>It's true that Windows 8 is filled with Metro apps trying to replace the functionality
>provided by 3rd party apps. These include PDF reader, news reader, photo app, sky
>drive, etc. All of which need to access the internet for something or other but mainly
>I suspect to tell MS what you are doing.

Yes. How often you run something. Those apps share data between other apps. It is helping to build a comprehensive, robust social graph of everyone who will use Windows 8 and those apps.

>I would say that as long as the desktop is available, i.e. you can install any 3rd party app
>you like, then with a 2-way firewall (which MS never built itself for obvious reasons) will
>prevent unwarranted internet chatter. If the desktop goes and we are forced into Metro
>only then I will definitely never buy it.

Microsoft is definitely putting desktop apps to a weird place in the UI. No longer are they foreground, but with Win8 they are immediately second class citizens. No Aero, no Start button, they are trying to very quickly move people away from traditional desktop apps into the new, flashy, animated, in-your-face metro style. The sad thing is, so many people don't even realize what's going on here. They just see the flash and flare and love it.