Derek Minnich, an IT program manager at a user company that he asked not be identified, said his company typically follows Gartner's guidance on deployments. has been running at his company for about two years and there is no reason to upgrade.

The only thing that might push a move to Windows 8 is "if tablets really do overtake the PC market rapidly," Minnich said. Users will want Office products on a tablet, and "that's where the entry point will be," he said.

Peter Nies, who works in information security at a company that he asked not be identified, said a concern about Windows 8 is its approach. With its tiles and new interface, he worries about the amount of training that may be needed.

"From a user perspective, it scares me because it is so radically different," said Nies.

Microsoft sponsored a customer panel here of some early adopters. One, Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., supplies students with laptops and has been testing tablets over the years.