Windows 8 Review, Part 8: The Verdict [Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows]

A timely Paul Thurrott Windows 8 reality check; see the full post -- it ends on an optimistic note

"When it comes to evaluating any software upgrade, especially a Windows revision, I ask myself two questions. First, does the new version make the previous version look old and worn by comparison, so that going back to the previous version is like using something antiquated and out of date? And two, is there anything in the new release that I simply can’t live without?
On that first question, Windows 8 comes out ahead. It does indeed make Windows 7 look old and tired by comparison, and I prefer the modern looking opaque Explorer UI to Windows 7’s now silly looking glass effects. It’s no comparison, and that the Metro UI, for all its controversy is both modern and clean looking is, of course, barely debatable.
The second question is troubling.
There are certainly Windows 8 features that are excellent, that are solid improvements over what came before. File History, Storage Spaces, and Push Button Reset are all great examples of solid, sometimes revolutionary changes that make Windows much better. But are they so good that I can’t live without them? Or are they just conveniences?
Again, this one is troubling."

Windows 8 Review, Part 8: The Verdict