[ds9]

"Did you buy that computer?" - "No, I found another one that had Windows 7 instead of 8" - "Oh good deal!" -- overheard in line at a convenience store. Nearby, computer shop advertising on a big sign that you could still get Win 7 instead of 8. Anecdotes aren't data, I know, but my experience has been consistent with the consensus of rants online.

Now MS is "doubling down" on Win 8 instead of making concessions to those who need an interface that works well with keyboard and passive monitor. One might say, this proves it wasn't just Ballmer running the company into the ground!

Seriously, what is the chance that MS will come up with something better liked in another version a year or two in future?

It may be a tired cliché now to talk of Linux for PCs becoming mass-market, but things are looking better and better for this prospect. In particular, (a) nice noob-friendly GUIs (b) hardware support better than ever and (c) games finally coming along (thanks Valve/Steam).

[sliverstorm]

instead of making concessions to those who need an interface that works well with keyboard and passive monitor

What concessions are they missing? It's still the exact same damn shell when you drop down to Desktop mode. I use it all the time, on 3 different mouse&keyboard machines.