Actually, for those who think I'm a nay-sayer or a Luddite (looking at you, Cokie) I'd just like to point out that I was unaware that I'd even mentioned the start menu (checks.... nope, didn't). In fact, go check my post history, and you'll see that I've never at any stage bagged Windows 8.
Aspects of it, yes. Show me any OS that's 100% perfect. But the OS as a whole? No. Did I ever post that I was 'going back to 7'? No.
And of course there's the small but salient fact that after using it through most of its beta phase, I then went and purchased it.
Now, I couldn't care less whether the start menu comes back or not. If it does, great. If not, no biggie. I'd just work around it. Same with the Start screen. If it's there, I'll customise it the way I like it, as I've done in 8. If not, so what? And I did say I liked the idea of small tiles, although I've no use for larger ones.
But I, and millions like me, work primarily or exclusively in the desktop, and we had, quite reasonably, hoped that there might be something for us. But no. All they managed to do was booger File Explorer up by getting rid of Libraries and making Skydrive the default save location. No, thanks, I won't be using the cloud. not now, not in the future. And I don't like an OS that's set up to do so by default.
Cokie, you and your merry band might not like the idea that the 'desktop' isn't dying, but you better accept it because many of us will not be following you to your utopia, but will be remaining here to create the content you consume. Because quality content sure won't be getting created on tablets or phones.
Sure, mobile computing is there if you want it, but so are desktop/laptops, and they will not be going away in our lifetime. I resent the implication (or outright accusation, from some) that I'm some kind of fossil who can't adapt, or newbie who won't learn, simply because I find aspects of the current trend unwelcome and unwanted. I've been computing since well before the days of the PC, and have learned more OSes than some of you have had hot breakfasts. But some of you really are starting to sound like the fanbois on ZDnet, which I find sad and disappointing.
There's room for the tablet/phone AND the desktop/laptop, but some fanbois can't or won't see it.
End rant.
Wenda.