Elements with Windows 8

Yes, it's a good debate, no need to bail Gwyn. As I have been the main protagonist of the anti-8 camp, you must appreciate that the stick-in-the-mud references were difficult not to take personally, in this limited context. I feel like Steve, it's not about resisting change and being unable to adapt ... I've learnt plenty of new programmes, some quite complex.

But an OS should not get in the way, or force users to twist and contort to its ways needlessly. And it shouldn't require third party additions just to make it usable and practical. It it is the customers, license payers , that Microsoft serves, and they have rode roughshod over many many of their customers with this. It is not the customers who need to adapt and change, it is Microsoft.

Put an SSD in my work computer. Just tried it and Word loads in under 1 second.

Windows 7 by the way

This debate seems to revolve around whether touchscreen operation will make other inputs obsolete. Touch screens do some things very well, and many other things less well. What I don't get is the lack of choice that a touchscreen-based operating system implies. My work on a pc involves greater precision and more complex operations than can be achieved with a touchscreen operation. Thinking it might be useful my pc has a touchscreen but it is actually more of a nuisance than a benefit. Many operations involve a sequence of right and left button clicks and holds which I now do very rapidly - it has become semi-autonomous. I am on windows 7 now and sincerely hope future operating software will still let me work in the same way. A one-size-fits-all approach is pretty limiting.

Why would we want a screen covered with fingerprints when we are doing image editing?

Thats the thing about Windows 8 / 8.1 - you can use it as a touch screen if you have a touch screen monitor or use it like a mouse based laptop or PC (like I do) - it's excellent for both.