Windows "Updates"

you must be a power user then :)

in that case, continue using Windows, but the majority of us dont mess around with the computer, including me. (hardware-wise, software-wise, my mac is completely overhauled)

I hear now Windows 8 comes with Office 2013 for free, so maybe it isn't such a bad thing to upgrade.  DaBigOne

You'd better double-check this instead of just believing whatever you "heard about it" and even if it is true I've used both MS Office and Open Office and can't tell the difference - except for the fact that Open Office is FREE.

Even if W8 does come with MS-Office you might want to look into this a little further I've also "heard" many bad things about W8 - like it sucks ass bigtime - from 2 programmers I know. 

https://www.infoworld.com/d/microsoft-windows/windows-8-review-yes-its-bad-200113

http://rcpmag.com/blogs/lee-pender/2012/02/early-reviews-of-windows-8-are-bad.aspx

Me, I'm going to stick with XP until support for it stops, and then "upgrade" to W7 (support for both stops next Apr) only if and when necessary and stick with it until W9 comes out, since MS seems to get it right - with every other version of Windows that is: W98 was the correctly working version of W95, W7 was the correctly working version of Vista, etc etc. 

Well, Windows 8 isn`t that bad: its just Windows 7 with a new start menu screen. You aren`t forced to use the start screen, there is a desktop mode as well. 

Anyway, I tend to like using Windows 8, although obviously it is suited better for tablets and smartphones. 

Even if you don`t have a touchscreen, it is still usable in Metro Mode. However, as said before there is a Desktop Mode as well.

Also, you can mimic a touchscreen even if you don`t have one, so you don`t have to spend money on a new touchscreen computer. 

Here: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/laptops/reviews/portronics-handmate-pen-adds-touchscreen-experience-to-any-windows-8-machine-324655#;

It costs about $90, which is less expensive than a new touchscreen laptop.

Sorry, my mistake, according to Microsoft, it only comes with Windows RT (the pure tablet version of Windows 8, no desktop mode)