I did change some of my positions on Windows 8. With the introduction of "Downgrade Rights", it seems clear to me that Microsoft doesn't view Windows 8 as a vertical upgrade to Windows 7 that will push any envelope on the desktop front (though there are many convincing improvements once you get over the UI issues). It's more of a vehicle to catch up to the rest of the world.
I could easily see Win 7 and Win 8 co-existing side by side for a while. "Downgrade Rights" helps avoiding an absurd situation where consumers have to pay more for older versions of the OS, and consumers can choose whichever they see fit for their needs. It sucks for the business or geeks who wanted a true successor to Win 7, but MS knows it doesn't have such an obligation.
It would have been truly awful had MS position Win 8 as they did it for Vista. But that is not the case. (Thank god for the competitions) If you can get over the UI and half-assed tablet integration, Win 8 is an improvement over Windows 7 for both performance and features. Admittedly the forced-integration attempts are a pain in the ass, and I fear for terribly confused average Joes, but for advanced users those are not too big of a hurdle to get around. And once again, if all else still doesn't make you happy you can go back to Win 7 for little to no cost.
One thing I feel bad for MS is the Metro/Modern UI looks already dated and cumbersome, if you take a peak at the rapidly advancing Android/iOS. (multitasking, for one) And the integration attempt with XBox is so painful that it seems evident that MS itself doesn't have any confidence on what to do about changing environments.
What does MS want you to do with Windows 8? Easy and seamless integration between your office and living room via XBox for multimedia experience? Is it Cloud computing that they provide via Live/Skydrive? Or do they simply want a pie of "AppStores" that Apple/Google/Amazon happily exploit?
It could be all of the above, of course, on top of the traditional Desktop PC roles. But the thing is, that is terribly confusing for average consumers. I tried to explain the changes to non-geeks, and the challenge begins with setting up an account for the App store. What's best? @Xbox.com account? Or @Live.com? @Outlook.com? Or whatever else you've been using already? How will it affect your wallets or security going forward? Some have a bad memory of "Microsoft Points" (Zune..) or "Games for Windows Live" accounts. And who knows? The next XBox may flop and its existing market place and contents may shrink/disappear for all I know.
You see, the biggest problem with Windows 8 is that it proves too little and MS itself confesses it as much, both in forms (pricing and versions) and in functions (Metro, xBox, Live, Skydrive,.. )