Okay, my 2 cents worth is that the opinion of an 'expert' telling you whether a OS is good or not doesn't take into account of how you use your computer.  When a new OS is released it is up to the individual to figure out if updating is required based upon their needs. 

Whether you install a copy of the new OS or read about it or see it demonstrated to make a decision on it is up to the user. 

An actually somewhat useful troubleshooter that they spend more than 5 minutes on...

I know, ts unrealistic, but I have to hope.

Really?  Are you sure.......you come across so 'expert'-like........hehe  

But where do you think the anti-Win 8 thing began?  The so-called experts got their hands on it way before neighbours could tell neighbours what it even looked like, much less had a chance to try/use it.... and all too often, 'expert' opinions are all it takes to sink a product.

Now I like Win 8 and use it as my primary OS, and have done so since release, but even so, I do admit that Metro was almost the killer for me.  I was not at all fond of it as the default UI when logging into my PC, but it is so easily bypassed and the desktop is no different to Win 7 with the addition of a start button/menu, except that it's faster.  So for all the bitching as to why Win 8 sucks, I and millions of others have found a way for it to work for us.

So yeah, I DO get it.... sadly many others didn't/don't because of its assassination by press/media...ignoramusses who can't/don't want to look past Metro

I'd like to see the ability to add customizable frames to the tiles and customizable backgrounds to them as well (not just colors) also to the start menu and task bar...that might take a bit of the starkness (no pun intended, Cap'n) out of it.

Yes, that would be a great feature in Win 9.  I've always liked to mess around with the UI and change things to my own liking, and the ability to alter tiles and backgrounds natively would be fantastic.  It was good when MS added the size options to Metro tiles in 8.1, but for mine it didn't go far enough.  I have been using OblyTile to change tiles with images of my own choosing, and it is quite effective, but I'd like to see Stardock come up with a tile changer with more features, like being able to use the most popular image formats and adding drop shadows, etc,, if MS doesn't include it natively.

I've not used Windows 8. The screenshots of it look ugly though. And most people I know who use it say they don't like it. But all in all, the OS doesn't matter to me all that much. I don't spend a lot of time staring at my desktop. I switched to Windows because of the vast array of software available on it. If I was a real sticker for the OS, I might still be using a Mac . From what I've heard, even with the UI of Windows 8, it still seems to work fine with the programs running on it. 

So for Windows 9, though I would like to see a clean, simple interface that is easy, looks pleasant, and doesn't try to be a tablet OS. (What I've read about 9 is that it detects that you are using a desktop--that's good). Ultimately, I hope it runs my software smoothly and efficiently. That's what I think counts most. 

Isn't that like anthropomorphizing Cortana...little bit?

Frankly speaking, I don't want to see Windows 9 at all. When Windows 8 came out, it posed such a big headache for me, didn't like the user interface at all. I am very satisfied with my Windows 7, thank you very much!