HP Explains Why It Is Selling Windows 7 Again

It's all about choice. There's no doubt that Microsoft caused quite a commotion when it launched Windows 8 in October 2012. Many opinions in the press have made the change seem somewhat apocalyptic, especially where desktops are concerned. Sure, Windows 8.1 cleaned up the place a bit, but there are a vast number of people still clinging to Windows 7 and even the decaying Windows XP like a life preserver. So enter Hewlett-Packard, or HP for short, who has decided that, thanks to popular demand, it should sell a number of PCs with Windows 7 installed. Although Microsoft pulled the plug on retail sales back on October 30, 2013, OEMs can still sell machines with Windows 7 pre-installed until a date that's yet to be determined. So the next question is: Why sell Windows 7 PCs at all? The answer, according to HP, is dead simple -- choice. "We like giving our customers the option to get the computer that's right for them," reads the company's blog . "For some folks, that's Android. We've got everything from 2-in-1 detachables like the SlateBook x2 to the giant- sized Slate21 All-in-One." "And, yes, some people still want to run Windows 7 on their computers," continues the blog. "We want people to be happy with our computers – whichever option they choose – BUT WE ARE NOT DROPPING WINDOWS 8." Point made. The blog also points out that HP has five machines with Windows 7 installed with a Windows 8 option, whereas the company has several dozen machines that only offer Windows 8. So there you go; it wasn't much of an explanation other than HP wants to provide a choice. And perhaps Microsoft gave the green light, knowing that OEMs are struggling in a declining PC market. For that matter, it wouldn't be surprising to see other OEMs like Dell and Acer give in to "consumer demand" and launch a number of Windows 7 products. Given the choice, which OS would you pick, and why?