surface Pro 2 - use camera in desktop mode

I just got my tablet and the first thing I did is have it start in Desktop-mode so I never have to see that awful and useless toy Metro UI. Even on a tablet the desktop is superior. Go figure. I hate every time I accidentally click that "Start" button which brings me to Metro.

Anyway, the only way I can use the built-in camera from desktop is to "search" for camera and the Metro camera app shows up and I can take pictures. I even created a desktop short cut in desktop mode for that camera. But since that is a Metro app, it doesn't seem to work from Desktop.
1. is there a way to make this Metro camera app work from Desktop?
2. Is there a different desktop app or program to use camera from desktop?

It also would be nice to be able to zoom and have flashlight etc. this camera doesn't seem as great as my phone camera. Or am I missing something?

You can snap the camera app to one side so that you can view both the desktop and the camera simultaneously. You can also use any third-party software compatible with any USB webcam, if you really want to use a traditional desktop app.

Before you give up on the new start screen entirely, I recommend giving it at least a fighting chance. A lot of modern apps have some pretty awesome features - like notifications, so you don't have to just rely on email notifications for stuff (the Tapatalk app is great and notifies you of forum thread responses, PMs, quotes, etc.). Apps with live tiles let you see updates immediately, and the way that modern apps are designed, they don't use nearly as much of your computer's resources to run in the background. Modern apps are also inherently designed for touchscreen use, which gives your new Surface Pro 2 a whole different angle on usability beyond just a small form factor laptop computer.

All the functionality of the traditional start menu is still there. It looks different, but that doesn't mean it's worse.