> People seem to be tolerating Windows 8 "flat" design, though, and that is pretty much a nightmare for usability as far as I'm able to discern.
FWIW, usability is being able to do something with as little thought or confusion as possible. So there is nothing inherently wrong with a flat UI - its the design choices made using it that matter.
Agreed. I wasn't complaining about the "flatness" of the thing. Just the chaotic nature of it (to me). Though, I suspect that with experience Win8 would become more usable to me. I just don't spend significant time in a Windows environment, so it feels really confusing whenever I find myself in front of one. "Usable" often means "What I'm used to."
FWIW, usability is being able to do something with as little thought or confusion as possible. So there is nothing inherently wrong with a flat UI - its the design choices made using it that matter.