Windows 10 instead of Windows 9

[RichAlgeni]

Been slammed, so I am just getting to an older Windows Secrets newsletter. They explain that according to a 'Microsoft Dev,' the internal rumours are that early testing revealed just how many third-party products had code of the form:

Code: Select all

if(version.StartsWith("Windows 9")) { /* 95 and 98 */} else {

"and that [using Windows 10] was the pragmatic solution to avoid that."

If that is true, I find it pathetic the people in my profession can be so ineffectual!

[bbanelli]

I sincerely doubt one would use such frivolous method to determine Windows version. GetVersionEx() function existed even on Windows 3.1, so it is completely pointless to use method described above.

Even if someone did something like that, in which case, I just wonder how the rest of the software is written, who the hell would use Windows 9x software on Windows 10 (9) in 2015?! And it would be surprising if it would work properly as well, regardless of imaginary if's...

[luis]

http://www.infoq.com/news/2014/10/Windo ... on-Numbers

Also, as mentioned in the article, MS is not new to this: already GetVersionEx has been castrated in Win 8.1 because stupid programmers made stupid tests and MS felt more stupidly they needed to bend 90 degrees to those errors and fuck up the OS API.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 85%29.aspx

The number one reason to do a version check is to show some message of OS supportability for the application. However due to the poor checks, the message would often show that the app needed to be run on XP or later, which of course the newest OS is. More often than not, the newest OS would run the application without any issues if not for these checks.

[heartbone]

In Windows® try to create a file system object named com4.
(or any name com0 through com9)
Not much feedback is there?

[Shield]

In Windows® try to create a file system object named com4.
(or any name com0 through com9)
Not much feedback is there?

I don't see the connection to the Win 9/10 decision.
You can't create files named comX, PRN, NUL etc. because they *are* (virtual) files
and can be treated as such, e.g. 'Debug OpenFile(0, "com0")'.

[smacker]

Just a little side note involving the sequencing of the versions of Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10

Its named windows 10 'cause it has to do with the new series 'new generation' of windows and the new version sequencing that started with Windows Vista....

The major and minor versions (used by the operating system internally) are combined to get the collective version numbers. For example, the Windows 7 major = 6 and the minor = 1, so you end up with (starting with Windows Vista) ...

Windows Vista = version 6.0
Windows 7 = version 6.1
Windows 8 = version 6.2
Windows 8.1 = version 6.3 <<< this was never planned to be, read below
Windows 10 = version 6.4

The major added to the minor gives the version numbering sequence for the current 'new generation' round of Windows, so for example, Windows 7 major + minor = 7 (6 + 1 = 7).

So we end up with:

Windows Vista = version 6.0 (6 + 0 = 6)
Windows 7 = version 6.1 (6 + 1 = 7)
Windows 8 = version 6.2 (6 + 2 =
Windows 8.1 = version 6.3 (6 + 3 = 9) <<< this was never planned to be, read below
Windows 10 = version 6.4 (6 + 4 = 10)

Windows 8.1 was never planned to be, it was suppose to go Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 9, and on ..., but Windows 8.1 was shoehorned in as a response to the outcry and complaints from desktop users and others about Windows 8. So Microsoft responded with Windows 8.1 but this disturbed the intended numbering scheme path because they used version 6.3 for Windows 8.1 as it was the next version sequence in line and that version sequence number was originally intended to be for what is now (the upcoming) Windows 10 which was suppose to be Windows 9 originally. So we end up 'skipping' from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 with no Windows 9 in between because in terms of version number sequence Windows 8.1 is Windows 9, so Microsoft could keep to the progression path.

For Microsoft, an operating system with a name instead of a number represents a generation transition or crossover operating system or progression operating system towards a new generation into the next generation. For example, 'Windows XP' (has a name and not a number like 'Windows 5.1') represented the end of that generation to transition into a new generation with Windows Vista. 'Windows Vista' was the cross over between the 'Windows XP' era generation into the new generation windows starting with 'Windows 7'

It could have been worse though, they could have named 'Windows 8.1' as 'Windows 8 ME'

[c4s]

@smacker
The internal version of Windows 10 will probably be 10 too. More information on the version numbering: http://arstechnica.com/information-tech ... ably-work/