I recently spent a few hours trying to "fix" Windows 8 on a relative's laptop. (The auto update had failed and was in a repeat loop that, supposedly, gives up after 3 failures, each of which takes considerable time.) I thought launching programs was easy enough. Screen behavior was inconsistent (the Windows key switched to more of a “classic” view sometimes, but not always). However, doing admin tasks and configuring was not at all intuitive. I found Control Panel only by typing "?" then "Control Panel" from the home screen (no dialog box to type “?”—just start typing). Finding configuration and settings screens and boxes never seemed to be the same way twice in a row. Good luck on changing Internet Options (it can be done, but I’ll leave that to the Indiana Jones in you to find out how). I appreciate that R&D went into Windows 8, but didn’t R&D go into Windows 95 through 7? Or was the start button and programs listing all a lucky guess? Or was it only preferable for 50.0001% of the population, and, since the last few geniuses were born, it’s now preferable for only 49.0009% of the population? Or is the new format all a ploy to get people to purchase more apps, as killerclick suggested above? I don’t know, but my overall impression is to stick with Windows 7. (If you really want to take time to “explore” an OS just to get it set up, why not spend your time on Linux?)