Indeed, if you've been judging Windows 8 based on how well the RTM version works on a traditional desktop PC, you haven't been privy to the full OS experience.

My tablet test model was a preproduction version of Acer's W700, which Acer officially announced Thursday, promising a ship date of October 26 and prices starting at $799. Until I began using the W700, my Window 8 experience consisted of playing with the OS on a non-touch laptop, and spending a scant few minutes with it on random tablets and hybrids at press events. But now that I've devoted some serious quality time to the W700, I can report that the operating system breaks compelling new ground.

In fact, Windows 8 might even disrupt the mobile space if consumers deign to give Microsoft a fighting chance.

Interested? Intrigued? Maybe even a little frustrated or angry because Microsoft might actually be doing something right? First let me tell you about Acer's new hardware, then I'll get into the nitty-gritty of how Windows 8 performs as a tablet OS.