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Like you, I have put far more than half of my active computing years on the books already (I'm in my early 60's). I still spend my workday as a System Admin, booting up hung Windows servers, configuring Linux and Unix over a terminal, and crawling around on the floor behind the rows of server racks trying to identify which godforsaken Ethernet cable comes from the latest downed machine. I won't be doing this in another 10 years, God willing.

I don't wish to spend my time learning a new user interface, unless its demonstrably more useful for my tasks than the one I've used previously. Demonstration takes about five minutes; I figure out whether I like it and can use it, pretty quickly.

God willing, I'll spend the remaining time He grants me on this Earth, enjoying what I know and can do, and increasing my knowledge and abilities in ways that are enjoyable and productive. Learning a new user interface might be one of those things, if the net result is greater happiness and productivity.

Five minutes with my first iPad (never have had an iPhone) convinced me that the iOS user interface was highly navigable and quite intuitive. No one had to explain anything to me, no help, no manual, no nothing required.

Five minutes with Win8's Metro convinced me that MSFT had gotten a bad batch of nose candy or something worse. I found very little to like.

So I will stay with Win7 wherever I can. It's rock solid and does what I want, rather than the other way around.

FWIW, Apple can be pretty hard-nosed and intransigent about doing things their way, too. In my experience, they're usually right, so I'm willing to put up with it, but I do wish they allowed a higher degree of configuration customizing.