Edit: meh

Microsoft never gave users what they truly wanted. It was always fix this one thing or that, but did it in the next release of Windows or Xbox when users were already fed up with it and started to convert to PS3 or Mac or Android. Xbox One surprised me because they did a 180 on the whole security policy of the system. Only the HDMI in is what makes it differ from Sony's offering and even then, Sony has a bigger focus on games than the Xbox One. An entertainment platform goes so far before you lose your user base in so many different apps and shortcuts that they can't keep up with learning it in the time that Microsoft markets something newer. The main reason Windows XP was so well-rounded is because they had 6 years compared to previous release timeframes to polish the hell out of an OS that lives on constant updates. Windows 7 was the extra 3 years from Vista to polish the Longhorn codename. Microsoft needs to take things slower and realize they are shoving a new product down everyone's throats way too fast and milking their brands. This is what I believe is turning everyone away from their mobile, desktop, and gaming brands.

Sorry but I don't buy that the new start menu is a step backwards. People keep saying they don't like it but so far not a single person has given a reasonable response as to why. It's always "bad" "ridiculous ideas" "pointless" etc. It's never "well it takes me 3 seconds longer to perform task x" or "live tiles completely break my workflow by causing this issue" or whatever it may be. In the mean time the interface change completely enhanced the use of touch screen based devices. It's literally gone from trash in 7 to incredibly usable in 8. Whether you use them or not I don't care, it's a superior interface in this regard. For K&M users it gave 72 (1080p) hit targets with a higher accuracy rating at a click away, as oppose to 10 in 7. The live tile updates provide information without actually having to go into an application. The use of the whole screen facilities more search results as oppose to the limit of 2 per category in Windows 7. I fail to see the downgrade. I've now installed Windows 8 on about 3 dozen machines ranging from novice users (grandparents) to some of the mech/industrial design engineers at the company I do support for and not a single person has complained about the interface. I haven't even had to show them how to use it. Most people just talk about the file transfer is better and how they can customize the login screen or whatever. And what's funny is that this isn't the only operating system that this is occurring in. I've seen more complaints out of the power users in Linux over the recent KDE/Gnome changes that anyone else. It just seems like the vast majority of people don't want user interface change, which is natural, but entirely my point.

I actually like how KDE introduced a touch friendly interface WITHOUT getting rid of the traditional one, and its quite nice (KDE has 4 different interfaces I think). You can use whichever interface you want. My view is, if it works perfectly well for me, I don't really need a new interface. Win8 doesn't really help me do things faster, its just different, and I never used the search function in windows 7, I tend to just look for things the hard way lol. Nothing against it, it looks great and everything, I just don't really want to pay $100+ for an OS that I won't really benefit from. That, and I've moved onto Linux (Manjaro), and don't want to go back to any version of Windows (not even 7) lol.

Microsoft needs to take things slower and realize they are shoving a new product down everyone's throats way too fast and milking their brands. This is what I believe is turning everyone away from their mobile, desktop, and gaming brands.

Hmm, I don't know what the figures are on the installed userbase for mobile etc, but I always thought it was upto the manufacturer as to what OS goes into the phone and it's really the phone and phone contract dealio which sells the phone on a mass market basis. As for desktops - not a chance people are turning away from them, especially in business. No way any IT director/VP would be able to run the IT in this economy using a pure Apple infrastructure, it just doesn't scale in any of the box ticking places it should like power per watt, cost, cost and cost. Gaming is gaming, and it's a fickle business. Swear xbox would not be a brand without Halo - the game that got 10/10 in nearly every review on release. This success meant MS went for the 360 and that turned out pretty well for them as we all know. Yes, they've screwed up with the Xboner, but they still have a global installed user base for xbox360 of nearly 80 mill, and the owners are mostly happy about using the xbox360. They are milking their brand(s) for sure, and agree with forking Windows - except I wouldn't have called it Windows... 'WinTap' would've worked for me, as it's all based on touch and you either Tap a tablet or Tap a phone, plus it's a 3/2 word and that will stick better for most people, as opposed to Windows which sounds kinda clunky and uptight for an operating system you use on the go, or for simple, shallow tasks.