Re: "50% boot times over Win7"
Oh, so that's an important argument because . . . you spend all day rebooting ?
My Win 7 on SSD boots in two seconds. Well it did when I first installed it. Now it takes a full six seconds.
Galls me, but I only boot once a day, so it's not really that important.
Windows 8 can boot in less than one second if it wants, I do not care for its tiles. And if moving with the times implies using a PlaySchool interface then I'll be a happy dinosaur, thank you.
And that's an objective decision. We're talking about an OS here, not flying cars. OSes are still made for managing apps and interfacing with hardware, not inciting religious zealotry. An OS is a good OS if it does not get in the way of using the applications people need to use. Moving with the times is not replacing the UI of said functionality with bigger icons. Moving with the times would much more be Microsoft placing its OS code in the public domain in order to let people skin its interface however they wanted it.
Fat chance that'll happen though.
Go on running after your shiny-shiny things and spouting useless religious comparisons. I'm sure you're feeling very righteous.