That's all well and good for technically minded people but I would guess that the majority of computer users buy a machine with pre-installed software.

Nearly all computers have the OS pre-installed and surely 99% of windows is now 8 or 8.1

As other users of W8 (I'm not one) have stated that it is NOT intuitive.

Until W8 the previous versions of Windows were similar in their GUI and operations.

I would like to know how many pre W8 users found the switch easy. Haven't found any data so far.

So why don't people buy Macs? They even sell them in PC World. You do have a choice.

Usually it's the price. Bottom of the range win 8 laptop for less than £300 - not many macs can compare at that level. Once you hit mac prices they become more of a comparitive choice but most people I know don't want to spend that much.

In reply to a post by AEP:

But people happily buy Windows 8 computers - because they work for them.

They buy them because they can't afford Apple and aren't given an alternative in a retail outlet. It's a forced "choice". That's why Windows versions disappear from sale when a new one is released - because given the choice a significant portion would buy the one they are familiar with ie the old one.

In reply to a post by AEP:

So why don't people buy Macs?

Very expensive.

Unfamiliar operating system with limited software choices. They choose not to buy something they don't understand or can't afford.

Well, yes. That's one reason that people prefer Windows to OS X. (The other reasons become apparent when they use the two. )

In reply to a post by AEP:

You seem very hung up on superficialities rather than the real improvements under the hood. Fair enough. Many people still think that Windows 95 was the best version of Windows.

Nah, 98Se was the best version of Windows. if that could run on modern machines with a bit of aa update to cope with more memory and multiple cores it would fly,

too much added on these days, one of the reasons why windows is not speedy. A lot of the software is the same, get faster machines but bulk up the application to make it run slower.

In reply to a post by AEP:

No-one has to use Windows 8. There are plenty of alternatives. Use whatever suits you. But it does seem a bit silly to pick Windows 8 and then keep complaining about it.

Try OS X; try Linux (it's free!) or FreeBSD; stick with Windows 7. It seems perverse to use something you don't like.

there are some good linux distros out there and for most people they will do a better job than windows, more secure, more stable and best of all cost nothing, not a bean and that includes most of the software.

It is not all hunky dory in Linux world, if you are into games, then there is a lack of them, but Steam is getting on board, there are still a few hardware problems, but very few and far between and there is still not a decent video editing software.
Ok, I will rephrase that, there is not a decent video editing software for me, but Kden live does come close.

OSx is nice, but there is one major problem, it comes on hardware made by one company and that hardware is expensive.

Amiga Os is still available and it will run on a Old Applui Mac mini G4.

I know a few people who have got a new PC and windows 8 is standard, so they have little choice unless they reformat and put another OS on.

You think it just takes "a bit of an update" to support multiple cores and large amounts of RAM? What about proper IP support, multimedia, modern graphics cards, SATA hard drives, SSDs, etc.? Just "a bit of an update" needed, I suppose.

They buy them because they can't afford Apple and aren't given an alternative in a retail outlet.

In other words, Windows machines are the most affordable and suitable computers for most people. I wouldn't disagree with that.