Tiles are not "bigger icons"
The Metro tiles are not just bigger icons. They are interactive "screens" that provide information without the user having to touch/click. When used well, they can help make the experience much more efficient. I've been working on a metro app that shows administrators alerts from our SharePoint system and the tile will display critical alerts so the user doesn't have to touch anything to see them.
What I see people forgetting is that the Metro interface is alive. It's interactive and informative. Not just a screen of "dumb" icons that just sit there. The Metro apps are fairly easy to write and you can create a very immersive experience with them.
I use W8 on a HP TX2 touch tablet convertible, a Dell T7400 workstation, and a custom built desktop at home. In all cases I'm finding that the experience is better than my W7 boxes. It just takes some time.
MS needs to kick up the education several notches. They have an opportunity to change how we use computers for the better. Apple did it with the iPad, now it's MS's turn.
