When I first heard about the new graphic interface for Windows 8, I thought Microsoft was making the same mistake the Ubuntu and GNOME developers have recently made: putting a touchscreen interface on an OS that will also run on non-touchscreen devices. However, according to Jeff Hoogland, it looks like Microsoft is at least making it easy to go back to a standard desktop interface.
Thoughts on Technology: Something Gnome3 and Unity Could Stand to Learn From Windows 8
I never thought I'd see the day when Linux desktops are being schooled on usability by Microsoft.