Originally Posted by Jimmie76

However saying to users that they are going to be forced to use this tablet OS on their desktop machine where the primary interface isn't going to be a touchscreen is a huge gamble.

The problem for a lot of people 46% of them (and the largest desktop MS OS in use) is that they are still on XP (this includes some corporates) and this new windows is a world away from that. They are just getting ready to upgrade to a new computer and will have to learn how to do everything again. If you've ever worked in a technical support role you'll know how frustrating it is when a user calls up with the easiest of things to do, but they can't do it. So you do user training sessions where you introduce the new OS to staff and get them to ask any questions there and then. The problem is that for the switch from 95 to XP wasn't that difficult for non technical people to master, XP to vista or 7 again wasn't a giant leap it was evolutionary. This is now revolutionary and the last thing many corporates need given the economic conditions is to have to spend time and money training staff how to use their new desktop computer.

I'm all for change if it improves things but what MS are trying to do is impose the Metro Modern GUI a tablet/phone OS on a desktop environment. Now call me old fashioned if you like but I don't think that's a very workable solution, they want to make a uniform looking OS across the range of devices that will run some flavour of Windows. However somethings can only be done from the desktop app and vice versa, as a result there is a great chance for confusion from the user. What apps or programs run on which interface how are you supposed to remember from a large list? The underlying OS may be a huge leap in terms of performance over 7 and it may offer faster boot times etc. However if the GUI sucks for enough people then they just won't or will put off upgrading. If they had made the Metro Modern GUI an option instead of the regular windows desktop GUI then that would have had my support. I don't like the idea that a start menu i.e. Metro Modern GUI is not heirarchical that seems a serious step backwards to me.