Agreed! It's like some declared war over split milk. The Start Screen is more or less like a new Desktop that can be loaded with dozens of tiles, much like the Desktop was once used to load dozens of icons.
Maybe I haven't spent enough time with the various tiles. Some of them are OK, but, in general, using them seems to be burdensome (or they are trivial). My prime example is trying to use IE under the Metro style. Please enlighten me on how to use IE effective under this style constraint.
I'm guessing you might have Flash issues or rendering issues with metro IE. I'd just stick to using the Desktop version if the metro one gives you bothers.
First, go open the Desktop version of IE, you can do that with the little tool icon within metro IE when you right click. Then, open the Desktop IE's settings, which is a little cog wheel like thing. Hit Internet Options, a window will open up, from there hit Programs, and hit Open Internet Explorer tiles on the desktop. Change how IE opens links to open in the desktop.
I've personally seen a friend use their Start Screen more or less as a Most Frequently Used list of the start menu from 7. She uses jumplists though so about half of what would be on Start isn't there like Libraries. Actually, if you hit up the link in my signature, it not only gives suggestions and tips on how to install Windows 8, but there is a section that speaks of how to customize it as well. Part of which that is on there, is pinning Desktop items to Start. I for one use this quite often, and it baffles me that Microsoft didn't put these Desktop tiles there, but oh well. To pin things to Start, you will need to be in the Desktop. Find something like a Library, folder, hard drive, or even a Control Panel item; then right click and hit Pin to Start. A new tile appears of which you can move around and group and such.
http://www.eightforums.com/customization/6732-post-your-start-screen-6.html
This as PAGES of different people's Start Screen. It really matters on how YOU want things to work. I for example, use Start as my main launcher, don't have anything pinned on the Taskbar anymore. So I have everything I need on my Start Screen, from Libraries to data recovery tools and Office, with apps of course.
And the apps that come preinstalled with Windows are ok, they seem to be more or less replacements for gadgets. Bing Weather is the main app I've seen used across a few different friend's Windows 8 PCs. There are some good ones out there, some will need more tweaking and development. Remember, the Windows Store just went official just a couple of months ago, so it won't be vast and perfect.