I and others I know and work with have tried each release from the Dev Preview onward on both desktops and touch-screen tablets. Saying our opinions are uninformed is less than a straw man argument.

You may have part of the picture pegged when you talk about the anti-Microsoft crowd. But assuming that's the full story is a little naive.

You can find a few Windows Phone fans too if you look hard enough. Windows 8 on the other hand might have the advantage of no serious desktop competition, leaving people stuck with trying to sqeeze lemonade when it becomes the only game in town. That may be the best hope for the Win8 boosters whistling in the dark.

I'm still hoping it dies, but at the same time I'm preparing in case it doesn't.