Microsoft is getting both praise and criticism over choices it made with Windows 8, but nothing can be changed now that the final version of the OS is in the hands of reviewers. We have been taking a keen look at all the reviews of Windows 8 out there on the Internet, and so far, the general consumption is that Windows 8 is good.

Windows 8 is a true upgrade from Windows 7. However, the missing start menu and flipping between Windows 8 New UI and the regular desktop seems to be the main problems reviewers are finding with the operating system.

Windows 8 Reviews at a Glance:

> It looks like Windows 8 is certainly going to take some getting used to. But underneath that daunting new interface are a wealth of smart decisions that go a long way towards dragging the behemoth that is Windows into the future. Perhaps most promising is the stuff we haven't looked at yet: the apps, and the way multiple Windows 8 PCs and tablets sync together. - PC Advisor Staff (PC Advisor)

> With Windows 8, Microsoft is making a bet that it can please both tablet users and traditional computer users with a single OS. That bet didn't pay off for me. On a tablet I find it an excellent operating system. On a traditional computer, it doesn't work nearly so well. - Preston Gralla (Computer World)

> It's a bold move to head off the danger of Windows becoming irrelevant in an iPad future by giving you the best of both worlds. You can have a slim, lightweight, cheap tablet with a tablet OS that can also run Office and turn into a notebook when you add a keyboard (we have to see the final version of Windows RT to see how well this works, but so far we're impressed). - Mary Branscombe (Tech Radar)

> Whether Windows 8 will be a big winner is still an open question. It clearly has improvements over Windows 7, though the two-step to access the Windows desktop will no doubt be off-putting to some users. - Loyd Case (PC World)

Looking back at the reviews, one might realize there is a love-hate feeling for Windows 8. It's a huge change, one that has the potential to either propel Microsoft to new heights, or cost Steve Ballmer his job.

It wouldn't be the first time Microsoft made some serious mistakes with a major operating system. Look back at Vista, that thing was a catastrophe from day one, yet the company came out with Windows 7 and fixed almost every complaint. However, Microsoft may not have the same luxury to mess up where Windows 8 is concerned due to heightened competition from both Google and Apple.

What are your thoughts on Windows 8? Share them with us by leaving your comments below.