It should be called Microsoft WINDOW 8.

They're trying to get rid of the S in Windows.

Yeah, it's woeful at best, though it may not be a complete disaster.  For many [those who don't customize with dock/fences., etc], this OS will be unusable without a start button and a start menu.  For most, these features are standard and the doorway to their computing experience, and if Metro is as clumsy and difficult to navigate as Frogboy says, then Win 8 will be an epic fail that 'll even dwarf the failure of ME.

Frankly, if MS doesn't rethink its decision to do away with the start button and start menu, Apple will more than double its market share rather quickly and leave MS in a world of financial and business hurt.  Trying to marry a smart phone interface into the desktop UI is a big mistake and MS needs to take notice of this kind of negative feedback.  To ignore it will be at its own peril.

There is a way, however, and I've given this some thought, to make Win 8 usable in the classic desktop mode, and that is with Winstep Xtreme, which brings its own start button and start panel to the desktop.  I hope you're reading this Jorge, and that you're developing Xtreme for Win 8 as we speak.  Yes, I see Winstep Xtreme making Win 8 functional, in which case it may get a reprieve with regard to my thoughts on upgrading.  Sadly, WindowBlinds only dresses up an existing taskbar/start panel, etc, but if the shell component could be integrated into WB to fix the shortcomings of Win 8, I 'd have an even better reason to upgrade to take advantage of the better security and other benefits over Win 7... eg, native ISO handling, etc.

Anyway, we'll see!  3rd party apps may help save Win 8 from total oblivion, but I'll not be rushing out to buy it as yet.  In fact, I probably won't bother with the first public beta, given the negative reviews so far, but I will keep an eye on things just in case MS monitors feedback such as this and implements what I see as essential changes to the UI.

lol I've heard about coming around full circle, but this is ridiculous.

I can only shake my head in disbelief at what Microsoft is doing. They're pissing off developers *and* users left and right.

Developers by throwing away established technology, and the millions of man hours of experience that was at the base of the business of many, in the blink of an eye and with complete disregard for those affected (I am talking about classic VB here). I (and I'm sure many others) lost all my trust in Microsoft back then. Now history seems to be repeating itself in .NET land with Silverlight, WPF, etc...

It is obvious Microsoft doesn't have a clear direction. Since they are not innovators, they'll follow whatever trend they think it's hip next, but while before they at least made an effort to support and remain backwards compatible with old technologies - e.g.; DOS, Active Desktop - until they died a natural death, now they just make a clean cut with the past, and damn the consequences to others.

With Windows 8 they are doing the same to users, forcing them into a UI people don't want/aren't ready for in a desktop PC yet.  While I have no doubt touch technology will rule someday, we are not quite there yet. Microsoft seems to have forgotten that evolution is not the same as a revolution, and that there are always casualties in revolutions.

Microsoft struck gold with Aero because it's a beautiful UI that can compete in elegance with Mac OSX, and the unfortunate decline in WB sales is a proof of that. Now, barely a handful of years after 7's release (and success), they're going in *completely* different direction. And what is their new UI concept based on? Huge, butt ugly squares. Oh for heaven's sake!

Yes, I'm reading this, and yes, I am aware of the potential of Winstep Xtreme on a Windows 8 machine. It can give people the ability to use the classic Windows UI while still allowing them to take advantage of everything else, something Microsoft itself is apparently not willing to give it's own users.

Since Windows 8 is still in early stages and many things can change a lot between now and then, all I can say is 'We'll see'.

Anyway, get ready for v12.2 of Winstep Xtreme/Nexus/Nexus Ultimate, it will be released next week and the new feature list is as big as my arm (and I'm 6'3").

We can't expect any more than that, given the state of affairs with Win 8.  Things could change for the better regarding this default Metro idea, but I'm not holding my breath.  Microsoft usually does what it wants, so it could be that we're stuck with it.... well more that MS is stuck with it because it turns out to be a far bigger flop than ME and Vista combined.

Will do.... looking forward to it.

They've become the IBM they toppled.