I just had another frustrating Windows 8.1 experience trying to help the wife with her computer tonight.
Print output was getting jumbled from an online Avery printing program. So to figure out where things are going wrong I saved the PDF file it created on its web server to the local drive, and opened it with whatever PDF file viewer/printer was installed to print it out instead of using the one embedded in the browser. There seemed to be one called "Reader" that I context opened the PDF with. It turns out this is a "Metro" app. So when I am done I go to close "Reader". Oh wait, I remember I can't easily figure out how to close a Metro app. I guess they just close themselves after not being used for a while like all tablet OS's do? I really don't know, and I shouldn't have to figure out some strange incantation of how to close it, so I just switch back to the desktop view where I had opened the PDF from in Windows Explorer. So OK, I'll just delete the PDF now that I am done with it. "You can't delete this file, a program is using it" is what it gives me. Facepalm. Now this isn't a major problem, but it's just yet one more weird-ism encountered trying to use Windows 8.x. They sure add up in a hurry.
Now I admit, I didn't love Windows 3.11 because I was coming from an Amiga (and OS/2), so it just felt inferior. But I could get stuff done intuitively enough within its limitations, so it was kind of OK for what it was. I loved Windows 95. I've never really had a problem with 98/SE, ME, Vista, or 7. Sure I've run into the odd bugs, but what was ever completely perfect. You know, if I had to use a Surface, I might even be OK with that too, though I have never tried one - I just choose not to go there when I already live in very well supported Android land - which I had no problem figuring out how to use (or iOS either). I can use Linux well enough too without being baffled unless it is unsupported hardware. Hell, even the old Macs I used "made sense", even if I wasn't a fan. I could even say the same for DOS - it could be hard to use, but it made sense for what it was.
But I'm sorry, even the improved Windows 8.1 is a complete piece of #$%^ Jekyll and Hyde job. It's the merging of the new tile apps with the old system, they just don't get along at all and create all sorts of confusing scenarios. You will never convince me otherwise that it isn't anything but a horrible mistake.
I'm not convinced they will be able to fix it unless they simply drop one side or the other completely - it will be interesting to see what they do as either way there will be a ton of blow back. As much as I can't really stand Apple, they did the right thing keeping desktop and tablet completely separate.
