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How do you say the "X" in OS X?


How do you say the "X" in OS X?  

1,860 members have voted

  1. 1. How do you say the "X" in OS X?

    • X...as in the letter.
      1303
    • 10...as in the number.
      634


300 posts in this topic

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
They way Apple formats the title, it looks like it should be "Oh-Ess-Ex": Apple OS X 10.5 Leopard. It sounds awkward to say Apple OS ten, ten.5 Leopard. But, it really is OS 10.

 

haha, that's actually a very good observation!

 

But Apple are a bit stupid with their names - e.g. MAC OS X 10.4.10 , which is the same number as 10.4.1 lol

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I always say Oh-Es-Ex-point-#

 

When it first came out, I used to say os10 but then I figured it sounded cooler to say the roman numeral out. Usually amoung my friends we always pronounce roman numerals put, Eye-Vee, Vee, Eye-eye-eye, Eye-Ex, etc etc, (of course, not in that order ;o)

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  • 3 weeks later...

Should I be asked what I am running as my OS, I would cheerfully reply :

 

"Mac OS (Ex) : (Tiger or Panther inserted here) then the version number (10.4.6, 10.4.8, 10.5.1, etc)"

 

That way I am giving you all the pertainent information in one statement, should my reply be any less than above, then I would certainly be anticipating a question from my listener, getting that last bit of information not initioally provided.

 

Cheers

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  • 2 weeks later...

Bottom line: if you prefer to sound out the letter x, you are wrong. Is that simple.

 

There is really no controversy in this. It was always supposed to be ten. Mac OS X came after System 9. Apple's marketing decision to write "ten" in Roman numeral, partly to denote the fundamental technical difference going from 9 to 10, threw many people off. Of course, some of said people lack a proper education and therefore have only a fuzzy notion as to what Roman numerals actually are in the first place. That's why today misconception outnumbers correctness, as the poll clearly shows.

 

One defining characteristic of the ignorant is that they tend to become ever more stubborn and even "proud" of their ignorance when they are confronted with their personal limitations. So, I very much doubt pointing out the truth will change anyone's habits.

 

Of course, widespread ignorance / misunderstanding may one day turn the mistake into a commonly accepted usage -- but that won't change the facts one iota.

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I always sound off "Oh Ess Ten" when talking about OS X but I have come to realise that saying that can be a bit ambigious.

 

"OS 10?", "The tenth OS?", "WTF?".

 

Combine that with "Mac OS 10" and you open up a whole new meaning.

 

Of course "Tiger", "Leopard" and "that thing with the dock" have become perfectly valid terms too. :)

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haha, that's actually a very good observation!

 

But Apple are a bit stupid with their names - e.g. MAC OS X 10.4.10 , which is the same number as 10.4.1 lol

 

You know, they're not using a decimal system to number each release. By saying 10.4.10, they mean that it is the tenth release of 10.4. That's why 10.4.11 didn't come before 10.4.2.

 

I say OS ten. I can't STAND when people say OS ex. It just sounds unintelligent.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Although it may sound cooler to you, its just too close to XP... which as we all know, is horrific :) oh wait, maybe thats vista...

 

Steve Jobs says it as 10, most of Apple says it as 10, i say it as 10.

 

Saying it as the Letter "X" is a ...

 

Think Mark

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Im actually not surprised at the results. I think alot of people read the name of Mac, before they hear someone say it. And this tradition has carried over for a while. So most will say OS EX for ages, then someone who watches the keynotes or whatever, corrects them.

 

I mean i hardly ever call it os 10, i generally say Mac OS Leopard.

 

As long as whoever knows what your talkin about, does it matter?

 

Its the same as Microsoft Flight Sim X.

 

What I do like is the Random Pronunciations round the globe.

 

My Italian family say OS eeex.. love it :)

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

λειτουργικό σύστημα δέκα just sounds amazing and most people around me who use mac understand it by now and get it. If you are going to use their numbers why not go all out and simply call it by the name in their language.

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