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Windows 10 logo: Windows 9 kinda

Windows 10 is finally hither — and it's been a long and winding road. Allow's footstep dorsum for a moment and address ane of the most disruptive things about the latest version of Windows. When Microsoft announced its newest operating system last year, the surprise was non that it was coming, simply that Windows would be skipping version 9 and heading straight to x. When asked nigh Windows ten's name, Microsoft never actually gave a articulate answer. So why, exactly, did Windows ten get the nod instead of 9?

Version numbers, schmersion numbers

You may remember that between Windows 3 and Windows 7, Microsoft designated each version with a name instead of a number: 95, 98, NT, Me, 2000, Vista, so on. When the company announced Windows vii, at that place was actually a like amount of atheism; after a series of named versions of Windows, it seemed odd to switch dorsum to numbers.

Windows 8: Actually version 6.3

Windows 8.1: Actually version 6.iii, build 9600.

There's also the fact that the name of each Windows release doesn't really friction match the real version number. For case, Windows 8.ane is actually version 6.3 of Windows. Windows 10 is version 6.iv. The last time the release name actually matched the version number was the enterprise-focused Windows NT 4.0, which was released back in 1996. Windows 2000, which was called NT 5.0 during evolution, was actually version 5.0. Windows XP was version 5.i. Windows Vista was 6.0, Windows 7 was vi.i, Windows 8 was 6.ii, and Windows 8.1 is version vi.3.

Windows RT, which only ran Metro apps, was a new and split up creature, but it even so saturday on elevation of the core Windows NT kernel. That one is dead now.

Modern versions of Windows are still based on the Vista kernel and code base — including Windows 10, which is actually Windows half dozen.4. There volition be some confusion if (or when) we eventually attain internal version 7.0, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Culling theories for skipping Windows 9

An ExtremeTech reader chosen Benny sent us an electronic mail to say that the number 9 is considered unlucky in Japan. Microsoft has a big enough presence in Nihon that it may take skipped Windows nine to avoid whatsoever weirdness or ill will. Benny says that Trend Micro — a Japanese company — did the same matter a few years ago when information technology skipped version 9 of its antivirus software.

2nd, someone purporting to be a Microsoft programmer posted this comment on Reddit:

Reddit comment explaining why Windows 9 was skipped

As insane equally that hack sounds, it'south feasible that there are still plenty of legacy Desktop apps that use this method (or something like) to check for Windows 95 or 98. Bear in listen that this is only an example piece of code — some developers will check for the Os name ("Windows…"), some will check for the version number (as discussed in the previous section of this story), and some may use other methods entirely to find out what OS the app is running on.

What'south in a name?

Ultimately, Windows 10 is but a name. Windows 9 probably would've made more sense — and it'southward always going to cause some grief with novice users who just don't understand what happened to Windows 9. Simply Windows 10 isn't any more correct or wrong than calling Vista'south successor Windows seven.

Why Windows 10 wasn't called Windows One:

Why Windows 10 wasn't called Windows One: "Information technology has been done earlier" (by Bill Gates)

Maybe a better question to ask is why did Microsoft call it Windows ten specifically, and not something else? During the launch event (video embedded above) Myerson gives us a few clues. Starting at around the 2:x mark, he said the following: "Nosotros know, based on the product that's coming, and just how dissimilar our approach will be overall, it wouldn't be right to call it Windows ix." He so talks about how Windows Ane would make sense with Xbox One, OneDrive, and OneNote, "but unfortunately Windows 1 has been washed by the giants that came before us." And so information technology seems the only other viable option was Windows 10.

Read: Windows x: Familiarity breeds contempt

Microsoft'southward seemingly arbitrary naming convention of Windows 10 is an interesting one. Information technology's a strong-sounding version number — and it's likewise a neat way of distancing it from Windows 8, which Microsoft really wants to bury in the living room couch cushions when no one is looking. In fact, this may fifty-fifty be the same flim-flam that Microsoft used to make us forget virtually Vista: "Hey, with a name like Windows seven, 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 almost any similarity to Apple'south Mac OS X? Apple tree did a similar affair, after all: Its operating organisation versions steadily increased from System 1 through 7, so switched to Mac OS 8 and 9, and when it got to OS x (X) in 2001, it stopped altogether. Nosotros don't think Microsoft is intentionally copying Apple with Windows 10. But the marketing department has to be aware of both the positive and negative repercussions of wanting to ride on Apple'southward coattails.

Finally, given how Windows 10 is meant to be a single platform for just virtually every class factor, plus the massive weight and importance that Microsoft is lending to this release, we wouldn't be surprised if it sticks around for a long fourth dimension — and Microsoft has fabricated noises indicating it wants to movement to an ongoing, evolving OS without specific version numbers.

So that's it: Windows 10 is called Windows 10 because Microsoft says then — even if "Windows" or "Windows 10" would've been better. Check out our continuing Windows 10 coverage for more data.

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

James Plafke contributed to this article.

Bank check out our ExtremeTech Explains series for more in-depth coverage.