If you don't have a "compelling" reason to switch from Windows 7 to Windows 8, then don't, Consumer Reports said Tuesday after looking at the pros and cons of Microsoft's latest operating system.



The main reason users shouldn't feel they have go to the new OS? "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," the magazine said.

"Windows 7 generally received favorable reviews when it was released," wrote Donna L. Tapellini on the magazine's blog. "A few years after its 2009 launch, there still haven't been a lot of complaints. If you've been happy with Windows 7 and even Windows XP up until now, there's no compelling reason to switch to Windows 8."

It's not exactly what Microsoft was hoping to hear from the country's leading consumer publication.

"Windows 8 is Windows 7, only better," a Microsoft spokesperson told NBC News in response to the magazine's report. "Windows 8 is fast and fluid, and makes it easy to connect with the people, apps and information that are most relevant to you. In conversations with consumers who have early experiences with Windows 8, they have also found the new Windows 8 to be very intuitive and easy to use."

A representative from the magazine said it's not that consumers have been complaining about Windows 8.



"Our analysis at this point is based on our own lab tests and experiences with Windows 8," James McQueen of Consumer Reports told NBC News.

Noting that Windows 8 is "all about touch," Tapellini wrote that there "are reasons to buy Windows 8 computers, but they're probably a matter of personal preference":

If you are getting a touch screen and like the idea of using your computer in some ways that are similar to a tablet, Windows 8 could be for you. If you like the notion of "live" tiles that change as new emails or social-network updates come in, you'll appreciate the tile interface on Windows 8.

"Yes, you can use it with a mouse or touchpad, but it's designed to make you instinctively want to tap on the computer screen, and even swipe it," she wrote. "Without a touchscreen, reasons for upgrading an old system or buying a computer with Windows 8 become less compelling."

She also wrote that many Windows 8 drivers "still are not performing as well as expected."

"The need for vendors to update their Windows 8 drivers could explain the less-than-optimal performance," she said.

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This story was updated at 6:40 p.m. ET