^Both have their own advantages. Windows 8 Pro is faster than Windows 7 , no two sides of that coin. But the huge transition to a Modern UI is what makes some people go back or stay with Windows 7. Windows 8 is a hybrid operating system & is purely touch-centric. Traditional PCs users might not want to upgrade to this new interface. Had Microsoft segregated Modern UI (Metro) from the Desktop version of Windows 8 then there wouldn't have been so much criticism. But on the performance side, Windows 8 is an improvement.