The bigger problem I think is that Microsoft failed to deliver not one, but two products. They wanted a new version of Windows, and they wanted an entry in the

The bigger problem I think is that Microsoft failed to deliver not one, but two products. They wanted a new version of Windows, and they wanted an entry in the tablet OS market. Both are good goals, but not necessarily the same goal. In attempting to hit both, they failed to hit either one. Windows 8 is a bad replacement for Windows 7, it's missing features, and it's more difficult to use with a mouse and keyboard. Windows 8 is a lackluster tablet OS, it's missing a lot of the polish it needs to really compete with iOS and Android. I think Microsoft should have released not one OS, but two. Preserve application compatibility if possible, but don't sacrifice the ease of mouse and keyboard control at the alter of touch interface. A keyboard and mouse versus touch screen are different enough interfaces to warrant different UIs.