[Coco] [OT] Windows 8

[Steve Ostrom]

Sorry for the off-topic request, but I need some expert help.

I don't want this request to be an invitation to rant on MS, or questioning 
why I haven't made the jump to Linux, but I'd like your calm, logical input.

I've been a Coco lover, user, collector, programmer and Coco magazine 
article author since it first came out, so that's where my love and hobby 
are still today.  But through my work, I have used MS products since MSDOS 
was all that was available.  Every MS upgrade went reasonably smoothly.  I 
had no trouble going from the command prompt of MSDOS to early Windows all 
the way through Windows 7 at work and at home.  I needed a second home 
computer a few months ago, and found a good refurbished one on-line for a 
very low price.  Since I already had a good second monitor, I only bought 
the computer.  It came pre-installed with Windows 8.  My current monitor is 
not a touch-screen monitor.  I found that navigating this OS with a mouse 
was pure hell.  All the articles I could find on-line discussing these same 
issues have not helped.  If the computer came with Win 8 Pro, you have the 
rights for a free "downgrade" to Windows 7.  I don't have Win 8 Pro.  If you 
try to buy a legit copy of Windows 7, installing it on the Win 8 machine can 
cause major issues since that machine has not been tested with Win 7.  I'm 
willing to learn how to use Win 8 with a mouse, but I'm not willing to buy a 
new touch-screen monitor just so the interface is easier.  I also don't want 
to start a new learning curve by installing Linux and going from there.

Are there any other alternatives to navigating Win 8, such as a well-tested 
shell, or changing certain Win 8 defaults to function more like Win 7?  For 
those of you who have moved to Win 8 more smoothly than I have, where is a 
good place to learn to use Win 8 with a mouse?

Thanks, and again I apologize for the off-topic request.

--- Coco Steve ---