I tried Windows 8 on a new laptop for 3 weeks. Then, I went through the work of putting Windows 7 on it. Why? Well …

1) No touchscreen on the laptop. The Metro UI is designed for a touchscreen. Without it, the OS felt clumsy and awkward.

2) No start menu in desktop mode. This one actually depressed me because I’ve always been a start menu hater. While I thought nothing could be worse, Microsoft proved me wrong. The lack of a start menu meant having to use the Metro UI start screen. Swipe, swipe, swipe (with a mouse, though) to get to anything. I did finally figure out how to set things up more efficiently but it still required a bunch of maintenance every time something new was installed.

3) Metro UI apps are like phone apps … But on a desktop. They’re simple and basic … But on my desktop. They were novel at first but had no staying power. I was in desktop mode all the time anyway.

Essentially, I just found windows 7 to be a much more efficient environment.