Windows 9
Updated: 03/10/2024 by Computer Hope
Microsoft has no plans on releasing Windows 9. They have gone from Windows 8 (8.1) to Windows 10.
Why did Microsoft skip Windows 9?
There's no official word from Microsoft why they decided to skip Windows 9, but there is plenty of speculation. Below are some theories.
- A program may detect "Windows 9" as Windows 95, 98, 9x, or Windows Me.
- Windows 9 may seem inferior to Apple's OS 10 (OS X) since nine is lower than ten.
- Nine may be interpreted as Windows Nein, which in German is "Windows No."
- The Japanese word for nine sounds similar to the word for "pain" or "distress."
- Microsoft wanted to distance itself as far as possible from Windows 8.
- Microsoft marketing thought it sounded better.
- Because 7 8 (ate) 9 (joking of course).
What is Windows 9x?
Many sites, including Computer Hope, list older versions of Microsoft Windows as "Windows 9x." The "x," is used as a wildcard to represent either Windows 95 or Windows 98.
Is Windows 9 ok to download?
Microsoft has never released a "Windows 9" and therefore any link indicating it can be downloaded is malware or otherwise malicious. If you have made the mistake in downloading anything pretending to be Windows 9, scan your computer for malware and other viruses.