I know, I know, but hang on:
Once you install Classic Shell or Start8 (my personal preference, well worth $5), which effectively hides the tiled "Metro" side of things, Win 8.1 is an excellent version of Windows. It's much faster and more stable than Win 7. It boots in about 4-5 sec. It's still fully supported with security updates. with Start8 the desktop, start menu, etc. are all just how you want them. The Win 10 crap is nowhere to be found.
I bought a laptop 3 years ago and fully intended to reformat and install Win 7 but thought I'd try Win 8 for a couple of weeks. Once I install the shell replacement, I was surprised at how good Win 8 was and I haven't had ANY problems with it. It's better that Win 7 in every way and good solution if you want to avoid Win 10.