That's all fine and good but what if you want to have the Metro Modern GUI set up like you do on Windows 7/Vista/XP etc. For example you might like I do have few folders on the start menu/programs but each one contains many more folders. Each folder on the start menu has a descriptive name of the function of the main programmes inside, so the one called Graphics, will have Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, Gimpshop, Vegas, Blackberry Theme Studio, Sketch Up, Wacom, etc. Also inside those main folders I have subfolders for and named after each main programme that it relates to. I need access to all those subfolder items and it is quite a neat solution to have them in a subfolder and all the relevant subfolders together in one place in the graphics folder.

Slightly less convienient to have 10 groups on the Modern GUI each containing the main program + ten items from the subfolder, or one group containing all the main graphic programs and then 10 other groups containing all the items that were in the subfolders.

Yup I've grasped that it's just that clients that I've shown this to when they've been looking to upgrade (mostly from XP) have just wanted to know how to launch their applications from the desktop, not having anything there to click has ranged from "daft" to something that the expletive deletion system on FT will just remove if I post it.

Ah but you're assuming
a) That most people are coming from Windows 7 which a lot of people aren't.
b) That most people started applications that way in Windows 7 which in my experience they don't

I really like Windows 8, even on my decidedly non-touch 3-year-old desktop.

You are quite wrong.

All my machines are updated and I would never go back to Windows 7.

Have you actually used it for any length of time?

My only complaint is that it does not come with a Media Player. My blu ray player is completely locked out for Blu Ray. I got it to play regular DVD's and CD's, but not Blu Ray. I've requested access to Media Player for Window 8 from Microsoft and am still waiting for their response.

It seems that MS is overloaded with people upgrading and they are taking a long time to get back with any answers.

Free copy of Windows 8 for Dummies

Courtesy of Dell, via SlickDeals

I don't think you're gonna like it. Because Windows 8 is a terrible program. Because there is no start button & icons, too. You won't need it.

Please read the news article:

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/For...a-0688ec63e388

http://venturebeat.com/2012/08/21/wi...:win-8-start-2

READ IT AGAIN!!!

Windows 8 is such a headache. Using it is an incredible pain and I am terribly disappointed. This seems to only work if you get one of those laptops that morph into a tablet. Other than that, moving to Windows 8 from a normal laptop is NOT worth it.

Wrong. I'm quite enjoying the benefits of this new software.

Why do you insist on making such broad generalizations about the entire populations

Am I correct that you cited a thread whose last post was in December 2011 and a blog post from late August 2012? I'm no MS geek, but really, can't we find something a little more recent to blast this OS on?

I would think that current real world experiences, good and bad, trump anything in these two citations.

Someone here has no time for real world experience. Give it a rest dude.

Interesting views yesterday from three separate consumers whilst I was in a department store buying a TV. The first was a couple in their twenties (I think not great at age guessing) who were looking at buying a new laptop for home. They played with Windows 8 had a demo from the official demonstrator who was fairly impressive in his skill. They bought an Apple instead but I missed their reasons for that, as at that point the sales assistant was busy teling me that they didn't have the telly I wanted.

Then there was a much older man mid to late fifties who asked where the Windows 7 computers were, and was told that 8 had become the default windows version. He was persuaded to watch a brief demonstration and then midway through said "That's lovely me old son but where are the ones with Windows 7 on them?" he left empty handed.

Third was a couple who were again younger and bought one after a brief demo but were grumbling about having to buy a touch enabled PC because "the software needs it". I spoke to the demonstrator who said that there was mixed reaction to it with some people loving it and some utterly confused by it.

Did eventually get a nice Panasonic telly though to go in the kitchen.

Yes, READ IT AGAIN.

I asked if *YOU* had actually used Windows 8 before proclaiming it to be useless. Linking to two old blog posts from months before the final release really doesn't help make your point.

Sorry to hear that! Did you give it any real use before reaching this conclusion? Certainly possible that it isn't for everyone, but after some real use, I can say I'm hooked.