Adaptors missing and now BSOD when starting up

Get 8.1 unless you can save money with 8; any still available with 8 installed have been lying around for awhile. I prefer HP, Dell or Acer, but there are other people who prefer other brands.

It's never out of date to consider how you want to use the new device. :) If I could have only one device it would be a laptop with 15" screen, as I consider that to be the sweet spot for both vision and portability. If I seldom typed then a tablet perhaps would suit me better.

Several (many?) manufacturers are now pushing "2 in 1" PCs. All of them have some way of using as a laptop with keyboard and touchpad or just using the touchscreen part as a tablet. The downside (of the ones I saw when I made a just-for-the-heck-of-it visit to a Windows Store) for me is the screen size (about 10"). But if the screen size is satisfactory one of those may be a good bet if you are deciding between laptop or tablet. If you get one with an HDMI port it can be connected to a monitor or TV when a larger viewing area is desired.