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It's an OS you can use seamlessly on a tablet, but with features like Snap, Switcher and File Explorer you might well be more productive than you ever were on an iPad or Android slate. Just don't lose faith as you're climbing your way across that learning curve.

A risk that Microsoft needed to take to try to remain relevant in today’s connected, mobile world. Only time will tell whether it’s the right risk at the right time.

Windows 8 is a bold innovation, melding the worlds of tablets and PCs. Its excellent touch input, an app store, and better performance are compelling, but the changes will be too drastic for some and as a completely new product, a few rough edges remain.

The operating system is fun to use right out of the box, and it doesn’t skimp on the key functionality you expect from the Windows brand ... expect something equal parts drastically new and comfortingly familiar.

With Windows 8, Microsoft is making a bet that it can please both tablet users and traditional computer users with a single OS. That bet didn't pay off for me. On a tablet I find it an excellent operating system. On a traditional computer, it doesn't work nearly so well.

This is the operating system that will come pre-installed on your PC for the foreseeable future. And that's a good thing! If you're thinking about upgrading, well, that means you actually care about this thing. And if you care about this thing, you should definitely give it a try.

Microsoft deserves credit for giving Windows a new, modern face. And the company will surely please existing users by maintaining the old one and the ability to run older apps. But the combination will require re-learning the most familiar computing system on the planet.

The integration of the two interfaces needs to be better. But Windows 8 works. It's one operating system that can support tablet and desktop apps side-by-side. And that might just be worth a little compromise.

Put TileWorld and its universe of new touch screen apps on tablets. Put Windows 8 on mouse-and-keyboard PCs. Presto: all the confusion would evaporate. And the good work Microsoft did on both of these individual operating systems would shine.

Windows RT is a strange beast. On the one hand, speed, security, and the best of Windows 8 make RT a pleasure to use. But app restrictions make Windows RT confusing, and the limited availability of apps undercuts the operating system's usefulness.

Windows 8 gives Microsoft a beautiful, responsive, and touch-friendly platform for tablets, but it works better on slates than the desktop.

Perhaps by Windows 10 we'll have another OS like 7, perfectly suited to most people's needs. As it stands, 8 is a bit more like Vista - there's nothing wrong with it, but it's probably slightly ahead of its time.

I know there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the extreme UI changes Microsoft has made in Windows 8, and indeed, those changes take Windows in an entirely different direction. As far as I’m concerned, however, the change in Windows 8 is only a good thing.

With its innovative 'tiles' approach, Microsoft's latest OS is a huge leap forward – although it may take some getting used to.

Keep an open mind, spend some time getting used to the charm bar and the Start screen. Once you do, we defy you not to be impressed by Windows 8.

So is Windows 8 worth upgrading to if you’re happy with Windows 7? Probably not. But then again, if you’re willing to put a little effort in there’s scant reason not to upgrade, either - especially as Microsoft has confirmed a superemely affordable upgrade price.

Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system is a triumph of engineering but it's not quite perfect and it will confuse new users.

It would be wrong to fear Windows 8 because of the sweeping changes (and poor follow-through) Microsoft has introduced into an otherwise fine desktop operating system.