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Poll Finds Lackluster Demand for Windows 8

In a new poll of 1,200 U.S. adults conducted by the Associated Press and GfK, about 52 percent of people had not heard of Windows 8.

October 29, 2012

Windows 8 officially arrived on Friday morning to much fanfare, but are consumers really interested in the new OS?

In a new poll of 1,200 U.S. adults conducted by the Associated Press and GfK, about 52 percent of people had not heard of Windows 8. Of those who had heard about the OS, 61 percent were not interested in buying a new laptop or desktop with Windows 8. Only 35 percent said they thought Windows 8 was an improvement over Windows 7.

On the tablet front, 69 percent of respondents had no interest in .

Microsoft has said repeatedly that Windows 8 is a "re-imagining" of the Windows operating system. Specifically, it splits the OS between the traditional desktop mode with which most Windows users are familiar and a tiled, touch-centric interface similar to the Windows Phone interface.

That interface, previously known as Metro, is a bit more useful when you have a touch-based laptop or tablet. As a result, it might not make sense for people to upgrade to Windows 8 from Windows 7. Microsoft, however, is pushing a ; the same interface across PCs, tablets, and smartphones. Until then, though, there will likely be a learning curve when it comes to Windows 8.

If you are among those who are interested in the new OS, check out .

For more, check out and the slideshow below. Also see our full .