I really can't understand the rant about the Metro interface. Windows 8 is a dual system in that its Metro shell will be the default layout, but you can run any software that runs on Windows 7 (which is any software that runs on a 32/64-bit Windows system!) in regular desktop mode.

Well, that is only half true. In reality, you must go through Metro to get to the desktop at all, no choice (this includes when e.g. the screensaver locks you out), and the desktop has been heftily stripped down (on purpose, of course). There is no such thing as a start menu any more, so you have to manually add your programs to the task bar, which is both tedious and non-practical if you have more than 6-8 programs installed. You also cannot do basic things such as log out or reboot from the desktop interface without going through Metro. A simple task as opening a shell is an ordeal now (if you haven't pinned the shell to the taskbar, again, manually).
Process Explorer won't work seamlessy any more as it would in all previous versions, at least it doesn't on my Win8 Consumer Preview install.
That said "the going through Metro" bit is a nightmare by itself because you have to do some totally unintuitive drag gesture for that.

Insofar, while the "this was done by a bunch of losers" argument is not entirely true, one can at least say "was done without desktop computers in mind" with full justification. Of course that's just what is intended, too.

But, regardless of how much one whines, Windows 8 will come. People will buy it, people will use it. A few of them will whine too, but they will still buy it. And if you ask why, it's simply because there is no alternative.

As bad as Windows is (and I wholeheartedly agree that ever since Windows XP, which was truly good at its time, every new version only became slower, more bloated, and worse overall) it is still the best operating system available.

Linux, sad as it is, just doesn't cut it. Linux is great for running a webserver or a SQL server, it's awesome as firmware for my router and for my video recorder, but as a desktop operating system, it's totally unusable and non-competitive. That isn't even solely the fault of Linux but also the fault of third party manufacturers... but it really doesn't matter whose fault it is.

Also, most distros are going the Gnome-3 / Unity way anyway, which is just the same as Metro. The only kind-of-usable distro that I know to date is Debian-LXDE, and half of the stuff is broken there.

Now inevitably someone will come up with "you know, you need not use Debian, you can build your own cool gentoo box just like you want". That's great if you have nothing better to do than play with your computer all day, but as a "real" desktop system, it just doesn't do. Especially if time is money, it doesn't do.
What you need is "insert disk, press install", and at 15 minutes later it has to work, reliably, and the same on all computers, regardless of what kind of keyboard or 6-dof device you plug in. I'm not going to manually partition or edit an init script in [font=courier new,courier,monospace]vi[/font], guys... it's not the 1980s any more!

Something like Ubuntu, before some genius thought that Unity was the best idea since sliced bread would be competitve. In fact, had they just left Ubuntu like it was two years ago (with a newer kernel and new drivers), it might have become a real alternative to Windows 8.

As bad as Windows is (and I wholeheartedly agree that ever since Windows XP, which was truly good at its time, every new version only became slower, more bloated, and worse overall) it is still the best operating system available.

lolwut? Windows 7 is faster, and more efficient than Vista, and Windows 8 is faster and more efficient than Windows 7. There are some UI decisions that I don't agree with in Windows 8, but overall it's a better operating system than Windows 7, especially under the hood.

3) Poor support for multiple monitors. (Ok, i can expand my desktop to cover all monitors or mirror my displays, but why don't i get separate taskbars and taskswitchers, shortcuts to move applications between monitors, and other usability features ?) (There are some really good third party apps for this though but they cost almost as much as the OS itself and it should be a standard feature these days)

Multiple monitors have a lot of new features in windows 8. Multiple taskbars is one of them

5) insanely buggy sleep on my desktop (works great on my laptop though)
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To my knowledge the sleep/hybernate stuff is totally different in 8, so no saying how this will be affected without having messed with a device running it :/

Well, that is only half true. In reality, you must go through Metro to get to the desktop at all, no choice (this includes when e.g. the screensaver locks you out), and the desktop has been heftily stripped down (on purpose, of course).[/quote]
I thought there was an option to launch to the desktop?

There is no such thing as a start menu any more, so you have to manually add your programs to the task bar, which is both tedious and non-practical if you have more than 6-8 programs installed. [/quote]
There isn't a start menu, but the windows 7 start functionality is mostly there, it just doesn't have a button. From the desktop just start typing the name of the program you want and it will open up the search window. From there you can right click the app and pin to taskbar.

You also cannot do basic things such as log out or reboot from the desktop interface without going through Metro. A simple task as opening a shell is an ordeal now (if you haven't pinned the shell to the taskbar, again, manually).[/quote]
You can do that on the desktop, it's just in the charms bar instead of in the start menu.

I think mostly it's just growing pains atm. It's a very different way to interact with windows even if you stick to the desktop experience. Probably the hardest thing is that each option doesn't have some corresponding visual element as the 'hot corners' are all off the screen until you mouse/touch over the edges.

I read an article about a year ago about how Linux development has boosted and will soon out grow Windows developement.

Yep, this year is the year of the linux desktop... oh... wait, this isn't 1998... or 1999.... or 2000.... or 2001....

My post - the history of linux on the desktop and the constant promise of 'linux taking over'.

Your post - some drivel about linux taking over

We are both probably contributing about the same amount; at least I have the common decency to keep my post short and without a pointless signature.