Who is going to buy Windows 8?

I have been a happy Mac user since 1988, so I won’t be – but… this the first time in my computing life I kinda want to.

Metro really is very cool looking. I’m more than intrigued.
Even though they’re not gonna call it “Metro” when it’s released apparently.

My mom uses Windows 7 and is totally happy. I have used Windows 8 in a VM. It is different enough that she will get confused. She is 59. Just today I had to help her get a printer working. The idea of getting her used to the same application in ‘Windows 8-style UI’ and the normal desktop (looks at IE) displaying different stuff is absurd.

I plan on upgrading to Windows 7 in the mid-range future.

I don’t really like the changes to the interface. The changes (as far as I know) do not add any functionality to the UI.

I like XP if it works don’t fix it!

My computer is fairly new, so I probably won’t be in the market, and just as well – Windows is notorious for fucking up every other operating system – Windows 98 was good, then ME was shit, then XP was good, then Vista was meh, then 7 was good. Obviously that’s just a load of superstition though. Windows 8 actually looks pretty good from what I’ve seen.

I don’t think that like the direction that they’re taking with the tablet-centric UI; it sorta feels like they’re trying to copy Apple. And I feel like they should be better than that. Kudos though on trying something new; from the screenshots it looks like they’re breaking away from the Windows 95 model.

@Mariah They say that as a general rule, you should wait until Service Pack 2 comes out.

Probably not Gabe Newell;

“I think that Windows 8 is kind of a catastrophe for everybody in the PC space. I think that we’re going to lose some of the top-tier PC [original equipment manufacturers]. They’ll exit the market. I think margins are going to be destroyed for a bunch of people” – Gabe Newell discussing bringing Valve to Linux

Definitely not me because there are other things about it, like the way that it will not boot on hardware that has not gone through Microsofts system of bribery certification, DRM, and basically trying to do to PCs what Apple does to Macs by locking the hardware down.

I see Win8 as the best thing that will ever happen for Linux though :)

I feel like Windows just rips the best things from Ubuntu while trying to maintain a clean Mac style interface. With that being said, I wouldn’t mind it. It looks smooth and for me, the newer the better, as long as the hardware can handle the software. :D

@_Whitetigress It seems like Win8 is more like iOS/Android for Dummies, and I don’t feel that having portable devices and desktop machines sharing a UI is a good thing. Most desktops and laptops lack a touchscreen while most tablets and many smartphones lack a keyboard. Add in the differences between a touchscreen and a mouse, and I see that there is a need for separate UIs; something that Win8 lacks.
There is a reason that my phone doesn’t run the same UI as Ubuntu and the iPhone/iPod Touch don’t run a pared-down OS X. Several reasons, in fact, the power differences between an ARM A5 and a Core i5/i7 among them.

Also note that the UI for Ubuntu isn’t made by Canonical. GNOME, KDE, and Unity are all developed elsewhere and far from Ubuntu-exclusive, and that doesn’t even count things like Mac4Lin and Win4Lin.

FWIW, I think the best simple UI was the older, pre-Unity versions of Ubuntu’s Netbook Remix. It reminded me vaguely of Mini-Finder from Mac’s System 6.x days.

I’m currently on Win7 and my partner is on Vista (poor sod). He intends to upgrade to Win8 as soon as he can – I like 7 so I will reserve judgement until I’ve seen 8 in action.

@downtide If you build your own systems, make sure that the mobo supports Secure Boot… and if it does, don’t expect to run any other OS… and possibly no other browsers than IE, no office suites other than MS Office…

@jerv ugh. Stuff that.