We had been recently posed this query, and it is a good one, from one of our excellent clients:
“I am starting to look for a laptop for college, and the only thing I manage to locate are computers or netbooks which contain Win 8. I have utilized MS Windows 7 for an extended time now, and wouldn’t have difficulty giving it up, but not for Win 8. After visiting a number of main online retail sites, I’ve observed that finding either a MS Windows 7 computer, or even a laptop without an os is almost not possible. So where must I go if looking for notebooks sans os, or at the very least sans Win 8? “
Microsoft Windows 8: Missing a Start Menu
You have many alternatives available. First I’ll address the biggest complaint we receive about Windows 8: the lack of a start menu. If you are anything like me you keep your desktop clean, and practically exclusively use the start menu to access Apps. I tend not to like clutter, and only use my desktop for a few widgets and short-term file storage. The start button is vastly better for multi-tasking than a desktop: the desktop is already concealed by the programs which are already open, and I don’t want to have to go back to it just to open a new program.
This is not the end of the world. What with doing Windows support proffesionally I use the new and old Windows versions all the time. I run MS Windows 8 at work, Win 7 at home. Win 8 is fine, once you get a windows start menu back.
If you actually need a start button some options exist for adding a start button to Win 8. Start 8 is my preferred, costs $5. Start is Back costs $3 and actually restores the Windows start button, the code is still in Microsoft Win 8, at least most of it. Classic Shell is obviously free and works fine, I just tend not to care for it as much. http://smartwebsiteideas.com/
Downgrading Microsoft Win 8 to MS Windows 7
Quite a few consider purchasing a MS Windows 8 machine and re-installing Windows 7 onto it a practical option. Nonetheless, a wipe and reinstall of Microsoft Windows 7 is not inexpensive. MS Windows 7 isn’t given away, and if you don’t have an old non-OEM edition hanging around it will cost you. Actually the reason so multiple people have Windows is due to the fact it comes free or close to free with laptops. If individuals ever had to pay full non-OEM prices then it would die quickly. Generally speaking adhering to whichever OS the computer came with may well provide you with the smallest amount of trouble.
Presently the hardware facilitates MS Windows 7 just fine, however releasing customized versions (the customizations are necessary for things like battery life optimisation) of MS Windows 7 drivers is expensive and time-consuming. Multiple manufacturers simply won’t bother except if they are still selling similar equipment with Microsoft Windows 7 anyway, or supply an official downgrade option (like Dell computers or Lenovo on their business models).
If you just download a generic driver from Intel, nVidia, ATi or the like you often won’t get everything your hardware has to offer – be it things like OSDs for display of volume/brightness or battery life. For example, Installing directly from the manufacturer, all original Intel drivers, on a Thinkpad instead of the Lenovo custom-made drivers may well reduce your battery life by about 40% – it’s a huge distinction.
Suppliers of MS Windows 7 Machines
Dell computers delivers business devices with Microsoft Win 7. I recommend the XPS 13. You can Go to their small business website, pick pcs, and check the box for Win 7.
I additionally recommend Lenovo Thinkpads. I not too long ago put together a W530 with a 1920×1080 screen, one of the few there are outside Apple. It has great Linux support, even down to the crazy fingerprint reader. I will easily get 7 hours or so on the battery together with the recommended adjustments. There is a entire wiki just for Thinkpad stuff. It ships with MS Windows 7, nonetheless you never have to boot into Windows. You can blow away the entire drive, “recovery” and “boot” partitions, and never look back. It has a conventional BIOS in addition to UEFI (disabled by default; leave it that way), so you shouldn’t have any concerns there.
