Beta OS-tans?

Exa · June 02, 2010, 10:58:59 AM

While reading through the list of OS-tans, I noticed that some beta versions of operating systems (like Windows 97 or Neptune and Odyssey) do have their respective OS-tans, while others, like Chicago - Windows 95 beta - or Whistler - Windows XP beta - do not. Actually what decides which of these beta versions will get an OS-tan and which of these won't? Major difference from the final version? A particular oddity in the beta which is easier to personalize? Or is it just a matter of preference of the artists? I took a look into some of these betas, and that's why I am interested in this question.

Aurora Borealis · June 02, 2010, 11:18:04 AM

Overall, I think it may be a matter of preference, and the beta being significantly different.

With Odyssey and Neptune, they are futuristic-looking OS-tans representing what would be ground-breaking OSes had they been released. They were made around the time of Windows 2000, which was primarily a professional OS, and Odyssey and Neptune were meant to be 2000's home counterpart, bringing the NT line to the home. Where they failed, XP was made.

Windows 97 is confusing. It was the working name for 98 but 97-tan exists anyways. The closest thing to an actual Windows 97 may be 95 OSR 2.5/95C.

The strangeness of Windows 97, even if it's not significantly different from 98 still meant a lot of potential for a quirky character.

I don't think a 95 beta-tan would be needed as a separate character. She's best off as a young 95-tan, training to be the warrior she is.

Exa · June 02, 2010, 11:55:52 AM

Well, I admit I took a different approach - checking beta videos, and where it's available, beta sounds - when pondering about this question, but as you are the one who is much more experienced in OS-tans, you have a better sight at the situation.
I barely have any information about 97, that's why I was somewhat confused about it. And as for Chicago - the early builds of it looked like as some sort of mix between 3.1 and 95, from what I read. After rethinking it, I have to agree with you, I went a bit overboard with my theories.

NejinOniwa · June 02, 2010, 12:00:46 PM

Odyssey/Neptune are unreleased OSes of their own with their own code trees, etc, which justify a -tan of their own.

Win97 is an enigma in many ways, but I believe it's due to the development cycle of 98: Most likely, betas/dev builds before the name change (as it was first known as Win97) are interpreted as the source of 97-tan, while the code trees past that point are 98-tan only.

As for Beta-tans in general, seconding what Aurora said, albeit with possible storyline-purpose variations; 95 and Visbou may have been training, while 2k was brought up strictly and with high expectations from both MS and her mother(s? With Inu-T and all?) seeing as they were the first NT on the stage. XP, spoiled by the success of 2k, was probably raised pretty carefree (alongside Homeko who got to do pretty much whatever she wanted) and so on. Strictly speaking, Nanami (or whatever 7-tan we use) should have a lot of duality personality-wise, seeing as she's both supposed to be user-appealing and good for casual use but ALSO carries the enormous responsibility of covering up for the Vistans' failure, resulting in a very, very intriguing character indeed.

Ohfuckit, I'm ranting again.

Bella · June 02, 2010, 12:37:02 PM

But Chicago and Whistler weren't beta releases! They were codenames for Win95 and XP while they were in development. Neptune and Odyssey are beta OSes, though, since they were released for testing or evaluation or whatever, but never became commercial Windows releases.

BTW, I think of betas as their respective OS-tans in their youth/in training. Except for those OSes that never got past their beta stages.

Exa · June 02, 2010, 12:44:49 PM

Quote from: "Bella"But Chicago and Whistler weren't beta releases! They were codenames for Win95 and XP while they were in development.

Actually, while Chicago was the codename for Windows 95, but it was also used for the first few betas. This link gives some information about one of the earlier builds
http://toastytech.com/guis/chic58.html

As I know, there are earlier builds of XP which referred to themeselves as Whistler.

Aurora Borealis · June 02, 2010, 12:49:13 PM

Ah yes, I remember reading about that before. Until then, I didn't realize that betas could be so different from the final! I still see Chicago being a young 95-tan in training though.

As for the storylines, 95 and NT were trained from birth to be warriors and war lords to conquer the market, but after the war was over, they settled down to a calmer life, with NT having daughters and 95 being a big sister figure. Since then, the Windows-tans have enjoyed a long period of peace and prosperity.

I agree that 2K-tan would be raised with high expectations, but still had time for play with her family and live a mostly carefree childhood. (some good pictures that'd illustrate this:)

But for 2K, work would come first for her, and the efforts paid off for her, being regarded as the most reliable of the Windows-tans, and another big sister-type revered by the family.

Definitely agree with the XP-tans being rather spoiled in their childhood, especially Homeko. XP Pro, being geared towards business and education I'd imagine would have some 2K-tan qualities... when not distracted by food. ^^;

Windows 7-tan has a great amount of potential for her character, and I like your idea for her upbringing, but it's a shame that most 7-tans don't have much character depth to them.

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BTW, unreleased OS-tans bring up another question: How can some of them still be alive if they don't have a userbase?

Or do they? IIRC, there had been at least one OSC member some time ago who used Neptune. Could be that there really are underground userbases for Odyssey and Neptune so they don't fade into complete obscurity!

Chocofreak13 · June 02, 2010, 12:52:43 PM

it's like the longhorn/vista and vienna/7 debate. i think it's more of a storyline thing, or maybe they just never recieved beta-tans.

i used the name "chicago (chi-sama)" for 95 in my comic; i think of it as an alternate name for her.

pretty cool about the underground releases. :3 ik i'd like to try.

i've thought of 95 like an aunt to them in a way. ^^;

Bella · June 02, 2010, 12:54:47 PM

IIRC, we agreed some time ago that beta OS-tans were more-or-less undead. At least for Odyssey and Neptune....

Chocofreak13 · June 02, 2010, 12:56:21 PM

there are os-es w/ zero userbase, but, for storyline purposes, are alive.

odyessy/neptune are fairly recent too, so it makes sense that they would be "alive", per se...

Exa · June 02, 2010, 01:02:52 PM

Quote from: "Aurora Borealis"Ah yes, I remember reading about that before. Until then, I didn't realize that betas could be so different from the final! I still see Chicago being a young 95-tan in training though.

It can work, even though in my mind, somehow the mix of 3.1-tan and 95-tan is imagined, as said beta has elements which remind to both. Probably it's indeed a younger 95-tan, but with a bokken instead of her sword and with an outfit somewhat resembling 3.1-tan's one? It's possible that she received her kimono and sword after her training (from when the OS started to refer itself as Windows 95), maybe?

Quote from: "Aurora Borealis"
BTW, unreleased OS-tans bring up another question: How can some of them still be alive if they don't have a userbase?

Or do they? IIRC, there had been at least one OSC member some time ago who used Neptune. Could be that there really are underground userbases for Odyssey and Neptune so they don't fade into complete obscurity!

Some of the beta OS-es (like particular versions of Chicago, as I heard) can be used by Virtual PC 2007, so I believe it's not impossible that curious people who are interested in these unreleased / beta versions and try them out can keep them alive. They are not very well known, that's true, but they are not forgotten completely.

NejinOniwa · June 02, 2010, 02:36:13 PM

VPC is worse than VMWare or other alternatives in terms of compatibility as far as I've heard, too, so more might be doable.

Exa · June 02, 2010, 03:04:48 PM

I haven't tried either, I just read about Virtual PC in the description of a video about Chicago, that's why I mentioned this possibility. At least there is the chance to give all these betas a try.

Chocofreak13 · June 02, 2010, 05:41:47 PM

i like the image of young 95 in training, maybe using a kendo sword. can't picture a loli-95, unless it's another cosplay pic.

Exa · June 03, 2010, 12:28:06 PM

I may be wrong , but isn't the sword used for kendo (I think that one is called shinai) is a bamboo sword, while the bokken is the wooden sword? I would prefer Chicago-tan/younger 95-tan using the bokken because that one was used historically for the training of warriors. 95-tan is a warrior of sort, after all. And I don't think it should be loli-aged ~ something like a teenager should work. And as 95-tan's outfit is based on a wallpaper from the full version, Chicago-tan/younger 95-tan could not have that clothing ~ which would reinforce my suggestion of her having a clothing more resembling to 3.1 and getting her well-known outfit later.