Windows 7 or 8.1 for new build?

[w0463167]

Buy windows 8.1 pro, which gives you downgrade rights to windows 7 if you dont get on with it?

[The_Brown_Light]

Even though Windows 7 support has ended I think I will go for Windows 7 as I have used it a fair bit at work and like it.
Plus be dirt cheap.

[JoeOfJoedonia]

I really do not like the tiled interface with Windows 8, but with Windows 8.1 this is a lot easier to ignore now.
Game compatible is very similar and Windows 8.1 has a slightly lower OS overhead.

With both Windows 7 and 8.1 you will qualify for a free upgrade to Windows 10 when it comes out later this year.

[Joske]

As said previously no real compatibility with Windows 8.1 however Windows 7 is so much better.

However if it was me I would purchase Windows 8.1 with the intention to get the free upgrade to Windows 10 later this year.

[dturtill]

I actually like 8.1 and for the cost would go for that one

[JoeOfJoedonia]

Windows 8.1 is much more better than Windows 8 was, not much between that and Windows 7 now.
I would go for Windows 8.1 so that you get support and patches for longer (although that may not be an issue if you jump to Windows 10 later this year)

[Dooms]

I've come too late to this thread and so haven't read all of the above but just putting my 2p out there.

I've been running 8.1 since it was released and 100% prefer it to Windows 7, it's faster (esp off a SSD) and its got some good little features but there are a couple little changes required:

Install Classic Shell to get your StartMenu back
Set Boot / Minimize to Desktop
Optional: Auto login to M$ account on startup

There. You will never see the Metro UI. The odd time something opens in a metro app just change that default program.

[zachs33]

Given that the Windows 10 upgrade will be available to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users (for 1 year from release), I suspect this won't matter so much now. Hopefully Windows 10 is a lot better than both of them!