1 was released in November 1985, 2.0 in October 1987, and 2.1 (a.k.a. Windows/286 and Windows/386) in May 1988.

Windows 3, which introduced some 32-bit capabilities, came to market in May 1990 and came into its own with version 3.1 in April 1992.

Microsoft split off a “new technology” version of Windows to compete with Unix. It was heavily influenced by Microsoft’s partnership with IBM that created OS/2, and development of the new version began as OS/2 version 3. It shipped as Windows NT 3.1 in July 1993 and was fully a 32-bit operating system. It was the first version of Windows that did not run as a shell on top of DOS. Windows NT 3.5 shipped in 1994, and 4.0 in 1996.

Windows 4 came out as Windows 95 in August 1995, the first consumer version with pervasive 32-bit support and pre-emptive multitasking. Windows 98 arrived in June 1998, and a second edition (Windows 98 SE) replaced it a year later. Windows Me (Millenium Edition) shipped in September 2000 and was the final consumer version of Windows 4.

…

However he puts in a quick little note that Windows 7 is actually Windows 6.1, and MS will probably change it to 7.0, however I think thats unlikely as Windows 7 is basically 6.1 or in ‘standard named terms’ Vista Service Pack 2.  This was a smart move on Microsofts part, in distancing its `next` OS from a collosal failure that is Windows Vista.

Anyways those are my 2 cents, I thought I really needed to chime in (I couldn’t help it.. honest!).