Let me first say that I am no fan of the Metro interface! However I think that despite most of us involved in the technical aspects of computers missing the familiar desktop - Microsoft is not looking towards the traditional desktop user. I believe that Windows 8 is aimed at the average consumer who has little if any technical knowledge and just wants it to work - easily, hence the dominance of Apple's iPad and iPhone in recent years. I guess this is Microsoft's attempt to wrest Apple's grip oin the area of the consumer market and this could be a mistake. I doubt that iPads and their Android/Windows 8 cousins will be the death knell of the workstation, although home users will like to use pads due to their simplicity and for the younger generation having instant access to social media is paramount.
That aside, I am really upset that the registry hack to boot directly to the desktop in the developer preview no longer exists and I hope that some keen hacker will discover a way soon - and also bring back the "start" button and associated menus. I therefore hope that Microsoft will see the error of their ways and provide this functionality - if required. Most users will no doubt leave the default settings and boot to the Metro interface.