[Bob434]

you caN Always buy windows 7 and put it on

[dayglored]

> you caN Always buy windows 7 and put it on

Something to watch out for on newer hardware.

Stock Win7 is now rather old -- the latest SP1 install CDs are from 2009. As a result, it is common that when you bring up Win7 on new hardware:

• You won't have networking. Stock Win7 won't recognize your Ethernet or WiFi adapters.
• You won't have USB3. USB2-only jacks will work -- if your hardware has them -- but USB3 jacks use a new USB3 controller that is not recognized by stock Win7.
• Graphics resolution and other advanced display features may not work.
• Special features like camera, audio, fingerprint, etc. will not be recognized.

All of the above can be remedied by going to the controller chip manufacturers' websites and downloading drivers -- assuming they have them for Win7.

But since you don't have any networking yet, and might not have USB, it can be a bit challenging to get the drivers onto your new Win7 installation. Some investigation may be required to find the chip maker's VendorID (VID) and ProductID (PID) values from the Windows Device Manager utility.

I've done all the above. It's certainly possible. But it's time-consuming and requires patience and full knowledge of device driver installation.