What do you do if your PC sales are slumping and the newest versions of Windows aren't boosting demand? If you're HP, you put Windows 7 on a few of your new PCs and offer $150 discounts on them to attract new buyers, giving your customers a place to go if they don't want the changes ushered in by Windows 8 but aren't tech-savvy enough to downgrade their own PCs.
Windows 7 is still commonly sold on business-class and workstation desktops and laptops, a concession to IT shops that aren't ready (or don't intend) to make the jump to Windows 8.1. However, it's rarer for Windows 7 to be offered on consumer PCs, many of which now offer touchscreens, convertible designs, and other Windows 8-friendly features in an effort to attract customers that might also be considering tablets. Throughout the life of the oft-maligned Windows Vista, business and consumer PCs often used the older Windows XP as a selling point to attract buyers wary of Vista's hardware incompatibilities, higher system requirements, and early stability problems.
As of this writing, HP is only offering Windows 7 on five consumer computers—one Pavilion desktop, two Envy desktops, one Pavilion laptop, and one Envy laptop. HP still offers a sizable lineup of laptops and all-in-ones that prominently feature touchscreens and Windows 8.1, but it's still probably not a great sign for Microsoft that one of its largest partners wants to use four-year-old software as a promotional selling point.
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