# Windows 7 rocks. Why did Microsoft obsolete it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 31, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722 "2012-12-31T22:43:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/1 "2012-12-31T22:43:42Z")
I’m currently playing with my brand new Dell laptop with Windows 7, and I gotta say this O/S kicks ass. It feels like WinXP on steroids, with smart functions that are actually pretty smart. There’s a few annoyances here and there, but not nearly as many as your typical Microsoft operating system. Which makes me wonder – why did Microsoft decide to ditch Win7 so early? It was a MAJOR pain in the butt to find a computer with Win7 pre-loaded; in fact, this particular machine was a return item, and practically the only one in my price range that wasn’t a floor model. EVERY OTHER LAPTOP had Windows 8 only, and Best Buy didn’t even sell Windows 7 in a box anymore. What makes Windows 8 so farking special? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/2 "2012-12-31T22:46:11Z")
It’s new! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/3 "2012-12-31T22:59:24Z")
Somebody’s got to make the first transition operating system between mouse and tablet. They decided it had to be them. Steve Jobs rises from the dead to laugh his ass off. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/4 "2012-12-31T23:10:39Z")
Ethilrist has it right; Win7, for all its many strengths (and I am a fan of it like just about no MS OS since maybe Win 2000) is not very mobile/tablet adaptable. That said, I think MS has committed a huge blunder by trying to force the tablet model up onto desktops. The interface should have been more adaptable for the immense desktop/standard laptop user base. Look for the Start button to reappear; there are already many very popular “apps” that restore it to Win8. I had the same problem you did; I wanted a laptop for the missus, who does not appreciate New Things on her computers, and I had a limited selection of models with Win7. (Asus Zenbook with the 128GB SSD - I would have liked the next model with the 500GB HDD and the 25GB SSD instead, but it was Win8 only.) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/5 "2012-12-31T23:11:12Z")
Santa got me a new computer with Windows 7. The word rocks gets me all excited. The words obsolete (already?) not so much. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/6 "2012-12-31T23:17:01Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Which makes me wonder – why did Microsoft decide to ditch Win7 so early? It was a MAJOR pain in the butt to find a computer with Win7 pre-loaded; in fact, this particular machine was a return item, and practically the only one in my price range that wasn’t a floor model. EVERY OTHER LAPTOP had Windows 8 only, and Best Buy didn’t even sell Windows 7 in a box anymore. See, here’s the problem. You’ve been locked in a room for the last two+ years. Win7 has been the default system for at least that period of time. You just got to the dance late. And, yeah, Win7 is a 9 on a 10 scale compared to Win XP(a 4). ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/7 "2012-12-31T23:19:03Z")
Windows 8’s got electrolytes. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/8 "2012-12-31T23:26:16Z")
I thought things peaked at W98. I’m a fossil. Don’t hate me. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/9 "2012-12-31T23:39:06Z")
They should have made Windows 8 a separate species but I think they are banking on the desktop business dying on the vine. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/10 "2012-12-31T23:44:18Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Santa got me a new computer with Windows 7. > > The word rocks gets me all excited. > > The words obsolete (already?) not so much. It is **not** obsolete. Windows 7 is awesome, hang onto it for as long as you can. I got a computer with Windows 8 from Santa. After wondering if I was on the naughty list, I downloaded Classic Shell and used it to restore the Start menu, which makes me happier at least. Yes, Windows 8 **removes the Start menu**. Fuck that. (It was a refurb, and there was a problem with the advanced features of the video card not being set up correctly. While on the phone with tech support, the techie was using a remote desktop-type program to fix it. I saw the pointer twitch a bit, then the guy complemented me on how I’d set up my computer, and quickly zipped over to use the restored Start menu. 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/11 "2013-01-01T00:02:00Z")
Removes the start menu? That does sound bad. I take it the DOS command line is gone too? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/12 "2013-01-01T00:13:10Z")
I have not used 8 but I thought I heard somewhere that it’s basically 7 with tablet capability added and that you could turn most of that off if you wanted to - is that not correct? ETA: Found this: [http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/software-and-web-apps/how-to-make-windows-8-look-like-windows-7-50009546/](http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/software-and-web-apps/how-to-make-windows-8-look-like-windows-7-50009546/) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/13 "2013-01-01T00:14:21Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Removes the start menu? That does sound bad. > > I take it the DOS command line is gone too? Punch cards are also gone. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/14 "2013-01-01T00:18:53Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > See, here’s the problem. You’ve been locked in a room for the last two+ years. Win7 has been the default system for at least that period of time. You just got to the dance late. Two years?? Try 10 years. My old computer was purchased ~2003, when WinXP was nearly new (I think Service Pack 2 had just been released) and while it still works for my purposes, it was way behind the gaming curve. It could barely run Oblivion (whereas this laptop could play Skyrim like gangbusters, if only Skyrim didn’t suck so much) and even struggled with the latest version of Minecraft. I did miss out on Vista entirely, but heck, I’ll learn to live with that. 🙂 But like others, I don’t understand why Microsoft can’t support two systems independently, one for desktops and one for mobiles? The markets are so intertwined that they could easily sell TWO operating systems to each customer who owns both a smartphone and a PC, and some of my friends say that Win8 really sucks balls no matter what you run it on. So what’s the deal? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/15 "2013-01-01T00:19:11Z")
Why is Apple already on v. 8 of OS X? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/16 "2013-01-01T00:28:21Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I take it the DOS command line is gone too? You can still get a command prompt, just do a web search, there are plenty of pages that speak of it. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/17 "2013-01-01T00:34:56Z")
I’ll be durned. I’ll have to look into that. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/18 "2013-01-01T00:39:12Z")
and before you do, realize that “cmd.exe” is not a “DOS command line.” ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/19 "2013-01-01T00:50:50Z")
☹ ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722/20 "2013-01-01T00:53:19Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > I have not used 8 but I thought I heard somewhere that it’s basically 7 with tablet capability added and that you could turn most of that off if you wanted to - is that not correct? > > ETA: Found this: > [http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/software-and-web-apps/how-to-make-windows-8-look-like-windows-7-50009546/](http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/software-and-web-apps/how-to-make-windows-8-look-like-windows-7-50009546/) Where “turn off” often means “install third-party freeware programs to fix,” yeah. They have a link to Classic Shell in that article, and that’s how I found it in the first place. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-rocks-why-did-microsoft-obsolete-it/645722.md?page=2)