This is the key.  Windows 8 isn't just the same old next iteration of Windows where most of the big changes are under the surface.  Windows 8 is, among other things, a whole new UI with potentially new ways to accomplish any particular use cases.  It takes some time to get familiar with it, but once I did, I appreciated it.  I like it.  

Complaining about Windows 8 without giving yourself time to learn it is like complaining that a V12 Vantage is a crappy car because you never bothered to learn how to drive a stick and can't get the car out of the driveway.  One might not like it after they learn, but without knowing how their criticisms are largely irrelevant.  

It's also a matter of monopoly. As a customer, I should be able to shop for the UI I prefer. I am old school now I guess. I want the old UI. So where do I buy it in the wonderful free market system? Nowhere? Cool. I guess the invisible hand just smacked me like a pimp. I am sure I will get used to the new UI, but honestly the free market seems to just screw people over more than it offers these mythical choices to consumers.

Not really. One person not buying when millions do tends to be the small irrelevant voice in the crowd. The big corporations will not care until over half that crowd quits buying. Not gonna happen anytime soon.

At least we can hopefully look forward to Microsoft getting broken up for being a monopoly sometime in the future.

With a bit of luck, the powers that be will look into splitting up Apple for being exactly that

And the only reason I'm
singing you this song now is cause you may know somebody in a similar
situation, or you may be in a similar situation, and if your in a
situation like that there's only one thing you can do and that's walk into
the shrink wherever you are ,just walk in say "Shrink, You can get
anything you want, at Alice's restaurant.".  And walk out.  You know, if
one person, just one person does it they may think he's really sick and
they won't take him.  And if two people, two people do it, in harmony,
they may think they're both faggots and they won't take either of them.
And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people walking in
singin a bar of Alice's Restaurant and walking out. They may think it's an
organization.  And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day,I said
fifty people a day walking in singin a bar of Alice's Restaurant and
walking out.  And friends they may thinks it's a movement.

And that's what it is , the Alice's Restaurant Anti-Massacre Movement, and
all you got to do to join is sing it the next time it come's around on the
guitar.

[Good old Arlo]...

Priceless!

I hate rush hour traffic but I still drive on the highway.  Needing it to get somewhere and "liking it" are two different things.

Windows 8 has some nifty features and will eventually be leveraged to force you to upgrade to it.

When finally tablets get to be comparable to today's desktops it might even be useful.  Of course  by then they will only sell desktops to corporate accounts and refuse to provide driver support for everyone else.

One particularly cool feature of Windows 8 is it's touch screen capability.  There is just nothing like having a large screen, high definition monitor and smearing your fingerprints all over it all day long.

Admit it--they're brilliant.

Personally, no.  However, I have not seen a feature marketed to me that warrants a big change in OSes.  Nor do I see a reason to upgrade. 

So far its been overhype of some picture password thing and that just makes me roll my eyes. 

Well, Paul.... Wether you like it or not or just not want to face the fact, skinning is dying - a very slow death.
It's an unloved minority niche, only being cared for by a hardcore core of die hard skinners.

'Outsiders' have abso-friggin-lutely no idea what it's about - at all.

Back on topic:
I've just ordered an additional 120GB SSD.
Just gotta decide wether I install Windows 8 on it (dual boot Windows 7) or use it for something usefull.

the term skinning where does it start and how can it die?
I wouldnt even use the word skinning - its rather customizing its true that many folks out there dont know what it is and they dont appreciate the glory of a customized look of their own OS... sadly
But if you show these folks a good skin on your phone or on your desktop they will gain interest and mostly they want the theme or some info on how you made that possible.
Its not dead but the "Legend" fails to pass on to others...
How can you say customization is dying if you change your wallpaper if there is over a million guys creating walls and icons world wide.
CUstomization (skinning starts here) changing the wallpaper of your OS...
I also cant see why on earth someone would say ohh windows8 is the deathtoll for SD/skinning/cust. - i wonder did you ever take a look on a skin in windows7
Not everything is skinnable...there but most of it is.
But why should windows8 be worse?? you can force the old SM back it has everything that windows7 has its all there just not skinned yet,

Taskbar previews, scrollbars checkboxes ,file animations,Logonscreen,like every windows a new Iexplorer,right click menus, It has a double taskbar that is scaleable seperately !!!!!!!! windowframes, close min max restore buttons. well i could continue here but it would get to long.
It has all that windows7 has only aero is missing but it got a complete new interface for skinners to get creative on...
I dont get it what is the point in saying it will kill skinning if you could possibly skin more on 8 than you did in 7


 

I completely agree with that... My system becomes very heavy when i always use new operating system i.e windows 7. Now i dont feel like upgrading my system anymore. I'm happy with windows XP.

Until MS quits supporting it. Then you will need to upgrade.

you can continue to use it. 

you won't get windows updates for it but it will continue to function just fine.