Dell to Continue to Offer Windows 7 After Windows 8 Launch
 

PC giant Dell will continue to offer Windows 7 pre-installed on its Precision, Optiplex, and Latitude brands of notebooks and business desktops, post-Windows 8 launch, the company said. Dell's gaming PC subsidiary Alienware, too, will offer Windows 7 as an option. Microsoft has been generally laxed about OEMs offering older versions of Windows pre-installed, after the launch of a newer one. PC makers were allowed to pre-install PCs with Windows Vista for two years after the launch of Windows 7, however, Windows XP was allowed to be loaded for nearly a decade after its launch.

"We’re still moving our business customers from [Windows] XP to Windows 7," said Alison Gardner, director at Dell. "The OS migration for a large company is no small feat. We make it easier but it takes some planning and work," he continued. "For Alienware customers, they know what they want and we give them that choice," Gardner continued. Analysts expect Windows 7 to maintain its popularity post Windows 8 launch, at least with computing devices that lack touch interface.

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Source: PC World

Does dell know something Microsoft doesn't?

Windows 8 is just a hurried bowel-movement to try and cater to tablet and phone casuals.

Windows 7 shouldn't be obviated, and should still be sold and supported side-by-side with 8.

Windows is trying to remove the gap between PC and tablet / phone. I think this is a great idea, but the problem isn't the operating system. The problem is that tablets / phones don't support x86/64 architecture, so windows 8 is still going to be split as different operating systems for the market segments.

Find a way to compile everything unanimously under windows 8 if you want to unite all systems. If not, just give us our windows 7 support and be on your marry way.

I thought that they had a requirment that anything in the windows app store had to be able to run on both x86 and arm.

This would make me want to avoid the app store as a developer.

The division still exists, users on a laptop/desktop would have little use for mobile apps.

Ask yourself how many mobile apps on your android or IOS that you would install on your desktop? For me the answer is none.

There is a chance in the future that this might be useful, we can atleast hope for that.

Dell probably knows that the Windows 8 UI won't be loved by all and will most likely be a cause of complaints by the average consumer.

Also a headache for support as a huge influx of people barrage them with asking how to make it like windows 7.

This is somewhat reminiscent of when Vista launched...though it appears Windows 8 already has better driver support than Vista did at release.

Well this is more about businesses/enterprises and their needs than home consumers. But a good idea all around.

Don't get me wrong, windows 8 is the future, just don't shove it down our throats and well come around.

Also don't make that stupid-ass UI our default if we arent using any sort of touchscreen.

No surprise since nearly all Vista drivers still work for win8.

As I understand it, there are no architectural changes required to win7 drivers to work on windows 8.

I am running windows 8 with vista graphics drivers (since ati sacked my laptops card back then) right now. It's the same with drivers for special keys etc.

yes. dell knows win 8 will be a flop.

There are. At least all network cards have separate drivers for windows 8. There were many cases when Atheros or Realtek lan/wifi caused bsod when non w8 drivers were used under Windows 8. However graphics drivers always work ...

Finally. I expected that comment sooner.

good move.. win8 is not necessary, especially on desktop.

I don't think so. People don't like change unless its by Apple then everybody hails it as the best thing ever. Any other company, everybody says it fails. Too bad most of the people saying it fails have not used it or have not spent enough time with it to properly judge it. It's like me looking at a book cover and saying it sucks or reading the first chapter and then saying it sucks. All this negativity about Windows 8 makes me sick. If you don't like change don't push other people away from it that may love it

Im not too sure where i saw this or if its a global thing but a retailer was offering £25 cashback if you bought the laptop without the Win8 option.

My 11 year old sister knows something Microsoft doesn't. My 80 year old neighbor knows something Microsoft doesn't. It seems everybody has managed to figure out what Microsoft hasn't been able to.

I've tried it extensively. It is absolutely great if you do have a touch screen.

If, however, you don't have a touch screen, it takes away from productivity with unnecessary extra steps added to perform common tasks.

All they need to do is to allow the legacy desktop for non-touch users, and it would be damn near perfect.

i have used it. but the thing is. it hasnt changed enough to shift from windows 7. so i dont see the point. lol

Smartest Move Dell could make considering the Negative feedback from venders w8 is getting:laugh:


its right here is the chief complaint of w8 besides driver compatiblity not being there fully.

Never Hailed apple for anything- honestly I liked it when Android came out- now apple is being lil bitches because Samsung and HTC are bring out better products than they are, thus "Androids love eating Apples or making apple sauce"

Dude, I used to say the samething, but now its false and biased opinion at that. I used Windows 8 on my laptop for a few months, then went back to Windows 7 when I got an SSD and haven't looked back and won't. Being an employee at Microsoft, I still think Windows 8 will flop on the desktop completely, or have a VERY slow adoption rate.

I think a very slow adoption rate, I also feel it would speed up as a 7 replacement if they put Aero back in

Aero isn't the main issue. Its the Start screen. That thing just sucks. To get to anything you have to search it and add it too the screen, and it just does not work with a mouse and keyboard. Simple as that.

Obviously there are a ton of hot key short cuts you can do, but the average joe doesn't want to learn that shit, they want it to work.

Yes Metro is cluttered and clumsy.

ya there are only a certain few hotkeys ive used since 98SE but i dont know all of them personally