I've used Roaming Profiles for years, but only just started to think about a new benefit.
As I understand it, a user can take a brand new computer with the O/S and his applications installed as they come, out of the box, and log in to the server and will get all of his customised configuration for the OS, desktop, desktop functions (wallpaper and screen saver, for example) and all of his application settings. Please confirm.
If that is true, then a broken computer could be replaced with a new one in company-standard initial configuration (imaged) plus manufacturer-supplied drivers, and when the user logs on he will have a working environment identical to the previous computer, right? If the user had personal stuff on his old computer, well ... that's technically his look out. We help him as best we can, of course, but we are only paid to restore him to Domain login.
So as long as you implement roaming profiles, computer mainenance is a snap. Just load up the company standard startup configuration, and let the server configure it for the user's preferences.
I would guess that version upgrades (e.g. Win7 to Win8) would work similarly. Presumably the roaming profile would apply all of the common settings to the new O/S where possible, and the user would only have to configure the new fearures (e.g. the Win 8 Active Tiles interface). That's fine, the user was going to have do that anyway. We should onl need soime part of an hour to treain him on the new stuff and everything else will feel familiar.
Have I just tumbled to a great secret that other IT Pros have known for years, or is there a monumental fly in the ointment? By the way, I would only be doing this on Windows Server 2012.