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Windows 10 logo: Windows 9 kinda

Windows ten is finally hither — and it's been a long and winding road. Let'southward footstep dorsum for a moment and address ane of the almost confusing things nearly the latest version of Windows. When Microsoft appear its newest operating organization last yr, the surprise was not that it was coming, but that Windows would exist skipping version 9 and heading direct to 10. When asked about Windows ten's name, Microsoft never really gave a articulate answer. So why, exactly, did Windows 10 become the nod instead of nine?

Version numbers, schmersion numbers

Yous may retrieve that between Windows iii and Windows vii, Microsoft designated each version with a name instead of a number: 95, 98, NT, Me, 2000, Vista, so on. When the visitor appear Windows vii, there was really a like amount of disbelief; later a series of named versions of Windows, it seemed odd to switch back to numbers.

Windows 8: Actually version 6.3

Windows eight.ane: Actually version half dozen.3, build 9600.

There's also the fact that the name of each Windows release doesn't actually lucifer the existent version number. For example, Windows 8.one is actually version 6.3 of Windows. Windows ten is version half dozen.4. The last fourth dimension the release proper noun actually matched the version number was the enterprise-focused Windows NT 4.0, which was released dorsum in 1996. Windows 2000, which was called NT 5.0 during development, was actually version v.0. Windows XP was version 5.1. Windows Vista was half dozen.0, Windows 7 was 6.1, Windows viii was half-dozen.ii, and Windows 8.1 is version vi.3.

Windows RT, which only ran Metro apps, was a new and separate animal, simply it all the same sabbatum on top of the core Windows NT kernel. That one is expressionless at present.

Modern versions of Windows are even so based on the Vista kernel and lawmaking base — including Windows 10, which is really Windows 6.4. There volition be some confusion if (or when) we eventually reach internal version 7.0, but nosotros'll cantankerous that bridge when we get in that location.

Alternative theories for skipping Windows 9

An ExtremeTech reader called Benny sent us an email to say that the number nine is considered unlucky in Japan. Microsoft has a big enough presence in Japan that information technology may have skipped Windows 9 to avert whatever weirdness or ill will. Benny says that Tendency Micro — a Japanese visitor — did the same thing a few years ago when it skipped version 9 of its antivirus software.

Second, someone purporting to exist a Microsoft developer posted this comment on Reddit:

Reddit comment explaining why Windows 9 was skipped

Equally insane equally that hack sounds, it's feasible that there are still plenty of legacy Desktop apps that utilize this method (or something like) to check for Windows 95 or 98. Conduct in mind that this is only an example slice of code — some developers will check for the Bone name ("Windows…"), some volition check for the version number (equally discussed in the previous section of this story), and some may apply other methods entirely to observe out what OS the app is running on.

What'southward in a proper noun?

Ultimately, Windows 10 is simply a proper name. Windows ix probably would've made more sense — and it's always going to cause some grief with novice users who just don't understand what happened to Windows nine. But Windows x isn't any more correct or wrong than calling Vista's successor Windows 7.

Why Windows 10 wasn't called Windows One:

Why Windows 10 wasn't called Windows One: "It has been washed before" (by Bill Gates)

Maybe a better question to inquire is why did Microsoft call it Windows ten specifically, and non something else? During the launch event (video embedded above) Myerson gives u.s. a few clues. Starting at effectually the 2:ten mark, he said the post-obit: "We know, based on the product that's coming, and just how unlike our approach will be overall, it wouldn't be correct to telephone call it Windows nine." He then talks about how Windows 1 would make sense with Xbox 1, OneDrive, and OneNote, "just unfortunately Windows 1 has been done past the giants that came before us." And then it seems the merely other viable pick was Windows 10.

Read: Windows 10: Familiarity breeds antipathy

Microsoft's seemingly arbitrary naming convention of Windows 10 is an interesting one. It's a strong-sounding version number — and it'southward too a neat way of distancing information technology from Windows eight, which Microsoft really wants to bury in the living room couch cushions when no ane is looking. In fact, this may even be the aforementioned play a joke on that Microsoft used to make us forget about Vista: "Hey, with a name like Windows 7, information technology must exist very unlike from Vista."

Yosemite Safari

Apple's OS X has been Os X for 14 years now — and shows no sign of being retired

What most any similarity to Apple's Mac OS Ten? Apple did a similar matter, later all: Its operating system versions steadily increased from System ane through vii, and then switched to Mac Bone viii and 9, and when it got to Os ten (X) in 2001, it stopped birthday. We don't think Microsoft is intentionally copying Apple with Windows x. But the marketing section has to be aware of both the positive and negative repercussions of wanting to ride on Apple's coattails.

Finally, given how Windows 10 is meant to exist a unmarried platform for just about every course factor, plus the massive weight and importance that Microsoft is lending to this release, we wouldn't be surprised if information technology sticks around for a long time — and Microsoft has made noises indicating information technology wants to motion to an ongoing, evolving Os without specific version numbers.

So that's it: Windows 10 is called Windows 10 because Microsoft says so — even if "Windows" or "Windows 10" would've been improve. Cheque out our continuing Windows ten coverage for more than data.

Now read All the new features and changes in Windows 10 and our easily on impressions of Windows 10 Technical Preview.

James Plafke contributed to this article.

Check out our ExtremeTech Explains serial for more than in-depth coverage.