Windows 8 Launches Friday – Will You Be Buying It?

It feels like we’ve been talking about Windows 8 forever and to such a degree that it’s sometimes hard to believe it isn’t even out yet. In fact, some people have been running the RTM or preview release for months, and companies like AMD, NVIDIA and Intel have stepped up to the plate well in advance of the official launch to release supported drivers. Thanks to this resounding support, we can hope Windows 8 will be become a problem-free launch – but does that matter to you?

Thanks to its use of the Modern UI (formally known as ‘Metro’), I’ve been pretty vocal about not looking too forward to Windows 8 – and it sucks. Despite being a dedicated Linux user, I still appreciate Windows to a good enough degree, and pretty much need to given how much I have to use it. It goes without saying that a lot under the hood has been tweaked in Windows 8, but the Modern UI in itself has been a major deterrent for me. In fact, it’s been the only reason I’ve held off on installing the OS. I caved in over the weekend, however.

Now, the fact that I still have a computer to type this out on should give you an idea that I’ve survived so far. And really, it hasn’t been too bad. Take away the Start page entirely, and I like a lot of what Microsoft has done here. Networking was simple to get up and running (just had to share a folder, and that’s it; you log in with your username and usual password), and some of the UI elements have been polished quite well (the volume, for example, or the right sidebar that creeps up when you hover to ether the right top or bottom corner). Overall, no major complaints.

I’ve also come to like some aspects of the Start page, but I’ll tackle those (along with what I hate) at a later date. 

So, that’s my first experiences. I’ll relay more later, but what I want to know is how many of you out there are planning to make a move when Microsoft officially launches the OS this Friday. Even if you’re planning to wait a bit, but still have intentions to upgrade, I want to hear from you also.

If you are planning to upgrade, why? The exact same question can be asked to those who are staying as far away as possible. If you’re avoiding it, what are the reasons?