On Sun, 27 Jul 2014 08:54:42 -0400, Keith Nuttle
wrote:

I believe Windows 8 was a marketing failure not a failure of the basic
operating system. MS concentrated on the tablet interface, and hid the
fact that there was the desktop interface.

In the desktop interface Windows 8.1 is as good as any thing that MS has
released in the past, including Windows 7 and XP.

Even once you've found the desktop interface, as supplied it lacks a
start button with the functionality to which 500 million Windows users
are already accustomed. And guess what - the commonest complaint about
Windows 8 seems to be the lack of a start button. you are entitled to
your opinion of course, but it doesn't seem to be shared by many.

Rod.