> Windows 8 is a totally different beast. It's a new API, not even .NET, that's built on an existing OS. As such, it is more like Android, which is a mobile phone API built on top of Linux.
You need to make a distinction between WOA (Windows RT) and Windows 8 on x86. Windows RT is a different beast yes in that developers will only have access to the WinRT API, but no restrictions are in place on the x86 version of Windows 8. Developers still have access to the Win32 API and are NOT discouraged to use it.
The problem I see is that the WinRT API sits side by side with Win32. There is no intermixing.
You'd either program to one or the other. Sure you can run WinRT on the desktop. WinRT is so sandboxed it is worse than virtualizing XP on Windows 7. From a political standpoint, I can see the Windows 8 server people sneering at the team from Windows Mobile who have managed to sneak their toy OS into a heavy duty operating system. They are putting up with these kids for a while, but they will be booted out at the first sign of failure.
I see this as a hedged bet. If WinRT ends up as a market failure, they'll potentially abandon WinRT. After all, it will be like ditching a bit of Windows Mobile code in a proper OS. The whole thing is so cut down that WinRT is best thought of as a presentation layer and little else.
You need to make a distinction between WOA (Windows RT) and Windows 8 on x86. Windows RT is a different beast yes in that developers will only have access to the WinRT API, but no restrictions are in place on the x86 version of Windows 8. Developers still have access to the Win32 API and are NOT discouraged to use it.