Ok after working on this for hours and hours - finally did the next logical thing and checked Exchange server's application log.. low and behold it was a permission issue on my mailbox. So if Active Sync has never worked for you before and you can't get it to work on the full Windows 8 version then check there..see what showed up on mine, below.
Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchange ActiveSync
Date: 11/20/2012 12:20:59 PM
Event ID: 1053
Task Category: Configuration
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: exch-cas
Description:
Exchange ActiveSync doesn't have sufficient permissions to create the "CN="Active Directory operation failed on JDC1. This error is not retriable. Additional information: Access is denied.
Active directory response: 00000005: SecErr: DSID-031521D0, problem 4003 (INSUFF_ACCESS_RIGHTS), data 0
Make sure the user has inherited permission granted to domain\Exchange Servers to allow List, Create child, Delete child of object type "msExchActiveSyncDevices" and doesn't have any deny permissions that block such operations.
Details:%3