Pretty much every program that is compatible with Windows 7 should be compatible with Windows 8, at least that is what I saw from the developer preview ages ago (still have to download the consumer preview.)

And another note, if Microsoft really do force us to use the metro interface, its just another reason to go to linux, atm my only reason for not switching to linux full time is compatibility of Windows, well I could use wine, but atm my laptop will not use the propriotory graphics drivers properly because of my BS hybrid graphics, if it did I would be on linux now and playing FFXIV through wine.

Microsoft's ideas of "we know how everything should be, and everyone else is wrong" and no options for customisation is what will kill them, Linux would be ahead of Windows now if everyone programmed for both of them I can gurentee it.