Categories: PCSoftwareWorkspace

Even Windows 8 Users Prefer Windows 7

A recent survey of Windows 8 users has revealed that more than half still prefer the current version of the operating system, Windows 7.

Forumswindows8.com, a Windows 8 help and support site, asked more than 50,000 Windows 8 users what they disliked and liked about the software and found that 53 percent liked Windows 7.

One quarter of respondents said that Windows 8 was their favourite version with the fast boot and shut down feature being the most popular feature.

Windows 8 Survey

This was closely followed by easy installation with 50 percent and Internet Explorer 10 came in third with 35 percent of the vote. Interestingly, only 22 percent saw the vaunted new Metro UI as their most-liked feature.

Microsoft claims that Windows 8 is the first version of Windows to be designed for both tablets and desktops, with users able to switch between the new user interface and the more familiar desktop mode. This was viewed to be a weakness by 18 percent of respondents.

However the biggest concern was price, with 35 percent believing that this could be improved. It is possible to upgrade to Windows 8 for just $39.99, but without promotional prices, the cost is around $199.99. Just over a quarter were worried about system requirements while 25 percent feared incompatibility.

There was some good news for Microsoft from the survey though, as the Windows 8-based Microsoft Surface was more popular than Android tablets and the iPad. Around 35 percent of respondents said the Surface would be their tablet of choice.

Windows 8 is due to be made available in October.

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Steve McCaskill

Steve McCaskill is editor of TechWeekEurope and ChannelBiz. He joined as a reporter in 2011 and covers all areas of IT, with a particular interest in telecommunications, mobile and networking, along with sports technology.

View Comments

  • Pretty interesting results.

    Just one thing. You need to change the Forumwindows8.com to Forumswindows8.com

    Notice the 's' after forums. Forumwindows8.com is a very differnt place to Forumswindows8.com The one you have is a pretty dead forum and incredibly slow to load.

  • Fast boot and shutdown are usually inferior to sleep and resume. S&R is quicker, and preserves state. You can use it with windows 7, or any other recent OS.

    • @Bill Reilly - I read that as only 26% of people having previously used Windows 8 prior to their survey... Not only 26% of the people surveyed having used Windows 8...

  • i guess windows 7 will serve for years and years to come. microsoft created windows 8 and windows RT just to compete with the ipad.

  • Windows 8 has the ugliest User Interface I've ever seen. It looks like it's been designed by a 6-year old with a learning disability let loose with a pack of Junior Crayola's. If this is an "upgrade", then I'll be sticking to Windows 7 (which is barely 3 years old anyway!). I think MS have let tablet obsession go to their head a little too far...

  • There are lies, damn lies and statistics. I love percentages that means nothing. ALL new user moan about a OS. My company went through the same thing with Vista and Windows 7. I think the interface is a fantastic idea and is really easy to use. Want to use a non friendly interface: buy a MAC

  • What Microsoft should really offer is a classic mode option at the point of installation / Login. The fact of the matter is that users can still turn off the Metro Interface however it requires editing the registry / installing a third party application to simulate the behave of the old start menu.
    I have put together 20 links to sites offering solutions for turning off the new metro interface (tiled start menu) and getting back the classic start menu (roll on windows 95) :
    http://discountu.freeforums.org/how-to-enable-the-start-menu-in-windows-8-t9.html
    The other thing that I found to be very frustrating is that Retailers will display laptops / computer systems without touch sensitive screens. Its not new technology, and I really think that manufactures / retailers are missing the point that windows 8 will only really grab the attention of users if they can operate the os in the way that it has been designed to by interacting by touching the screen. THERE IS NEXT TO NO POINT TESCOS, ASDA, PC WORLD, ETC DEMOING WINDOWS 8 ON LAPTOPS / DESKTOPS THAT DO NOT HAVE A TOUCH SENSERTIVE SCREEN.

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