Blown away by Windows 8 demo

I've been quite critical of Windows 8, especially the Start screen, but I've just been blown away by the Microsoft launch event. Windows 8 is stunning, it's amazing, it's the most advanced operating system out there and makes others look primitive. The things they did on stage showing off Windows 8's features were absolutely fantastic and there's nothing that compares, not even Apple's OS X. But...

Right now I'm staring at Windows 8 thinking "How the hell did they do that?" Were they running a different version to me? I tried as hard as I could to follow what they were doing and how they did it, but half of it has gone. I've forgotten much of what they did and the bits I can remember I can't figure out how to do it.

This is Windows 8's Achilles heel. It's just not obvious what you can do or how to do it. It needs a manual the size of a telephone directory to reveal all the secret taps, swipes, clicks, drags, hovers, tricks and so on.

At one point in the presentation they showed how you could dock a (Start screen) app to the side of the Windows desktop. I've just spent 10 minutes trying to figure out how they did that and I failed. I can't do it.

I must admit that I'm running the final public beta at the moment as it's not on sale till tomorrow, but unless Microsoft has added a truck load of features in the final version that aren't in mine there is a serious usability problem. Whenever I want to do something in Windows 8, I have to Google how to do it.

If you want a fantastic operating system get Windows 8, but it'll irritate the hell out of you till you figure out all the secret ways of doing the cool things it is capable of.