I totally get this, but desktop computers may not be around forever. Microsoft is trying to anticipate, or at least keep up with the shift. It's going to be a colossal change to from what was their bread & butter for 30+ years.

oh, and being able to just start typing whenever and have a list pop up is so convenient. How did I ever get along without that feature? It's one of my most used & most favorite things about Windows 8.

I can see the appeal of the Start menu for those who have used it for years and years. The Start screen, however, retains that same functionality while adding so much more utility.

I'm certainly in agreement that there are aspects that definitely need some improvement. I just remind myself that we're only at 8.1, there is always room to grow in the future. I just hope they can sell people on the value of the new OS style, before we see it go away completely.

You make a really good argument as well. As far as the Xbox One, I'm all for more digital releases. I don't personally have one, and the 24-hour check-in would hurt me ( I live in the North East, so storms knock out the internet, etc), but I do respect that they were going to go in a new direction. That's neither…

Oh, how fun must that be? It does always seem to come down to money, doesn't it? My clinic is owned by a "corporate overlord,' so convincing them to do anything new is difficult, but not as fun as what you're dealing with.

Ouch, I can see how that set-up and 8.1 don't really mesh. That really sucks, because that sounds like a really fun way to play games on the pc.

boing!

Toughen them up? Fat chance! Ha!

You hit the nail on the head there, it really is just more efficient. I'm jealous that you get roll out the new stuff where you work, my office is achingly slow to implement new tech, even something like upgrading from XP to 7. I see so many instances where it's like "Man, if we had 8, I could just do this and it…

I loved that they kept the desktop background across the screens. I look at the Start screen as an overlay now, instead of a separate screen, and I think that is the easiest way to grasp it.

The improvements should justify it's existence, but sadly, this is not how it played out.

I'm with you! I have 7 at my clinic, but at home I use 8. 8 is way more easy to use and get around on. The ribbon menu on every new file explorer window is such an awesome feature, but so overlooked! I lament that it is not in 7 every time I have to use it.

Right? It's totally overblown. There is a learning curve, but even then it's not as bad as many make it out to be.

I can certainly understand where you're coming from on that point. I can't say for certain if it's a stupidity problem, or that people are resistant to change. Perhaps they just stupidly resist change? Who knows.

This is what I like about it the most. It's incredibly easy to just pin stuff to the Start screen. You need to keep that spreadsheet handy? Pin it to Start.

I am in the minority of Windows users who have openly embraced 8. The Start screen works great for me on my desktop; I find it easy to navigate and fun to use. I also hope Windows 9 continues to push the OS in new and interesting directions!

Was that a Baldwin?

These are wonderful! I especially love the final review, talk about a zing!

I agree with you on this. I grew up playing Sonic games by Sega, and I've been a witness first-hand to it's gradual falling off the rails. As a consumer & fan of the series, I'd like to think that when I put up criticism of one of the games, I'm speaking as someone familiar with the games, and that knowing what made…