Salesmen can display the desktop, click the fake start button, quickly explian , oh look- they are doing your programs full screen to make it easier for you, then very rapidly go back to the desktop.
The customer will likely think it a bit strange, but at first glance it seems like a laptop, and they came in to buy a laptop, so they are less likely to be put off.
The start screen was truly awful. If they wanted that kind of stuff, they would have gone to the phone shop.
8.1 is an interesting beast. It appears to be less metro, but in fact there is more metro. We shall see if the disguise will fool the average punter. I think it might.
Like the Wicked Witch dressed as Dear Old Granny in Snow White.