Windows 8 Pro - My Take

So it took all of roughly 20 minutes to perform a clean installation of Microsoft Windows 8 Pro 64-bit on a desktop with a Pentium Dual Core CPU, 2GB RAM and an 80 GB hard drive which to me was very impressive considering the amount of time it normally takes to install Windows XP, Vista or even Windows 7. Oh, and I did not have to go searching for any drivers for any of the hardware components installed on the system. Now how cool is that?

Next came the initial setup which was quite simple and straight forward; changing the wallpaper, logon information, profile picture and getting my social accounts set up (Emails, Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook) took about 10 minutes

Now I must admit that the Windows 8 Store is lacking a bit in apps when compared to what i'm accustom to with Window Phone 7 (i'm going to leave the Android Play Store out of this one), but i'm sure this would be remedied before too long once Windows 8 picks up momentum (fingers crossed).  And then I got to wondering, "would the software I have installed on Windows 7 work on Windows 8?"

Well, I haven't found one that hasn't worked so far and i've installed quite a few of the old programs I have including a copy of Microsoft Office 2007.

Of course being a huge Google Chrome fan, I had to install it and once I did and signed in with my Google credentials I was right at home for all my web browsing needs (Chrome simply synced all my stuff)

Now for the annoying stuff:

1. Desktop users may be better of sticking with Windows 7.  Sure Windows 8 is nice, but to experience the fun it seems as though a touchscreen is needed (this is my opinion at least). It seems as though i'm almost totally dependent on the scroll wheel of my mouse in the "Metro"/Start/Tile Mode, now if only I had a touch screen...you get my point?
2. The Charms and recently opened apps bars are not as responsive as I would like them to be (not sure if they can be tweaked)
3. The browser does not sync when you switch from Start/Tile Mode to Desktop Mode which is a bummer as well as the facts that desktop software won't run in the new interface or vice versa.  It's like having two completely different operating systems in one operating system.  Now, it's not that I don't like it, but I can only imagine the confusion this will cause for the not-so-tech-savvy persons out there.
4. A few simple functions (from earlier versions of Windows) now seems to be an extra mouse click away - like shutting down. The option is now tucked away in Settings, although you can just CTRL + ALT + DEL and find it in the bottom right hand corner of your screen, but still...come on man.  And where is the command prompt?  UPDATE: Found it!  From the charms bar you can simply search for all the "old" included programs from earlier versions of Windows, but it still is an extra click away.

Final-ish Verdict (until i've spent more time with Microsoft Windows 8 Pro):

• It's NOT for desktop users and even for persons with laptops it seems as though the touch screen really is necessary to fully enjoy and appreciate the new OS.  
• The learning curve (to me) is not as gentle as it was for persons moving from Windows XP to Windows Vista or 7 so be warned.
• Do I like it?  YES, I do.  Do I love it?  NO, not without having a touch screen.
• So should you go out and buy a brand new, shiny windows 8 desktop computer?  No!  It may make more sense to get a good Windows 7 system (you can always upgrade to Windows 8 later which would most likely cost less than having to downgrade to Windows 7 from Windows 8)
• Finally, I hope Santa Claus remember to get me a Microsoft Surface for Christmas...i'm smiling already.

Update: Seems Logitech may have been able to bridge the great divide between not having a touch screen on a desktop with Microsoft Windows 8 and being able to use it as if it had one (of course that's an additional price you'd have to pay).  

Check out the following links:

Logitech Wireless Rechargeable Touchpad T650

Logitech Touch Mouse T620

Logitech Zone Touch Mouse T400