Still confused about why the new version of Windows is 10, instead of 9? Beyond the loosely defined numbering schemes that are all too common in tech (how many iPhones did it take to get to 6?), a note posted to Reddit could provide an answer. Reddit user cranbourne claims to be a Microsoft developer, and cites rumors that early testing with the name "Windows 9" ran into problems with code some third-party developers used as a shortcut to detect when apps are running on Windows 95 or Windows 98. The problem, is that it wasn't written to actually check for the extra character. Whatever the real reason is Microsoft isn't saying, and it gave Gizmodo a vague non-answer about the new name so your conspiracy theory is as good as ours (we think they were avoiding a Tolkien nine rings of power reference, and we have evidence to prove it.)

http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/01/w...-naming-rumor/