Pros: They made some obvious performance gains with Windows 8. From boot times & shut down times, to the general user interface feeling more responsive.

Cons: A lot of why I couldn't stand windows 8 had to do with how it tries to force you into things. Almost 20 years of a start button/menu on an OS? ... lets force the Metro UI on you. You want to use the new apps?, that are kind of like programs, or you want to use the programs you're more familiar with? We'd like you to login to your MS account online. Would you like to login now? How about now? or now? The apps/program distinction was grating on me too. I could've spent the time to fine tune it but with Metro and MS always wanting me to be online and logged in. All of this really annoyed me ... but what finally was the last straw was that my graphics card, while giving better performance then in windows 7 also started over heating in games I was playing. I tried different drivers - same issue. I went to the web and there were other reports of certain video cards running hot or overheating now under windows 8. So basically I was like: ok, ...I'm done. Uninstalled 8 after like 3 or 4 months and reinstalled Windows 7 Pro.

Overall Review: I really wanted to like Windows 8. I feel like I put in my time too in getting used to it. At the end of the day though ... it feels oppressive. (sorry, don't know any other way to describe it). You'll notice it in at least a few different ways. It always wants you connected to Microsoft as you use your computer. Always connected to the Cloud. Why? The included apps and/or the ones you can download conflict with you using Programs that you might be more familiar with. A lot of the apps are limited too and want you to pay $1.49 or $1.99 for a version without advertising. The funniest thing is that ALOT of the advertising is Microsoft related stuff. I was able to get over the lack of a start menu - but it floors me that they didn't even allow it for an option. I'm sure the UI feels great on a smart phone, but on a computer though it drove me nuts. Maybe 8.1 will fix a lot of these issues with Windows 8? Maybe. Between the XBOXONE (with their attempt to force an always on camera and microphone into your living room, and their attempt to force always connected to the internet, in addition to MS being the first major company to sign up to the NSA's illegal PRISM program ...) I seriously just don't trust MS anymore. I'm also seriously put off by them forcing anything on consumers. All of the major defects of windows 8 were probably called out by testers months ahead of release and ...ignored. Windows 8 is kind of a last straw for me. I'll be switching to Linux on any machines I can, and as soon as I can ditch Windows entirely, I will.