Windows 8 is the ultimate compromise. Will fail miserably.

There are people who think Windows 8 is a complete disaster. I feel very comfortable putting myself in that camp. 

Why? In trying to be everything, Windows 8 fails to meet the needs of an actual person. For example, there are two versions of Internet Explorer (IE) - one for the "don't call it Metro" software and another for the "here's what you were expecting" part of the system. The decision to include two versions of IE is not to accommodate the needs of a person - it is to accommodate the needs of the operating system. 

Very few people wish their operating system was more complicated. An overwhelming number of people have issues navigating an OS they've been using for the better part of 10 years. In Windows 8, Microsoft has decided to essentially double down on complexity.  

Technology journalist Walt Mossberg of All Things D has a nice overview of Windows 8. He writes: 

Windows will now consist of two very different user experiences bound into a single package. The idea is it’s a one-size-fits-all operating system, which can run on everything from older, mouse-driven PCs to touch-controlled tablets without compromise.

What a great idea, why haven't Apple and Google followed this same approach? Because while it sounds nice in theory, it's not currently possible. Windows 8 is the ultimate compromise. A compromise  business students will study as one of the worst failures in the history of one of the world's most iconic companies. 

More interestingly, who will benefit?

The largest beneficiary will be Apple. Apple's potential in the Enterprise is heavily underestimated. Today most businesses are still running Windows, a few years from now will be a very different story. The complexity of Windows 8 might also open the door for the world's simplest operating system. Personally I see Chrome OS as having tons of potential. It would also be great to see Ubuntu deployments continue to grow in number and size.