The desktop is irrelevant. Adapt.
The desktop was an interface you didn't "get to choose". By buying windows 7, that's what you get. By buying windows 8, this is what you will get.
In windows 7, the desktop is completely irrelevant if you learn how to use Windows 7 properly. Right clicking and using jump lists to pin and access commonly used documents makes shortcuts on your desktop unnecessary. It's faster and more effecient than using the desktop. If you don't have icons on your desktop, you don't need a desktop. I went over 2 months without even looking at my desktop. At that point, why keep it around? For a security blanket for dinosaurs that can't adapt to more efficient means of computing?
I've got the developer preview of Windows 8 on my desktop right now. I'm running office 2010. I can navigate without issues. It joined right up to our domain and is running fairly well for what it is. The interface is not polished, but it's not done either. It's not even in BETA.
My only real complaint is that you have to scroll using a scrollbar left and right. It should follow the mouse naturally as you move the mouse toward the edge of the screen.
Still, fairly hard to complain about what they've done when it's not even beta yet. It's got a long ways to go. Cut them some slack.
