If you think Win8 is just a new face on top of win7, you're mistaken. There are many features that are of benefit.

Off the top of my head
- The OS uses less memory
- Faster boot
- Faster wake from sleep/hibernate
- More secure
- Better memory management

And, also important, it starts getting you used to how Windows will work in the future. If the leaks of Windows Blue are accurate, the Start button won't be coming back.

>Yes, I did. I got a desktop with win8 and simply don't see the benefit for desktop development. I can see it work for tablets, but I just believe that W7 is more convenient for me.