For some reason I decide to try upgrading to Windows 8 and then to 8.1 again. I even ran my laptop manufacturer's upgrade assistant and uninstalled a bunch of stuff that I'm sure I'm not going to need and/or can't use in Windows 8.

Then I got cold feet right before the final click to throw away Windows 7 and I System Restore'd the machine and repaired wonky apps afterwards. (Surprisingly, System Restore and MSI repair functionality work very well.)

Kind of tells how I'm on the fence about Windows 7. (I think I should get a bigger external HDD just to be able to keep at least two full system images of my laptop so I can always easily go back in time.)

So my printer spontaneously decided to start communicating with Windows again today. Interesting. Has this happened to anyone else with W8?

It appears like Microsoft is addressing some more concerns with Windows 8.1 in the next update, Windows 8.1 Update 1:
http://www.zdnet.com/a-close-up-look...-1-7000027111/

I'm glad to see they're making the taskbar globally available, including when Metro apps are on the screen, as well as the ability to see Metro apps on the taskbar instead of that wacky thing on the left. OneDrive still looks like a complete mess, and I'm betting I'll still have driver problems on my laptop, though.

If they'll just burn the worthless Metro with fire, I'll be happy with it. I go to a tech school and I don't even know anyone who's found a purpose for it yet.
The Apps take bloody forever to load and don't do anything that a regular .exe won't.

I only discovered the "normal" way to shut my computer down about a week ago, too. What were they smoking when they designed this thing?

It seems I'm still the only who here who bothers with Windows 8. I don't have any problems with it at all and I'd love to upgrade to a 2-in-1. Plus, the designs are so smooth and fluid. I haven't used Google Chrome since I bought this laptop, and I barely use the desktop version of IE.

I've been using Windows 8 (vanilla, none of that 8.1 mess that breaks all my computers) for nearly a year now.

I think I've gotten quite attached to the Start Screen. It's so much nicer than the Start Menu when you utilize it properly. Here, follow this guide to making it nice.

1. Remove everything but the Desktop, and give that a large tile.
2. Re-add the apps/desktop programs you use daily, and keep them towards the left. You can pin things like This PC and a shortcut to your files, too.
3. Separate your apps into groups to keep them organized.
4. Re-add/install apps as you need them.
5. Uninstall anything you never use.

I'm going to assume you have 8.1.
Open the Start Screen.
Right click everything except Desktop. (If on a tablet, press and hold one tile, then tap all the others.)
Click "Unpin from Start" in the bottom-left. You should only have the Desktop tile.
Click the Desktop tile and choose Resize -> Large.
Click Customize to go back to normal.
Click the arrow at the bottom to go to the full list of apps, or swipe up if on a tablet.
Go back into Customize view by right clicking a tile.
Click all of the apps you use (including regular desktop apps), then click Pin to Start.
Close Customize view and go back to the main Start Screen.
Re-enter Customize view and move tiles around into different groups. Put the most-used apps on the left. You can also pin things like This PC/Computer, Control Panel, your files, drive shortcuts, folder shortcuts, and executables that aren't installed.
Give each group a name by clicking in the box above each group.
Resize metro apps to smaller or larger sizes as you see fit.

I've stuck with Windows 8 and refuse to update to 8.1 for 3 reasons:

1. I've heard from many internet sources that 8.1 caused mouse lag within games unless raw input is enabled. I can't even hope to explain how this happens, so I'll link this Windows forum post (see Most Helpful Reply).

2. I found out from my grandmother's computer that my antivirus doesn't support 8.1, and it won't update to a version that will.

3. If I didn't like 8.1, I'm pretty much stuck with it, since it actually removes system restore points from before installing it.

Other than that, I've loved my laptop since I bought it, and I only wish it'll stop bugging me about installing 8.1.

My laptop and desktop are both still on 8, but my tablet is on 8.1. I've had too many problems with the laptop, but I haven't tried it yet on the desktop. The desktop is due for a reinstall soon, anyway.