Windows 7 or 8.1 for Mac?

[King_JCD]

So to be honest I'm getting tired of OSX. Not that it isn't good, but I really want something fresh (and an excuse to play games not on OSX). So I'm considering getting Windows 7 or 8.1 via Bootcamp, but I can't decide which. I know 8.1 is touchscreen heavy, which macs dont support; but I've also heard it's alot faster than 7.

I'm on a mid-2009 Macbook Pro, if it's relevant.

Could y'all post any pros and cons to getting one or the other? Thanks.

 

[Take]

Nerds are going to hate below.( I have parallels windows on my mac(WIN XP) but I don't use it. It ran fine tho.)

 

[Kreubs]

Windows 8.1 isn't touch heavy if you don't want it to be. 8.1 added a few settings that made it more "desktopy." There is nothing touch-screen optimized/dependent outside of the Modern UI.
I have a start menu installed, startisback+, so I rarely ever use the start screen. It's a very adequate solution if you end up not liking the start screen. A lot of people didn't like 8 because of the awkward interface thrown at you, but as I said, simple, adequate solutions are available.

From a tech point of view, I would pick 8.1 hands down over 7 seeing that it uses about 10% less RAM than 7, at least on my machine. In any case, 8.1 uses about 400 MB less RAM than 7 on boot which really gives a significant advantage on boot time.

 

[King_JCD]

I just found out that apparently my generation of Mac (2009 and prior) can't run 8.1
At least that makes the decision easier

 

[NickHouston]

I would personally go for 7 anyway. I have an 8.1 laptop and don't really use it that much. When W10 comes around I'm definitely going to make the laptop my travel computer.

8.1 IS touch screen control heavy. It's difficult to use if you come from the XP/Vista/7 Windows. I did get a real start menu and some other tweaks but I like even OSX Yosemite better then it.

It's all personal preference though.

 

[WaLLy]

I just found out that apparently my generation of Mac (2009 and prior) can't run 8.1

I have the same MBP

 

[King_JCD]

Your running 8.1?

 

[WaLLy]

No. I just meant that I have the same MBP and

edit:
I got XP installed on Mountain Lion, even though Boot Camp said it wasn't supported. I'm sure I can get 8.1 installed on Yosemite. I'll try to do it some time this week.

 

[King_JCD]

@WaLLy Let me know if you can actually pull it off! I really don't wanna pay for it until I know it works....and also, I'm terrible with this sort of stuff, so I'd probably mess up

 

[Lonsense]

Im running Windows 7 on bootcamp currently and am really happy with it. No issues for me so far

 

[Kreubs]

The version of Bootcamp for the 2009 doesn't support 8.1? Sad stuff.

8.1 IS touch screen control heavy.

Actually, no it's not. Well, not really. As I said before, it really is only if you want it to be. You can use 8.1 without touching a single Modern UI component. By then, it's pretty much a faster 7.

 

[Finch]

I'm on a MBP and I also run Windows 7 on Boot Camp and it works without any problems. I got Windows 7 from my school for free and was worried I wasnt able to install it because it was a weird format I downloaded it in but everything works just fine