I can tell I struck a nerve with my claim that I've yet to see a complaint about Windows 8 that isn't somewhere rooted in "it's different than before and I don't like it." I have no wish to engage in a lengthy debate with multiple people, so instead of responding to similar comments from different posters, here's a breakdown of my point of view:
- I think of the change from Windows 7 to Windows 8 as similar to the change from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95, only not as severe. Yes, things now work differently. No, that doesn't make them worse or more convoluted. I'm sure people who liked having their screen filled with Windows
like in 3.1 were unhappy with the clean desktop look of Windows 95, but that didn't make Windows 95 more difficult to use.
- By and large, doing things in Windows 8 takes about the same number of clicks and button presses as in Windows 7. Again, it looks different, it behaves differently, doesn't make it more complex.
- If you try to make a new OS behave in ways the old OS did, chances are very good you'll only get frustrated. Either embrace the new thought process and learn the new way of doing things, or remain with the old OS.
- If you really like Windows 7 but for some reason have to use Windows 8, just treat the Metro screen like the start screen. Yes, it's full screen instead of just a popup, but in exchange you get a much faster way of launching programs by simply hitting the first letter of the program name. Trade offs, it's all about trade offs.