Windows Central readers overwhelmingly agree on future of Windows brand

The majority of Windows Central readers that voted in our poll want Microsoft to drop the "10" from Windows.

What you need to know

• Windows Central readers shared their thoughts on how Microsoft should brand Windows going forward.
• Over 65% of people who voted believe that Microsoft should drop "10" from the name and simply go with "Windows."
• "Windows 11" was a distant second with almost 11% of the vote.

With Microsoft putting Windows 10X on ice earlier this month, the future of Windows has been on the tips of many tongues. Our senior editor Zac Bowden discussed what's next for Windows, but we also wanted to know your thoughts. Over the weekend, we ran a poll asking, "Is it time for Microsoft to move on from the Windows 10 brand?"

The votes are in, and it's time to share what the readers of Windows Central have to say. As of the time of this writing, by far, the most popular choice is moving away from the "10" in Windows 10 and simply going with "Windows." That option earned over 65% of votes from participants.

In a distant second, almost 11% of people voted to have Microsoft choose "Windows 11" as the next name for Windows.

"Zeem Frostmaw" shared thoughts on the poll in our comments section, stating, "Once Windows 7 becomes truly obsolete (which it really should be by now, but you know how people are), a rebrand from Windows 10 to just 'Windows' would make plenty of sense." Echoing those sentiments, "NeilPeart" said, "I voted for just Windows - it just feels right..."

Microsoft has never been consistent with its naming of Windows, much to the amusement of meme-makers, so it's possible that people want to shift away from jumping to new version numbers. Dropping any numbers from the Windows name also allows Microsoft to be more flexible.

You could argue that the current version of Windows 10 is already different enough from the version that originally shipped that it should be named Windows 10.1. Not having a year or number attached to Windows lets Microsoft update at its own pace without having to worry about branding.

Several people shared that they'd prefer Microsoft sticks with Windows 10 as a name. Which side do you agree with? Hop on over to our original poll, which will remain open to get more people's thoughts.