Why did Microsoft skip Windows 9?

[Tigurinn]

This must be the guy that is responsible for branding at Microsoft

 

[switch6]

Where I work at, we have had several products that jumped around in version numbering. Not every time a product version see's the light of day, where developers would decide to re-write a significant portion of the code-base due to requirement changes mid-way through development. Instead of staying with the current version, we'd up-rev it so there is a history to follow with the growth of the application code-base in source control.

 

My theory is that Microsoft originally was heading down one direction with Windows 9, but decided to fork the project in two development paths to see which ends up being the route that best suits the needs / wants. Maybe at some point in the future the Windows 9 branch features would be merged in the Windows 10 branch.

 

All-in-all, I liked what I saw and am excited for the future of Windows. It feels like they have a clearer direction in mind now.

[Quillz]

  On 30/09/2014 at 19:51, .Neo said:

http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-christens-the-next-version-of-windows-as-windows-10-7000034196/

 

So for the years to come you'll get Windows 10, Windows 10.1, Windows 10.2, Windows 10.3, Windows 10.4 I'm going to laugh so hard if it's actually true! :laugh:

Exactly what I thought of immediately.

 

Frankly, if Microsoft's goal is to do smaller updates on a yearly basis, they would have been better off just calling it "Windows" like some suggested. Maybe something like "Windows - 2015 Update," "Windows - 2016 Update 2," etc. Not to mention that I don't know how 10 "signifies" the final monolithic release more so than 9 or any other number.

[Xerino]

  On 30/09/2014 at 21:25, Tigurinn said:

This must be the guy that is responsible for branding at Microsoft

 

 

 

I think you just confirmed Half Life 3's release date!!!!

[Tigurinn]

  On 30/09/2014 at 22:04, Xerino said:

I think you just confirmed Half Life 3's release date!!!!

 

Heck, even bigger than that - a confirmation that the meaning of life really is 42! ;)

[margrave]

Most likely the same stupid marketing concept of why they named the xbox3 the xbox one when there had already been an xbox1.

 

bah.

[tch1005]

  On 30/09/2014 at 18:24, bankajac said:

_{You guys know of any other software that skipped version numbers?}

Winamp skipped "4"

[Quillz]

  On 30/09/2014 at 22:08, margrave said:

Most likely the same stupid marketing concept of why they named the xbox3 the xbox one when there had already been an xbox1.

 

bah.

And what I find funny here is given that the idea is "one Windows for all purposes," that "Windows One" actually could have worked as a name.

[Josh the Nerd]

The keynote is now available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfveyXCsiA8#t=133

 

He starts discussing the naming about 2:10.

 

"We're at a point where we'll carry forward all that's good in Windows and then step across into a new way of doing things. A new Windows. And because we're not building an incremental product, that new Windows is Windows 10."

[Quillz]

  On 30/09/2014 at 22:25, Josh the Nerd said:

The keynote is now available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfveyXCsiA8#t=133

 

He starts discussing the naming about 2:10.

 

"We're at a point where we'll carry forward all that's good in Windows and then step across into a new way of doing things. A new Windows. And because we're not building an incremental product, that new Windows is Windows 10."

I still don't understand how Windows "10" implies non-incremental updates while "9" does. So, 20 years from now, we'll still be seeing small Windows 10 updates?

[Josh the Nerd]

  On 30/09/2014 at 22:27, Quillz said:

I still don't understand how Windows "10" implies non-incremental updates while "9" does. So, 20 years from now, we'll still be seeing small Windows 10 updates?

I think the mentality is "We're done with ever-increasing version numbers, so we can go with whatever number we want. '10' sounds like a nice number." I'd assume (hope) the "10" would be dropped from the name somewhere down the road.

 

In fact, I hope they get some sense and drop it between now and launch.

[Melfster]

From what I gather they want they want to make sure that people understand this is not normal release but release that will unify the phone, tablet, and PC.  This what they been trying to do for last couple of years but never quite got there.  As to the name Windows naming has been all over the place so I don't mind 10. 

[Avi Patel]

didn't ya know?

cuz 7 8 9. 

[Quillz]

  On 30/09/2014 at 22:43, Melfster said:

From what I gather they want they want to make sure that people understand this is not normal release but release that will unify the phone, tablet, and PC.  This what they been trying to do for last couple of years but never quite got there.  As to the name Windows naming has been all over the place so I don't mind 10. 

This is why "Windows One" actually could have worked.

 

Or just call it Windows. Or Windows Unity. Windows 9 works just as well as Windows 10 or Windows 11.

 

Their reasoning for the name is rather dumb.

[patr]

In 1999, Linux distribution Slackware's release number jumped from 4 to 7. Patrick Volkerding explained this as a marketing effort to show that Slackware was as up-to-date as other Linux distributions, many of which had release numbers of 6 at the time, and Volkerding expected them to reach version 7 by the time of the jump.

 

This has got to be the record??

[binaryzero]

It's a version number.

[Melfster]

  On 30/09/2014 at 22:58, Quillz said:

This is why "Windows One" actually could have worked.

 

Or just call it Windows. Or Windows Unity. Windows 9 works just as well as Windows 10 or Windows 11.

 

Their reasoning for the name is rather dumb.

 

Whatever name they chose still would still would be ######.  10 is as good as any other name.

[xendrome]

  On 30/09/2014 at 18:31, episode said:

Tons of them. Version numbers are not a science. You can choose whatever the hell you want.

 

Actually there's a lot that goes into a true version/build number, it's much more complicated and means a whole lot more then you clearly understand, especially for software compatibility.

[f0rk_b0mb]

My face after they said "Windows 10":

 

 

[DarkyDan]

What a stupid topic.

 

Nobody is confused by this move.. the people who might be will just get the latest version of Windows OEM and not really pay much attention.

 

The new metro-ified start menu is a visual cue to what version you're using.

[Krome]

  On 30/09/2014 at 18:16, Ishanx said:

Stolen from elsewhere.

 

"Because 7 ate 9."

lol

 

  On 30/09/2014 at 18:24, .Neo said:

Windows 1, Windows 2, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10.

 

It all makes total sense.

lol

 

  On 30/09/2014 at 22:44, Avi Patel said:

didn't ya know?

cuz 7 8 9. 

lol you missed the joke a few pages back.

I hope Microsoft is not doing this to spite the Chinese lucky number.  They planning to skip the Chinese market I think.  That's my conspiracy theory.  Bad move :p

 

[jrolson]

I heard they are skipping a number because someone else owns windows9.com?

[sanctified Veteran]

If they just wanted to stop making references to incrementas then the rational thing to do is to name it just Windows. Its what the entire worlds calls it anyway.

[Hum]

9 is an unlucky number :ninja:

[Active.]

Windows 9 was simply too good to release.