Mike,
I'm not copping out but, 1st of all, I'll give you a couple links to info about Win8 Features.
Windows8 features - Bing
Windows8 features vs Windows7 - Bing
Now, I'll try to list a few things, from personal use & knowledge.
> Yeah, faster boot, but, not a huge thing for most Folks w/out stop-watches, lol. Although, the differential can be quite large. More of interest is the impressive performance after boot.
>
Big difference in resource handling, use & hardware demands.
> Easier, more direct, more readily available & quicker to find things or get to certain things (less digging, fewer clicks). Big factor here is the Power Users menu & Search from the middle of nowhere on Start.
> Much less has to be 'added' (to the OS). Flash, Reader, Security, Drivers for some examples... mostly, just Java (now) missing.
> Amazing graphics.
> Depth & breadth of compatibility for both software & hardware.
I like the (NEW) picture log-in.
Many of the feature differences, enhancements & improvements, relate to biz concerns.
As for the so-called Metro UI, not a big excitement to me. I only use it to hit the Desktop tile @ Boot-up. I, certainly, may use a couple of 'APPs' but, personally, I am 100% on Desktop... access everything, do everything there or from there.
Cheers,
Drew