The Windows 9 mystery: why did Microsoft skip this version of the operating system?
When Microsoft released its penultimate operating system, it called it Windows 10, ignoring the logical continuation where the number 8 is followed by a “nine.”
This decision made a huge impression on many users and raised a wave of questionsThe “knight’s move” in chess refers to the unique L-shaped movement of the knight. This allows the knight to jump over other pieces
Was this done to avoid errors and glitches that might occur with compatibility with older programs? Or perhaps it was a marketing decision? Or was it just an accident?
Let’s try to understand this strange decision by Microsoft and look at various theories and possible reasons why the “evil corporation” skipped version 9 in its line of operating systems.
Compatibility issues
One of the most common theories surrounding the absence of Windows 9 from Microsoft’s line of operating systems is that the company decided to skip version 9 due to compatibility issues with the previous Windows 95 and 98 operating systems.
According to this theory, many programs that were written for Windows 95 and 98 contained code that checked whether the operating system was a version of Windows 9x and, if so, used certain functions.
Therefore, it is believed that if Microsoft were to release an operating system called Windows 9, it might cause compatibility issues with such programs.
However, despite the prevalence of this theory in some circles, it is somewhat untenable. In fact, many programmers who worked with Windows 95 and 98 claim that programs that check operating system versions rarely use a direct comparison with the value “9”. Instead, they use less rigorous analysis, such as checking for the substring ” Windows 9 ” in the operating system name.
So, compatibility issues with Windows 9 don’t seem to be the real reason why Microsoft decided to skip this version.
Unlucky number
In Japan, the number 9 is associated with misfortune. This is due to the fact that the number ” nine ” is a homophone* of the word “suffering.” According to this theory, Microsoft decided to skip Windows 9 to avoid association with misfortune, and thereby prevent a negative perception of the new OS by some users.
Homophones, phonetic ambiguity in linguistics, are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings.
And if this theory seems unlikely to someone, just look at the numbering of the corporation’s other products. Have any of you seen Office 9? But everyone knows that there is Office 13, although the number 13 is considered unlucky in Western culture.
Marketing considerations
Another possible reason why Microsoft skipped the Windows 9 release is due to marketing reasons.
Suppose Microsoft released an operating system called Windows 9. In this case, users could consider it as a full-fledged new OS. And according to rumors, such an update was being prepared, but due to the failure of Windows 8 on the market, Microsoft outplayed everything. And Windows 8.1 is the real Windows 9
According to this theory, Microsoft decided to skip Windows 9 and call its new operating system Windows 10 to emphasize its importance and significance.
This theory seems to be the most convincing of all those presented. It has no technical or cultural limitations and is consistent with what Microsoft has said it plans to do with the new operating system. For example, in its blog, Microsoft states that Windows 10 is the ” next generation of operating systems ” and not simply an update to Windows 8.
Historical reasons
Finally, some people have speculated that Microsoft skipped a version of Windows 9 simply because it felt like it.
It’s entirely possible that the company simply decided to change its operating system naming scheme for no particular reason.
For example, in the past, Microsoft released operating systems with numbers 95, 98. Then there were letter designations: ME, XP and Vista. And then again the numbers 7 and 8. In this case, skipping version 9 could be part of an overall strategy to change the naming scheme of operating systems.
Hmm, nothing is clear. But this explains a lot 🙂
Although this theory seems the least convincing, it is still valid for consideration. Microsoft is a large company with many employees and different departments. Perhaps skipping version 9 was a decision made by one of the departments, without much overall strategy on the part of the company.
Conclusion
Why Microsoft skipped the Windows 9 release remains a mystery. Although some theories seem more convincing than others, we cannot be sure of their validity.
Perhaps the truth lies in a combination of several factors, such as technical, cultural and marketing considerations, or perhaps Microsoft simply decided to change its operating system naming scheme.
Regardless of the reasons, skipping version 9 did not hinder the successful launch of Windows 10, which has become one of the most popular operating systems in the world.