Remember when buying a new PC with Windows Vista became more or less impossible just a few months after Windows 7 launched? That apparently won"t be the case with the transition between Windows 7 and Windows 8. Dell has already admitted that it will continue to sell new PCs with Windows 7 pre-installed well after the launch of Windows 8 on October 26th.
PCWorld.com reports that, according to Dell"s Alison Gardner, "We’re still moving our business customers from [Windows] XP to Windows 7." For those large businesses, Dell will continue to offer Windows 7 installations on new Latitude, OptiPlex and Precision PCs. Dell is also recommending to big companies that they don"t make the switch from Windows XP to Windows 8 unless they need PCs with touch screen hardware. Gardner added, "The OS migration for a large company is no small feat. We make it easier but it takes some planning and work."
Dell"s Alienware division, which offers gaming PCs, will also offer Windows 7 as an install option after Windows 8 launches. Gardner said, "For Alienware customers, they know what they want and we give them that choice."
So far, Microsoft has yet to announce a cut-off date for when OEMs can stop selling new PCs with Windows 7 installed. Microsoft allowed PC hardware companies to sell machines with Windows XP pre-installed until October 2010. The cut off date for Windows Vista, which failed to gain as much traction in the market, was in October 2011.
Source: PCWorld.com | Image via Dell