Windows 8 was released back in 2012 and since October 2014, Microsoft no longer distributes licenses for Windows 7 Home editions. If you prefer Windows 7 and you're in the market for a new laptop, you'll be pleased to know that you can still choose from a lot of Windows 7 Professional laptops.

It's not yet known when Windows 7 Professional will stop being available as a pre-installation, but with Microsoft retiring the operating system completely and with Windows 10 on the horizon, it probably won't be much longer.

Here we've created a run-down of some of the best places that you can still buy a Windows 7 laptop from. If you think we've missed any, be sure to head into the comments to share your finds.

Dell

Dell offers a number of laptops available with Windows 7 Professional. The main draw here is their Inspiron 15 and 17 series. Although they do offer their Alienware laptops, these are generally considered overpriced for what they are; you can get better bang for your buck elsewhere.

The Inspiron systems vary in price, depending on how powerful you want it to be. They all have large screens, starting from 15" and above, and the majority of them come with a sizeable 1TB hard drive and plentiful 8GB of RAM.

Apart from the Alienware gaming laptops, they all have integrated graphics cards, which isn't ideal if gaming is your jam. But there's a good variety of Intel processors on offer, meaning you can still get a relatively high-end Windows 7 laptop for a decent price.

HP [Broken URL Removed]

HP is still very much supporting Windows 7 laptops. In fact, when you visit HP's operating system overview, the section for Windows 7 is front and center. They have a whole range of different laptops available, including EliteBooks, ENVY, and Pavilion series.

Whichever you go for depends on a variety of factors, including the appearance of the laptops and the performance they offer. If you're looking for something light, thin, and powerful, then check out the EliteBook laptops, but bear in mind nearly all of these will set you back over $1000.

If you're after a laptop that's more affordable, but still has a bit of oomph, head for the Pavilions. The great thing about HP is that you can customize most of the laptops to upgrade the components. You can add in a dedicated graphics card, for example, or double the size of the hard drive. It's worth playing around with the customization options so you can create the perfect laptop for you.

Toshiba

At time of writing, Toshiba has 41 Windows 7 laptops available. Actually, some of them come with Windows 8 by default, but the great thing is that all of the systems are customizable, meaning you can switch out the operating system for what you prefer.

Although other manufacturers only offer Windows 7 Professional by default, Toshiba actually has a pre-built laptop that comes with Home Premium. The Satellite C50-BST2N02 has an i3 processor, 500GB of storage, and 4GB of RAM, all currently for the great price of $399.99. There's also a webcam and HDMI port, making this a great choice for those after an affordable laptop.

Elsewhere, there are laptops with a variety of screen sizes and designs, some with dedicated graphics cards and SSDs for quicker data access. There's certainly no limit on choice. However, be careful with some of the higher priced systems because they're definitely overpriced for what they are, especially when compared to other manufacturers.

Best Buy

Of course, there's no obligation to go directly to a manufacturer. You may find better deals at a retail store like Best Buy, which offers laptops from companies like Lenovo, Acer, and Panasonic (among others), so be sure to shop around. With over 1000 Windows 7 laptops available at Best Buy alone, some actually refurbished or available from third parties, you can certainly strike a deal.

There's so much choice on offer, you'll likely want to use the filters down the left-hand side to narrow the results down to what you're after. You can specify the screen size, color, price tag, and more.

Before buying the laptop, be sure to check out the reviews on Best Buy and elsewhere on the web to ensure you're going for a reliable system. And don't forget to hunt around for the best price, too. Best Buy offers a price match guarantee on some of their laptops and you might be able to get the price down even more.

Pro Tip: If you find a great deal on a Windows 8 Professional laptop, note that you have the option to downgrade to Windows 7 Professional on those devices. How-To Geek explains how to downgrade to Windows 7.

Upgrade to Windows 10

It's never easy to know when the best time to buy a new computer is, but don't hold off doing so if you're just waiting for Windows 10. Everyone running Windows 7 and above will get a free upgrade to Windows 10 during its first year of existence.

If you've got no intention of upgrading and just want to enjoy Windows 7, now is the time to strike before the operating system becomes hard to find and manufacturers stop preinstalling it on their systems.

Are you in the market for a new Windows 7 laptop? Are there any stores or laptops that we've missed off our list that you recommend?