hmm it might be dac dependent because I find w8's difference from windows 7 less than it is when comparing w7 and Linux. I am now thinking maybe I should just get a mac next instead of a windows machine. I cant live with linux either even though the sound is nice because I really want to use photoshop on my laptops too.

I wonder how many security updates will be required on the second day?

CCCP is really not for audio, but it rules for videos. Media Player Classic HC is also really not a good music player. Foobar with a nice interface replacement definitely beats it. I would expect JPlay to still get the best sound out of Windows, once they do a re-write.

I hate Windows Phone and I really hate Metro. I'm planning to stick with W7 SP1 for the time being, but if you want to try W8 and you don't want Metro - http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

The way Windows 8 handles multi tasking when using combinations of desktop and Metro apps is incredibly stupid. No matter how many windows you have open in the desktop "app" in the Metro multitasker you can only switch to the desktop or out of it to another Metro app. You cannot go directly to any program within the desktop itself.

Classic Shell eliminates all that crap, assuming you don't want to use any Metro programs, you can tell it to not load Metro at startup, just go straight to the desktop like W7. When you hit the start button replacement button it loads a start bar like W7, you can pin your programs to the task bar, and you can switch that way or alt-tab just like always. Basically Classic Shell is "make W8 look and act like W7".

I'm sure the MS support staff is already drinking heavily in preparation for the "where the F is the start button!?" complaints, quickly followed by "what the F happened to my bookmarks!?" when people don't realize that Metro IE and desktop IE are two COMPLETELY SEPARATE programs, and anything you bookmark in one is not in the other. Because why would they sync with each other? What sense would that make? GENIUS.