[Windows 8 General] e.mote:
>You may be aware that English isn't the first language of most people on the planet

As a non-native English speaker myself, I'm only too aware of the wide level of fluency on here and elsewhere. I'm also versed enough in the language to be aware of when I'm being trolled by gobbledygook. I'm willing to be shown otherwise, if either the poster (or you) can explain to this poor befuddled mind what "text-based design language" or "after the fact optimization for legacy input/output" means in relation to this thread. Please, do feel free.

There is a difference between pidgin English and gobbledygook. Suggest you look up the meaning of each.

I will answer the gent on this particular query, since it is relevant to the topic, and is worthy of discussion.

>>As far as 9, computers will be thrown under the bed as if they're a Windows Phone that's not compatible?

In short, yes. Tablets--mobile devices in general--aren't being treated as PCs with respect to upgradeability. As always, it's a matter of expectation, and Android tabs' limited upgradability have shaped public expectation. iPads are somewhat better off, but their expected lifespans also aren't comparable to PCs. Tabs are seen more as consumer electronics than as (upgradable) computing devices, although it's more along a spectrum than a black/white divide.

Windows tabs are in a gray area, since at least for now they do run the full "desktop" OS. But with Windows 8.x being effectively in beta (in the sense that it is still being changed for public acceptance), everything related to 8.x is also in beta--and as has been said, nothing is set in stone.

Put another way, upgradeability isn't a given, and MS will likely follow Android/iOS wrt OS upgrades. At least for low-cost "pure" tablets, it makes economic sense for MS (and vendors) to treat them as appliances rather than general-purpose computing devices. This probably won't apply to higher-priced hybrids, where upgradability may become a differentiating feature.

This lines up with MS' "devices and services" mantra, where the software is bound to, and considered as part of the device, aka middleware. The OS as an independent component is no longer a favored concept, because with the "free" competing OS'es, MS can no longer make money on it. Instead, the OS will become a service, and down the road, MS will very likely charge for upgrades.

These are of course one set of possibilities out of many. MS is currently figuring out a workable model to follow, because the current one is broken. MS is already forced to give away WP (or worse, paying vendors to install it), and reduce licensing fees on Win itself. But before MS can figure out how to charge for its wares, it must first produce wares that people are willing to pay for. By and large, that has yet to happen, across the breadth of its consumer products.

Getting back to present discussion, as I've said, RT and Clover Trail devices are already effectively orphaned. 3rd-party RT devices have hit bargain bins months ago and are no more. Ditto for Clover Trail tabs. The OG Surface RT doesn't work with current accessories, and firmware upgrades have tapered off. Vendor support is pretty dead.

Maybe peer support is still thriving? It's easy to find out,

http://google.com/search?q=clover+trail+site:mydigitallife.info

The above searches for "clover trail" on MDL, which is the most active of all Windows enthusiast forums. Note the dates of the links on the 1st page, which are all from 2012. If you filter it by "the past year," then there are only two links from the site, neither of which is a substantive discussion. Feel free to repeat the search on any site you like. Ditto for Surface RT.