Windows 7 PCs Chosen by Most Customers: PC Builder

Dennis Faas's picture

The president of a US-based PC builder says that approximately 80 per cent of his customers choose systems running Windows 7 rather than the new Windows 8 operating system.

Puget Systems is an independent PC supplier based in Washington state. The firm is similar to Dell or Hewlett-Packard (HP), except that Puget Systems focuses almost exclusively on assembling customized, high-performance PCs.

In a recent interview, Puget Systems president Jon Bach says the vast majority of his customers aren't interested in acquiring the new Microsoft Windows 8 operating system (OS).

Familiarity, Reputation Convince Customers to Buy Windows 7 PCs

"Windows 7 is known, it has years of solid reputation behind it, but Windows 8 has gotten a mixed reaction in the press and social media, and the lack of a Start menu is a hot-button issue among our customers," Bach said. (Source: computerworlduk.com)

Bach admitted he was surprised to find his customers so set against buying Windows 8 PCs. Bach estimates that eight or nine in 10 of his customers pick Windows 7 machines, instead.

"Before we looked at the data, I would have guessed that Windows 8 was 30% to 40%, but it's just 10% to 20%'," Bach said.

By and large, Puget Systems' customers are hardcore gamers who need more powerful PCs than the average consumer.

That "need for speed" may have a significant impact on their choice of OS. In addition, their opinions may not accurately reflect the perceptions of Windows 8 among consumers in the general PC marketplace.

Nevertheless, it's another unfavorable sign for Microsoft. So far, statistics show Windows 8 is not as popular as Windows 7 was back in 2009, after the same length of time in the marketplace.

Consumer Reports: Think Twice Before Upgrading

Not helping the situation is some recent advice from Consumer Reports, which suggested that many consumers may want to wait before upgrading their Windows 7 computers to Windows 8. (Source: consumerreports.org)

Consumer Reports' top three reasons to stick with Windows 7 inculde:

  • There's nothing wrong with Windows 7. "A few years after its 2009 launch, there still haven't been a lot of complaints," the site noted.
     
  • Unless you're buying a touchscreen device, the changes introduced with Windows 8 may be less noticeable.
     
  • Adjusting to a whole new user interface can be very difficult and time consuming.

In the end, Consumer Reports recommends that people "on the fence" about an upgrade "might be better off getting a Windows 7 computer for now, waiting for the dust to settle, and upgrading to Windows 8 later." (Source: consumerreports.org)

Of course, Consumer Reports' story wasn't a complete Windows 8 bash-fest. In fact, the magazine did note that if you're thinking of buying a touchscreen device, then Windows 8 -- with its "live tiles" interface -- may very well be the operating system for you.

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