I am a bit confused about the shared computer question. Separate user accounts are a security feature that keeps malware from so easily moving from one account to another or to root/administrator control. It is not just a way to keep your porno collection from your kids. I understand why multiple accounts would be of less value on a private device like a smartphone, but what would be the point of a single user account on a shared computer? Windows has been offering fast account switching, leaving other signed on accounts active but not accessible for some time. Are you saying you prefer the convenience of using only a single account for everything on a shared computer? That is easily done by just setting up one account and using automatic login, thus letting anyone who can get to the machine get to the account, without even knowing the password--the ultimate in kamikaze security carelessness.
 
As for shared email accounts, that can be set up in the email reader if you use one that is not locked in to the computer user account. Thunderbird can be set up to read dozens of email accounts from the same inbox if you want everyone to have access to everyone's email, and can be set up to run on multiple accounts or machines if that is what you want.

slartabartfast
Apparently the free-to-pirates upgrade is another Windows pre-release myth:

 
Dang, and I just got my pirate keyboard out for it!
 

bitflipper
My biggest complaint with 8.1 is that it goes out of its way to hide the actual pathnames of executables. It used to not matter whether you knew the real location of a file because you could usually find it in the Start Menu. 

 
Could not be quicker
 
1) Start
2) Hover to bottom of the start screen and press the bottom arrow
3) Sort by whatever you want (next to apps). One time only operation.
4) Right click the app, then click open file location
 
Done....

Ta

VERY simple solution
 
Been using it from The Beginning.  It just works, making it easy to forget all of the nonsense around 8

everybody run...

As a long-time IT consultant I can tell you, if you ever have to really do something complex, you'd understand why XP and 7 were FAR superior to Vista and 8.  I did a project for Intel and got to go into one of their secret rooms where they were testing each motherboard with various OS'.  As I walked in there was a tech in the back swearing up a blue storm about Vista.  Turns out that's the ONLY room in the whole complex of campuses that they run Vista, and only because they have to.  Pretty funny actually.  Windows 8 was rushed - which always causes problems - but I've heard decent things about 8.1.

>You can't have multiple windows of arbitrary size open and positioned where you want on the desktop?
 
Scratch that comment.  I was mistaken, based on information in a Microsoft Windows 8.1 how-to video.  Old Windows applications work as always: full-screen or partial screen.  After a little time with it, 8.1 is still annoying but not quite as useless as originally perceived.  But the lack-of-start-menu "feature" is something I'm quite sure I'll never find to be of value.

dmbaer
>You can't have multiple windows of arbitrary size open and positioned where you want on the desktop?
 
Scratch that comment.  I was mistaken, based on information in a Microsoft Windows 8.1 how-to video.  Old Windows applications work as always: full-screen or partial screen.  After a little time with it, 8.1 is still annoying but not quite as useless as originally perceived.  But the lack-of-start-menu "feature" is something I'm quite sure I'll never find to be of value.

You'll find that most annoyances you experience in Windows 8 can quickly be resolved by reading or watching a tutorial. Oh and Windows 8 very much does have a start menu - just press the Windows key. There you are presented with either the Metro tile menu, or if you click the down arrow, a list-based menu which can be sorted by date installed, name, category etc. There is an option to make this list style menu the default. It's basically the traditional start menu but with bells on. I don't miss the old start menu at all. 

dmbaerWell, apparently enough people missed it so that Microsoft felt compelled to bring it back.  Check this out:
 
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/191360-exploring-the-new-windows-10-start-menu-hands-on-video
 
Now I've got a new complaint.  I just discovered that 8.1 won't play DVD video.  I have to track down a player app if I want to use my laptop for that purpose (I mean, who would ever want to watch a DVD movies on their laptop while traveling?).  OK, it's supposedly just another app to install, but if my laptop had Windows 7 on it, I wouldn't need to bother with this at all.

Yes, all the people who never used Windows 8 or used it for approximately 5 minutes and whined/****ed about it constantly without giving it a chance are the ones who brought the start menu back. However, as much as I like the mobile interface in 8.1 because I find I can access and launch my apps about 50% quicker than I could on the old start menu, I believe the new hybrid menu is the best of both worlds. You can add a ton of tiles to it for quickly launching apps while having the flexibility of the folder trees with the old start menu. It's win/win in my books.
 
As for the DVD issue, Media Center can be added to Windows 8, but it comes with a cost and will only play DVDs, not BluRay. You can thank Sony for the obscene licensing cost for the ability to play those disks natively.

Indeed. I only got WMP because it was free for a time. I've used it a total of -0- times. I use Media Player Classic for DVDs.

TerraSin
Yes, all the people who never used Windows 8 or used it for approximately 5 minutes and whined/****ed about it constantly without giving it a chance are the ones who brought the start menu back.

Well, my bet is that it was primarily business users who motivated MS to restore the start menu.  Retraining vast armies of MS Office users is not an expense to be treated lightly.  Even with W10 and the reconstituted Start menu, I don't see anything especially compelling that will make corporations want to move away from W7 for a very long time.