I've used linux since 2000, starting from redhat and slackware and the wistful days of gnome 2.x, with archlinux my current disto, but I'm also forced to use windows 7 & 8 at work because we use an egregious number of active x plugins. I think Windows 8 is a GREAT operating system that's noticeably faster than win7 even for the average user (especially on a hdd), and aside from the lack of boot to desktop option I didn't even miss the start button after two weeks. The charm screen is simply another start menu expanded into tiles. People simply need an open mind and some time to adjust to the new win8 interface. Headstrong comp sci undergrads will hate Microsoft no matter what they come up with. It was tragic watching windows 8 get such a bashing on tech sites because it's really great for everyday end users who just want to get things done. Even if you're a power user like me, there's always win+r and the command prompt to get the messy things done. I just don't see a single advantage win7 has over win8 other than its backward familiarity of interface.
MS bashing/linux chauvinism reminds me every time of 1) the initial lukewarm reception online of the Samsung Note series and 2) Apple's condescending marketing strategy that forces useless technology on lay masses. Most people in tech are young and male. And that demographic often overlooks the fact that 50% of the world is female, that 90% simply want to get things done, and that a great many of us are not in our twenties anymore.
Anyone 30 and over will appreciate larger fonts and screens. My father switched to samsung note after peering overlong at his iphone 6" from his face for two years. I'm thinking of switching too for the simple reason the small text size is starting to give me headaches. And the retina display? Do people really need more pixels than 2560x1440@27" much less on a 10" screen unless they're into graphics? And while I do think iPhones are prettier than Samsung's offerings, as a woman with average sized hands I usually find myself typing on my iPhone with two hands so Job's one-hand argument doesn't apply to us. Not to mention most laptop reviews favor keyboards with plenty of tactile feedback and activation force (e.g., thinkpad keyboards). I much prefer chiclet layouts with very short key travel, due to less musculature in my hands and longer nails. And any laptop over 2.7-8lbs is simply out of the question for me.
In short and put harshly, I think many hardcore techies, especially the young fresh-out-of-college crowd are often tunnel visioned in their product opinions. I understand why it happens, but I often wish the needs of the rest of us were better represented in tech product reviews.