Dell to continue offering Windows 7 after launch of Windows 8

Dell will continue offering Windows 7 even after the release of Windows 8 at the end of October, the company said. The Windows 7 OS, which reached PCs in October of 2009, will be offered as an option to commercial and gaming customers, said Alison Gardner, director at Dell. The company will offer Windows 7 as long as it is allowed to, Gardner said.

"We're still moving our business customers from [Windows] XP to Windows 7, Gardner said.

The company is continuing to recommend that customers migrate to Windows 7 and that those who need touch capabilities on PCs adopt Windows 8, Gardner said.

"The OS migration for a large company is no small feat. We make it easier but it takes some planning and work," Gardner said.

For gamers and enthusiasts buying Dell's Alienware laptops and desktops, Windows 7 will be offered as an OS option.

"For Alienware customers, they know what they want and we give them that choice," Gardner said.

Both Windows 7 and 8 will be offered as options on the Latitude, OptiPlex, and Precision brands, the company said.

A specific end-of-sales date for Windows 7 by retailers and PC makers is yet to be determined, according to the Windows lifecycle page. But Microsoft has allowed sales of previous versions of Windows even after a new version is released.

Via Infoworld