I’ve noticed in recent weeks as I talk to people about Windows Vista that many, many people pronounce it VEE-stah. I expect that here in my home in the Southwest, where the Spanish language has an influence on just about everything. But I also hear it in talking with people on the phone from places like Washington State and Indianapolis – not exactly Hispanic capitals.
Anyone else notice this?
Ed Bott (@ wordpress.com) 
To see more about problems with pronouncing Windows Vista, check out this video: http://www.clearification.com/downloads/thoughts/video/vista.wmv
🙂
You mean people in Washington and Indianapolis who don’t otherwise have anything but the standard middle-of-the-road American accent? If so, that’s weird, since the word is not exactly confusing, and people shouldn’t be launching into foreign pronunciations for no reason.
Of course, that doesn’t stop people from saying “KOOBA Gooding Jr” when even he pronounces it “KEWBA,” but there it’s being confused with the country, which is pronounced KOOBA officially (though few natives of the U.S. ever pronounced it that way until the last decade or so).
To get around that, I just speak Latvian and refer to it as Windows Chicken.
I’ve been wondering this, too. Even in the UK, I keep meeting lots of people both in the industry and out who call it “Veesta.” I can’t for the life of me work out where that could have come from.
I’ve also encountered this with increasing frequency. Oddly enough, it’s never someone with a Hispanic or Latino heritage. As I’m in the same neck of the woods as you Ed, I’m every bit as puzzled as you are.
The last person I asked why they were pronouncing it that way actually told me they thought VIH-STA sounded too ordinary.
Go figure. Microsoft finally comes up with a product name that means something relevant to their marketing message and people end up playing accent games with it.
I think I’ve heard as much “Veesta” as I’ve heard “Vista.” Microsoft probably just wants to compete with “Lee-nux”, err… “Lie-nux,” no – “Lin-ux,” that’s the one. 🙂
I just call it “The Operating System Formerly Known As Longhorn”. (har har)
About half of the people I run into also call it Veestah. I’m clueless (my normal state of affairs)