I HATE Windows 8. This is the worst OS ever invented.

Shenan, thanks for the correction.  I am just too keen.

 I am also waiting for Bay Trail devices, most likely Ultrabooks, with 8GB RAM, Quad Core, 2.4 GHz, 256 or 512 GB HD, fanless, with 4G/LTE Mobile Broardband (effective and free WiFi is hard to find in Australia), but from my research, I may be waiting until 2014/2015 which is very sad.  Maybe if the Haswell can be fanless? 

Staff have been indicating that what they are looking for is a device that has more than 128 GB HD (already have had people changing their ultrabooks from 128GB to 256GB), and some go away for two day meetings and do not want to take power chargers, they want their device to survive for more than two days of 10 hours each. I know, they all want too much. We have to get real, that is we need to realise the limits of technology and make the best use of what we have now and then upgrade later when technology does improve.

Really looking forward to the improvements in Windows 8.1, especially in SkyDrive and hope many more improvements come along in the years ahead (sooner the better).  As a techie, I have so much to learn, beyond the visible changes they have been some amazing advancements in security, etc.

Mike you suck!!! So does windows 8!!!!! I can't figure out how to close any windows unless I log off.It wasn't advertised that I would be a complete dumb ****. Things that should be so simple should not have to be explained.

Things that should be so simple should not have to be explained.

Lindakremer,

I share the pain of things being different, and I would also suggest, not as efficient or productive, however Ken has some words of truth.  And please don't attach people personally, instead take time to explain clearly why and where Windows 8 is causing you issues.  Microsoft cannot fix you sentiment about Ken, but they can reintroduce a Start button, if enough people can explain why we find it so useful.

The other day someone was complaining to me how difficult it was to use Windows 8, then they added, just like the iPad.  The issue for them was that they knew how to use Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, Vista and 7 and their interfaces were basically the same, the differences being mainly "window dressing". However Windows 8 and the iPad were totally new interfaces to them, requiring them to learn a UI all over again. This is not to dissimilar to learning a new language in adult life, it is usually considered to be hard, why? because as adults we don't have the spare time to learn like we did when we were young children. 

The Modern UI in Windows 8, is a totally new way to do things.  It will take a time to learn. For example it took me some time to learn just how to log out of the computer to allow someone else to log in.

The hard part is finding the time (and patience) to sit down with Windows 8.x and to go through the Windows 8 Help and the Microsoft web site's tutorials.  If you do this though you might not learn to love it, but you can learn how to use Windows 8.

You said "can't figure out how to close any windows unless I log off", if you have not learned how to do this as yet then the below link might help you.

http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/en-AU/support/apps-and-windows-store/start-and-close-apps

• Use touch. While you are in the app, drag the app from the top of the screen to the bottom. To do this press and hold just above the screen image, and then slide your finger all the way down the screen (until the app is off the screen).
• Use a mouse. While you're in the app, click the top of the app and when the pointer changes to a hand, drag the app down off the screen. Or, from the Start screen, move the pointer into the upper-left corner, move the pointer straight down to show the open apps, then right-click the app and click Close.

Why should I have to purchase anything in addition to this already expensive operating system to make it more like an older version? I mean, shouldn't the large number of dissatisfied users tell you that you've done something wrong. I haven't spent much time on Windows 8, and I'm honestly posting this out of frustration...after searching online and finding a hilarious amount of similar frustration and ranting ha ha ha....but anyway... Yea this seems like a failure for anything other than a smartphone or tablet. Why should a happy user of Windows OS for years feel like he is now trying to operate his computer in a delusional state... Thumbs down.

By the same token why should you have to purchase any software to make the computer do what you want?

To my mind buying software to change the interface is no different from buying a word processor, or video editing software, or games. It's just another program to perform a function - to make the computer do what you want it to.