[AsakiIssa]

Now it makes sense why they are calling it Windows 10! To avoid OS String detection edge cases against "Windows 95/98"

[serve_yay]

But, the marketing name doesn't have to match the version identifier string.

This issue would have been super-easy to work around if they wanted to call it Windows 9. Hell, put two spaces before 9. Make it "Windows Version 9" instead of "Windows 9". Whatever. MS does this all the time, shimming around people's broken & crappy app code. This looks like no sweat to me.

[vacri]

Why is it so necessary that Windows 9 be the next in the list? I mean, it's not a particularly standard list for user workstations: 3.1, 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8.

[badthingfactory]

I was actually rather surprised when this version wasn't called "Windows One"

[BruceIV]

I can't seem to find the link again, but I think I read a Microsoft blog post somewhere saying that that name was already taken (by a Mr. Gates, circa 1985).

[chx]

I heard that too but http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Windows_1.0 seriously? Who would mix that up? Also, given "One product family. One platform. One store" and the Xbox One they would have a cool One theme to build on.

[bbehm]

I see what you are saying but "Android One" has already started their marketing so maybe that would seem awkward.

[serve_yay]

Yep, that too. I just seriously doubt this was the reason. Marketing and technology are only tenuously related, as we know :)

[javert]

Because there is no valid reason to do it. Except that some consultants probably told them 10 sounds fancier.

When I see a product being marketed based on how it sounds intead of its real value, I consider that a fishy smell.

[jrochkind1]

Plus they had to catch up with OSX.

I imagine future versions will be Windows 10 II, Windows 10 III, Windows 10 IV, Windows 10 V, etc.

[rory096]

"Coyote" "Jackal" "Fox" "Dingo" ... "Redondo Beach"

[computerslol]

I prefer to imagine the world where windows version names mirror street fighter version names.

"Super Windows X Turbo: World Warriors Edition" sounds pretty sweet to me.

[wmf]

Even that is too consistent. Maybe Windows 10.1, Windows 10.1 Update, Windows 10.1 Update Extended, etc.

(I guess the downvoters haven't installed Windows 8.1 Update.)

[eloisant]

At some point maybe they'll take a hint from their Xbox division and call it Windows One.

[Mindless2112]

Windows 10 is supposedly going to be the "last major version" of Windows. [1]

[1] http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-christens-the-next-version-of...

[wolfgke]

Also DirectX 11 was originally supposed to be the last major DirectX version with only some minor updates planned, since Microsoft saw no additional parts of the graphics pipeline that could additionally accelerated by hardware (Source: some AMD talk a few years ago).

A few months ago DirectX 12 was announced (and it's quite probable that AMD's Mantle was the reason for this roadmap change).

[tbrock]

Don't they say that every time?

[brute]

Not only OSX but OSX 10.10

That are a lot of 10s.

[GHFigs]

So why not "Windows X"? Oh...

[jrochkind1]

For unix interoperability and palandromic satisfaction, we can now offer you X Windows for Windows X.

Discounts for straight-edgers (xWWx for sXe!)

[happycube]

... except that in a lot of cases apps'll see "Windows 6.4"

[Eyas]

right, well-written apps should ask for version number, which would be 6.x. The question is how to handle the wealth of poorly written apps out there?

Especially keeping in mind that poorly written != useless/bad, at least not always.