Got it with a new laptop, would have preferred win7 but was not available for the model I wanted. Was open to giving it a shot, was easy enough to figure out and I am still currently using it on the laptop. That being said I would not recommend windows 8 to anyone, I just didn't want to spend another 99$ for a oem copy of 7.
Windows 8 doesn't really add anything, don't give me any promotional bull about tiles/apps/gestures, and worse of all tries to force a terrible touch interface on pc users. It might make sense on a touch centric device but just doesn't work for my laptop or any pc really. Like everyone wants to scroll to the fracking corners all the time.
Typical MS trying to force a unified one size fits all solution on people who don't want it. Its a major step backwards for consumers and MS signalling it wants to move towards a more closed system model. The worst part, they are trying to lock people in with bios tom foolery, may not be a big barrier but still making technical barriers for the less informed is bad for consumers. Shame MS, shame.
Like it would have been that hard to include an option box somewhere for a desktop mode of some sort or a start button. It may not strictly be necessary but would have pleased a lot of people to have a choice. Don't give me any of that EA SimCity bull about it couldn't have been done either.
You can use apps to customize it to work in a more natural way, that's what I'm doing for now, but really why should you have to? You shouldn't have to buy an OS that "sorta" works alright for PCs even if it does work good on tablets/phones.
Don't get it, its another vista type fail. Stay away if possible, ensure you have downgrade route if you can't. Terrible. I don't think I'd upgrade from 7 for free.
This OS is a contributing factor to the recent accelerated declines in PC sales, take the hint and stay away.