Company looking to upgrade computers but cannot use Windows 10, any machines to avoid?

[actkk]

I've been asked to look into any computers which do not support Windows 8.1. The goal is to either avoid windows 10 or ensure that compatibility exists with old software. I don't think there are many computers that will outright not support windows 8, but with how Microsoft has been pushing hard to get everyone onto Windows 10 I wouldn't be surprised if there were more than a few computers which do not run on prior Windows installations. The only ones I know of right now are the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book, which according to Microsoft will not run any form of Windows 8 or 8.1. Are there any others? Just for the record, it's not an issue if we have to buy win10 machines and then buy new win8 disks. I just need to make sure that the software is supported.

 

[Quixit]

Don't buy any machines with 6000-series Intel Core processors (Sky Lake) they're not going to be supported on Windows 7 or 8 past spring 2017.

Avoiding Windows 10 is a poor plan long-term because Windows 7 is already in extended support and Microsoft is doing everything in its power to force people to upgrade to Windows 10. It would be better to bite the bullet now and check compatibility rather than burying your heads in the sand until you get run over by the bulldozer.

 

[zon]

If possible, try to setup one computer to windows 10 and see if the software works on it correctly. If not try to contact the software vendor to see if he can make a patch that works for windows 10. If your company goes for w7 or 8, they are going to leave their systems vulnerable to security issues. I completely agree with the quixit. But some companies do not have the budget to do an upgrade that extreme. I would say try Linux but I have no idea what the company you work for does.