I think it is safe to say that firstly the overall look is stunningly different, and it does as with previous Windows incarnations take a little getting used to.
Some of the features were not where I was expecting them to be, the media seem to be focused on this. I keep reading that the business world is not on board Windows 8. It is not big news that business has historically never been on board with any new Windows version. This was true three years ago with Windows 7, and five years ago with Windows vista, and 11 years ago with Windows XP.
XP was not well received when it was released, users continued to use operating systems that were no longer supported rather than switch to XP. In fact over a year after its release only 6.6% of businesses using Windows were using XP. With business, people and our devices needing to be more and more mobile the way we use technology has changed, I can see advantages to a one fits all OS.
I installed Windows 8 Pro on to a mid-range laptop running Windows 7 home premium. From popping the disk in to finish took a little over half an hour, everything seemed smooth, all instructions were clear and easy to follow. On start-up seeing Windows 8 Metro up close and personal with its live tiles and charms bar, I was impressed. Personalisation was straightforward all programs from Windows 7 working well online quickly. Now shut down and have dinner... After 10 minutes of trying to find how to shut down, I gave up and had to Google it. In a nut shell, looks good, big changes, I am not in love but in time I think we will be friends.