Excited for the new version of Krita, but unfortunately it crashes right from the start. I go to create a new canvas and then we're done. I'm on a Windows 8 laptop. I get this error information:

Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: krita.exe
Application Version: 0.0.0.0
Application Timestamp: 00000409
Fault Module Name: ig75icd64.dll
Fault Module Version: 10.18.10.3960
Fault Module Timestamp: 54299da2
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 000000000027b1e4
OS Version: 6.3.9600.2.0.0.768.101

On a hunch, I remembered how I used to get a black screen until I turned off the OpenGL and I think it's working fine now.

which tablet are you using?

There are Wacom Intuous drivers installed, but it's not attached to my system right now. I turned off OpenGL and it's working fine, but I'm sure that's something important since I keep reading about OpenGL in the new features page. I am a Blender user and use OpenGL for a lot of my work there without problem.

The fault module being ig75icd64.dll indicates that it is due to OpenGL on Intel Graphics causing the problem. Having Blender to work doesn't mean that Krita must run fine with OpenGL, unless you are having a laptop with Intel/Nvidia switchable graphics, which means the Nvidia graphics would be automatically enabled for Blender but not for Krita; if this is the case, then you can start Krita with the discrete graphics (right click on the icon to find the option) and it will most certainly work.

What features does OpenGL provide? I imagine there are plenty of performance enhancements, anything else I'm missing? (I'm updating my drivers, hopefully that'll help.)

Better performance, instant preview, wraparound mode, smoother canvas rotation, panning and zooming, no artefacts when working with vectors and assistants -- that sort of thing.