So, what questions do you have about Windows 8 from Microsoft?

Microsoft technology evangelist Yung Chou takes our readers inside Windows 8 – its development and features – ahead of his presentation to the RTP chapter of Information Technology Professionals on Thursday.

“Thank you for this opportunity,” Chou told The Skinny. “I enjoyed these questions very much.”

Windows 8 went on sale Oct. 26, the same day Microsoft opened its retail store in the Triangle and began selling the new Surface tablet.

Here we go:

Windows 8 seems such a change, so much more graphical and intuitive. Do you agree with that view? If so why did Microsoft go in that direction?

In this computing age, each of us processes more and more information every day. Rather than having a user to routinely jump from one to another again and again, the intent of Windows 8 is to bring information to and keep it timely updated for a user. Whether you are using Windows 8 with touch, mouse and keyboard, or both, Windows 8 is designed to be highly intuitive and easy to use. Your favorite apps, even your favorite people can be pinned to the start screen for easy access. Live tiles keep you always up to date. Best of all, Windows 8 will work the same and offer the same great experience on which every form factor is right for you. I believe Windows 8 offers what I need and prefer for both work and pleasure.

(Specific on the Start screen, Steve Sinofsky has a post offering some insights of the thought process and considerations of the design at http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/10/11/reflecting-on-your-comments-on-the-start-screen.aspx.)

Windows 8 offers everyone a choice that whether you are at work or at home, whether you are an IT pro in a Fortune 500 company or a consumer just looking to buy a new tablet. Windows 8 gives an individual the experiences the individual wants at the same time still offering IT departments the enterprise grade desktop solutions they need.

I played with Surface a bit at your RTP holiday story. Was Windows 8 designed for the tablet or was the tablet designed for a Windows 8 version?

Windows 8 is designed for not only taking advantages on the emerging I/O technologies, but ensuring user productivity with various form factor and input methods. Touch, mouse, or keyboard, a user can remain productive with whichever I/O a user prefers.

Further, with Windows 8 and Windows RT (a pre-installed PCs or tablets powered by ARM processors) one can personalize individual’s computing experience through the choice of new hardware with what one prefers and a choice of PC, tablet and OS experience that uniquely fits the individual’s lifestyle.

Windows 8 means you don’t have to compromise, but instead can use a device that suits you, and can do everything you want to do and need to do – without having to choose.

Were customers asking for changes such as touchscreen capabilities?

We designed Windows 8 to be easy and intuitive no matter how you use it: touch, mouse or keyboard. In usability studies conducted in more than 127 countries with the Consumer Preview and Release Preview builds earlier this year, we’ve seen how easy Windows 8 is to learn and use. I believe the Windows 8 UI is fast, fluid, and makes it easy to connect with the people, apps, and information that are most relevant to a user.

I see 4M copies have been sold in the first few days. Is Microsoft pleased with the general feedback you are receiving? What are people really liking? What tweaks might need to be made based on customer feedback?

Over the past year, Microsoft has discussed with hundreds of business customers with their Windows 8 plans. We are very excited to have been experiencing many positive responses and reviews from our customers and the industry. From large to small business, customers are telling us that they are planning to adopt Windows 8 for many different reasons – some are eager to deploy devices that give their employees the convenience of a tablet with the productivity of a PC.

Many have apps their developing to help improve employee and customer experiences. Others are looking at how Windows 8 can make life easier for their mobile workers. Most are interested in taking advantage to the improvements made to the fundamentals, like better security and faster performance. One of the great things about Windows 8 is the compatibility with Windows 7, so businesses can feel good about adopting it side-by-side with Windows 7.

Windows 8 is Windows 7, only better. We took what our customers loved from our bestselling operating system of all time, Windows 7, and added innovative new capabilities that will run on an array of exciting new PCs and tablets.

For one to start using or transition into Windows 8, getting familiar with the interface is the first step. Windows user interface, while quite different than previous versions of Windows, is designed to be natural and intuitive. With a few simple pointers, people seem to get comfortable with the new Windows UI rather quickly once they get a chance to put it to use. Since the desktop is still available, people will be able to continue using familiar, existing apps while getting to know the new UI.

Bottom line, what are the major reasons why people should invest in Windows 8?

For enterprise organizations, BYOD has emerged as a top priority for Windows development. Net Applications has estimated that as of September 2012, Windows overall accounts for over 83 percent of the OS user base.* Windows 8 gives businesses the experiences people want and the enterprise-grade solutions IT departments need. One example of this is in the tablet space, where customers are telling us that Windows 8 will give them the business tablets they have been waiting for.

This is because business customers will no longer have to choose between the convenience of a tablet and the productivity of a full PC. Windows 8 tablets give people the form factor they want, but they can also dock them and have full mouse and keyboard support and use desktop applications, support for Office and their current line of business applications. With Windows 8 tablets, people can use USB drives and PC peripherals. Additionally, Windows 8 tablets integrate well with companies’ management and security infrastructure.

For consumers, Windows 8 is about putting a user at the driver seat and in total control of making a choice, working with a device that an individual prefers and customized the way the individual wants. It is about being connected with family, friends, social networks, and all the people and things that the individual cares about, and as needed doing some work as well.

Above all, this is a new era of desktop computing and I want to encourage everyone to experience and find out more about Windows 8. In general, the consumer information of Windows 8 is available at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/home, while http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/ is a great resource for those who would like to know more about the engineering side of stories and are looking for technical insights.