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Consumer Reports lists all the reasons to avoid Windows 8 for now

Updated Dec 18th, 2012 2:40PM EST
Consumer Reports Windows 8

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Like a lot of people right now, you might be thinking about buying a new PC for the New Year. But according to Consumer Reports, you’re probably better off sticking with an old Windows 7 machine for the time being because Windows 8 has some serious flaws that crimp usability and create frustrating experiences. In fact, the publication has created a handy list of reasons to avoid Windows 8 for a while and most of them are pretty compelling.

Among other things, Consumer Reports writes that Windows 7 is still a very good PC operating system, that Windows 8 really only works if you buy a computer with a touchscreen, that the lack of a native Start button is annoying to many users, and that “Windows 8 models still are not performing as well as expected” and are delivering “less-than-optimal performance.”

Windows 8 has taken criticism from a wide variety of sources, including an MIT professor and a very drunk person, for being needlessly confusing.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.