I don’t know if you heard, but the new version of Windows operating system is going to be called Windows 10. The last version was called Windows 8. And yes, it was the 8th version. (95,98,ME,2000,XP.Vista,7,8) So why do you think we have Windows 10 now?
Dunno how true it is, but I saw somewhere that “Windows 9” ran into trouble with legacy software that tried to detect a “9” in the output of the command that outputted what Windows version was being run, and if it found it would assume some features from Windows 95 and 98 were present.
I suspect its more likely that its just a marketing gimmick. Everyone will speculate about the reason for the name chance, which will generate some buzz (like this thread) and it’ll put some extra psychological space between the new version and the hated Windows 8.
What I hear is that there are a lot of programs out there that check if they’re running on an old version by seeing if the the name/version starts with “Windows 9” (like Windows 95 or Windows 98") so naming it Windows 9 would cause trouble. Of course they could have called it “Windows v9” in the name/version string or some such…
Uh, it’s only 8 if you don’t count 1, 2, 3, and 3.1. Windows 95 was not the first version of Windows.
Disclaimer: I work for Microsoft, although I know nothing about this decision internally, so this is speculation. But I’d be willing to bet large sums of money that this has nothing to do with the technicalities of checking version numbers this way, no matter what the bloggers say, since: (a) that’s a really stupid way to check for versions (I’m not even sure how you’d get it as a string), and the myriad of “correct” ways don’t do have the problem, and (b) if it really were that, there’d be far more problems with names starting with “Windows 1” causing trouble.
Far more likely: 9 is unlucky in several cultures, sounds like “no” in others, and 10 is just a round, pleasant number. I am, however, virtually certain that this decision was studied to death before it was made, and there are probably multiple factors. (I’d also put big money down that there will not be a “Windows 13”).
I’m betting they expect, at this point, to not increase that number for a long time, and didn’t like/couldn’t stand being stuck at Windows 9 and competing against OS X. Similar to the whole PS3 vs what would have been “Xbox 2”. They probably really, seriously considered pulling a stupid stunt like Xbox one/Xbox 360, but decided that if they did change their mind and keep going with windows numbering that they would screw themselves and make it way harder later. Or maybe they were 100% ready to call it “Windows One” and somebody powerful was able to push it out and Windows 10 was a compromise.
Microsoft is completely dysfunctional when it comes to naming things. They routinely re-use the same, small, stupid list of lame words for all sorts of products: One, Live, Net, Mesh, Sync, etc.
In this case, though, I would guess it’s because the name refers to the internal build from which 10 was produced. Calling it 10 represents a larger break from 8, whereas 9 would sound like it was built off 8 as a sequel. Instead, 10 is a blend of 7 & 8 rather than sequel to 8. So the deliberately chose 10 to indicate that this isn’t a sequential release.
The working title was “Threshold” because this build was the threshold of a whole new experience. Ten is a way better name than Threshold.
Well, if you count NT as a major version (which was merged into 2000), then this would be Windows 13.
Heh. I didn’t actually mean there wouldn’t be a thirteenth version of Windows (my paycheck probably depends on it), just that it wouldn’t be called “Windows 13.”
10 comes after 8 in base nine, which is pretty much all computer scientists ever use.
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I think it goes:
Windows 3/3.1
Windows 95/98/ME = Windows 4
Windows XP = Windows 5
Windows Vista = Windows 6
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows 10?
Windows 2000 and Windows NT would not be included as they were focused on the commercial server market, not the home user.
To have a versionnumber in a similar count to their competitor Mac OS 10 (X in Roman numbers)
Almost. There was a windows 1 & 2
It’s one better.
Because Windows 7 ate Windows 9.
“Windows 10” sounds cool.
What else does it need to be?
This wins the thread.
I guess Apple has their work cut out for them: they will have to call “Yosemite” the new OS XI, so that they can say, “but these Macs go to eleven!”
I read today that a Microsoft engineer claimed, on Reddit somewhere, that there is a lot of third-party code that checks for the string “Windows 9” to detect windows 95 and 98, so they skipped version 9 so as not to break that code. I don’t know if I believe it, though.
Awesome, way to not bother to read a thread.