5 reasons not to upgrade to Windows 8

5 reasons not to upgrade to Windows 8

Windows 8 is the most dramatic change that has happened to Windows since the jump from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95. Although there are many major upgrades in Windows 8, is it worth the trouble?

New isn’t always better and to many people, there may not be much reason to upgrade their machines. For many, the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” will apply.

Here’s my top 5 reasons not to upgrade to Windows 8.

1) Windows 7 is a solid operating system

If you’re already on Windows 7, there may be little reason to upgrade. Windows 7 is a solid operating system and loved by many. Since it’s been out on the market for so long, there is great support for the operating system so just about every application you can think of will run in Windows 7.

If you don’t want to bother with the headache of learning a new operating system or going through the trouble of upgrading, then Windows 7 will probably keep you happy for a long time. Microsoft has a history of supporting their older operating systems for a long time so you can skip a couple versions of Windows before you're forced to upgrade.

2) You will have to relearn the operating system

Windows 8 has a steep learning curve. Those who thought jumping from Window XP to Windows Vista was difficult should avoid Windows 8. Many desktop computing paradigms that Microsoft has ingrained in our memories are scrapped for new ones.

The start menu is gone (although you can get it back with 3rd party apps [add link to post here]), which is replaced by the Windows Modern UI. While pretty, it doesn’t do much to help you get your work done any faster. Your apps will show up as beautiful, live animated tiles but many will miss the utilitarian nature of the old Windows Start menu.

You’ll also have to learn what “charms” are and how to activate them. Where is My Computer? Where is the power button? What are hot corners? These will all be things you’ll have to re-learn in Windows 8.

Be sure to read our guide about controlling Windows 8 with a mouse and keyboard to see how high of a learning curve Windows 8 really requires from a mouse and keyboard user.

3) Incompatible applications

With every upgrade to a new operating system, there will inevitably be a time where some of your applications will be incompatible. While many developers will have updated apps to run in Windows 8, there's no guarantee that all of the applications you use every day will continue to work in the new operating system.

Patience will pay off. It is smart to wait a while after any new product release to allow bugs to be hammered out and applications to be updated. If you value stability over new features, it’s a smart move to wait and see what bugs need to be hammered out first.

4) There aren’t very many apps in the Windows Store (yet)

There are over 10,000 applications in the Mac App Store. The Windows Store has just over 4,000 apps ready for launch. While both the Mac and Windows store pale in comparison to the iPhone and Android app stores, the Mac App Store has a significant advantage over Windows in terms of number and quality of apps.

There’s no doubt that there will be more applications added to the Windows Store but the question is when? If you’re used to having a great app experience on your iPad or Android tablet, you’ll probably be disappointed when you can’t find the same apps in the Windows Store for your Windows 8 tablet.

5) You don’t have a touch screen

The biggest change from Windows 7 to Windows 8 is the focus on creating a touch friendly user experience. If you don’t have a touch screen, then you’re missing out on a lot of what Microsoft has been pouring their resources into.

If you’re due for a new computer, it’s probably a wise idea to get one with a touch screen so you can use Windows 8’s touch features when you want. There is still full mouse and keyboard support but it’s not nearly as intuitive as controlling Windows 8's Modern UI with touch.

What are your reasons for not upgrading to Windows 8? Let us know in the comments.