[VoodooDroid]

I like Windows 8. This is the first major direction change in a long time and people will always hate change initially. But W8 is not quite on the mark yet.

If Google Chrome OS was ever able to integrate Office........then MS would have reason to worry about Windows a little.........but the Enterprise space is still theirs for, at minimum, a decade..........

The only thing I would say at this point, and something I've believed for a long time, new leadership with a fresh aspect and fresh ideas. Killing Zune was a mistake and huge waste of potential.........but with Ipod sells going off the cliff.........fine.

I look at the Start Screen UI as more of a place to put Widgets-not very configurable apps, what you see is what you get, the only way to stop those you don't like is to remove them. I'll give them a thumbs up for trying to make a 'One OS for everything' in the MS ecosystem.....something Google is trying with it's web store app on the chrome browser......

But Mac still uses two OS and Google does with Android and ChromeOS.....so this was kind of the first real attempt at combining one OS for PC's, tablets and phones from Windows.........Google and MS essentially play nice with each other and will benefit from that. Apple will be the loser of the three with their 'all proprietary' crap and lawsuits to try and stop Samsung from fully kicking their butt.........it will continue to lose share to Androids and Macs aren't going to do much better than they have until they come up with a real, affordable Enterprise solution...

But with Win8, the real good stuff is still the Desktop OS underneath...........that's where you work and the real stuff happens. It's fun to play on the start screen like I play with my iOS and Android tablests and phones. Surface is a very cool idea. But MS's mistake there is price point. I think they should sell it at a loss so people can try the full UI in all it's glory once the pro version comes out. The RT............not ready for primetime or at least not as a productive OS you can actually complete your work day on.........

I'd like for Balmer to retire.............bring in some fresh eyes. I think they are generally on the right track.......but new vision is needed so that they can start producing the shiniest toys on the shelf...........because really, that's what matters to most at this point...........

[VoodooDroid]

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Have you tried to install a program on Windows 8 or open up a USB drive? It's a fricking nightmare. Worst OS ever

Not sure why? It's literally EXATLY the same...........you can either go to the desktop of select computer to get to the USB drive. To install programs NOT in the Windows Store, open your web browser of choice and go to the site of the software, download and install...............

Why is that hard?

[VoodooDroid]

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I despise using the giant cell phone interface on anything other than a touch only device. However, many home users like it and have no problem. Our enterprise has been reviewing Windows 8 for many months and we quickly deciced we will be skipping it. Interestingly, the only thing Microsoft needed to do was to put a normal start menu in the desktop interface and give you the option to choose which interface you want to boot into (desktop or Metro) and then I have a feeling that enterprise environments would feel differently about Windows 8. But as is, the rigid, non-customizable, not willing to listen to feedback approach taken by Microsoft has just turned us off with Windows 8.

You can always download any of the dozens of free Start menu replacements................then with the start screen ,there is a tile called 'desktop'...........clicking the 'desktop' tile takes less time than dual booting or fully booting into 7.

The only reason Enterprise will skip 8.............cost of touch screens. But some have chosen to stick with XP so they're only somewhere between 7-10 years behind in upgrading to 7............

And to note once more, there is NOTHING that works on 7 that won't work on 8........

[PartyBargeCapt]

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Who let the trolls out, woof, woof... So many trolls with nothing to do, just troll around. If you don't like Windows 8, well, don't buy it. You can stay with your Windows XP (a little less than 500 days) upgrade to Windows Vista (haha) or buy new Windows 7 (which are selling at great prices to make space for Windows 8 devices) and enjoy your PC. There is no law, no gun pointed at your head to move to Windows 8, or move to.... Linux (haha)! For many years Linux fans keep telling themself , this is the year when Linux takes over. Vista came, which was not one of the best OS from Microsoft and Linux didn't even cause a blink on the sales chart or take over on the computers industry. So Linux fans, go back under the rock, nothing is happening. Mac fans, didn't your hear that Apple is moving from OS X to OSi? The Mac OS has not move the sales chart either. Apple is slowly moving away from this. There is a rumor, Apple is leaving Intel for their own ARM chip design. Apple even change their name from Apple Computers to Apple Inc. No more computers, now is IPhone, IPad and IPod, electronic devices with light computer power. Guess where you have to go if you have to do computer work. As for Windows 8, it is the future! You can work and have fun with it. The merger of Windows 7 with a fun interface gives more opportunity to get more out of your computer, laptop and tablet. For average users, it takes a few minutes to figure it out. For tech people (real tech, not wannabe) it's heaven. I am seriously having some fun doing thing and figure how things works. USB, no problem, unless you are using the Craker Jack version. So far all my older programs from Windows 7 and XP are working. The Metro interface is setup the way I wanted with the Apps and program in center stage, my favorite web site with a tile for themselve for a quick in and out. My Alt + tab allow me to move so fast between programs (not touch screen yet) that my wife says it seem I am moving at the speed of light. So for me Windows 8 is great.

[PartyBargeCapt]

People, Microsoft is in business to make money. They sell operating systems. My problems began when I upgraded to Windows ME. Remember that? It was so bad that to get anything to work, you had to constantly reboot. Sometimes, I would have to reboot 4-6 times per session.(control-alt-delete, a word used almost as much as the "f" word) :-(.

Than I purchased a laptop with XP. All went well until I upgraded to Vista. Here we go again. Now I had to replace my printer and external hard drive, Vista didn't recognize these devices. Hooray for the hardware manufacturers ... They got to profit from MS blunders!

Microsoft sells junk. Everything is full of bugs when this stuff is released. Service Packs is a fancy name for Bug Removers.

Than I purchased an iPad. I'm using it right now. I love it. It never crashes. It's always on. Actually a pleasure to use. That's the correct direction Apple has taken the company. MS, eat your heart out.

You are right, if I don't like W 8, it don't buy it.

I think more and more people are switching to Mac's. Indeed, they are a little pricey, but are a pleasure to use. My brother has one, and made the statement that MS Office for Mac works better than MS Office for Windows! What's up with that?

People accepts this junk as the norm, and they keep on buying this junk because there are limited alternatives. When will people wake up and stop buying this crap. After reading these reviews, I all done with MS.

Hope all this wasn't too technical for you.

[brainscience2003]

I had no choice, I needed a laptop quick after my last one died and figured I'd go ahead and take the good deal on an Asus Windows 8 machine. I figured if I hated Windows 8, I'd just downgrade to Windows 7, which I knew and loved. Well, I didn't know that unless you have Windows 8 Pro, Microsoft has made it impossible to downgrade. Let me say that I HATE, HATE, HATE Windows 8. It is not just because I'm not used to it, it is because it makes me do twice the work to do what I want. I don't need a Netflix app to watch Netflix, I want to watch it via the browser as I've always done. I want a laptop PC, not a large wannabe iPhone. It also is SOOOO intrusive. It wants to track everything you do. You have to go out of your way to turn off the tracking software or to not be signed in to Microsoft. You can't even play any games like solitaire on your PC unless you sign up for an XBOX live account and let them track your every move like Big Brother. It is terrible. I would never buy this hunk of junk again. Microsoft has decided that you must tell them everything you, every place you go and assume they have the right to force you to only buy their stuff.

[vivienc]

I am not a techie, but im not computer illiterate either and i hate Windows 8.
I got my laptop at xmas and now hate to open it which i only do to check my email and then close it. Can those stupid charms be disabled and the stupid clock which pops up so randomly?? Even if they could i wouldnt keep it, it stinks, its so unfriendly. What an utter utter utter disaster. Words fail me.
Congratulations whoever is responsible for the debacle. I wil be installling windows 7 as soon as i can pay the dude the $300.00 he will be charging.
Hate it Hate it Hate it!
Viv C

[RobC0oqz]

When I got my new HP Win7 box a little while back it came with a Win8 $14.95 coupon. Who could resist? So I dual boot. I do not have a touchscreen so the Win8 UI is lost on me. Pretty to look at, silly to use. I can imagine the UI will be a boon to orthopedic surgeons and PT's everywhere from all the repetitive stress after hours of swiping a desktop monitor with an outstretched arm. I did dl Classic Shell which makes it more Win7-like but you have to wonder - how nuts is it that one of the first things people suggest you do is dl a utility that will make it look like the previous version? Why didn't they just keep the previous version UI, make the touchscreen UI a free, optional add-on and call this version Windows 7.5 (an essential update)? Wouldn't that have been a more positive marketing strategy? So, I have both. I continue to use Win7 90% of the time to get real work (and play) done and boot Win8 when I'm bored.

[AtrophiedMindDenied]

" I have been using windows for over 15 years and have never been this annoyed and frustrated with such an Operating System. Instead of stepping forward they took three steps back by annoyingly taking away their SIGNATURE start button. Instead every time I open a picture or try to use a program I have to go through many windows that take up the full screen. I am not a child and for having used computers for years I can tell you this operating system IS ONE OF THE WORST. I cannot express how angry I am at Microsoft for so many stupid decisions. PLEASE LET ME TALK TO A DEVELOPER!"