tomfreak :
do u know that the tiles even the smaller version are still very BIG? u seems to ignore my point that the gap on 4 edges of the screen. Those area could have been put as tiles. Columns are plenty to lose. if u got 6 rows, but 14 apps, those extra 2 apps will fill up 2 columns, everything below it is left empty.
Start screen is my new startmenu if I didnt spend time on it how would I launch my App? put all icons on desktop? Metro UI is a good concept, but is poorly optimize for desktop thats why people are complaining it.
If u want a good example on how a better tiles like, look at windows phone 8. It filled up the whole screen and use up as much screen area to display everything it could. This is what the desktop version should be.
Well let's go in reverse order here:
1. I do have a WP8; a Nokia 822 as a matter of fact. I want the 920, but I am on Verizon and they ain't available yet. My BB Tour was on its last legs so I decided not to hold out any longer. If you made all of the tiles on WP8 the smallest they could go, you could get anywhere from 24-32 tiles, but if you did, you would lose the animations or whatnot they have, and you would increase the chance of hitting the wrong tile. Remember, with a touch UI, smaller is not always better.
2. YES!!! Put your shortcuts on your DESKTOP! I do and have no problems. Put the ones you use most in the Task Bar and the rest on the Desktop. I also don't see how it's poorly optimized for the desktop; I have a 24" screen and things work fine for me. I've played around with the various tablets in the stores and it still doesn't bother me, though I have to learn the touch gestures.
3. If MS had done what you suggest, they would be dinged for making the Start screen cluttered and unattractive. Now, I do not like that you get a zillion icons dumped onto the Start screen when a app is installed (but YOU CAN REMOVE THEM), and I do not particularly like how the All Apps screen looks since it's a little difficult to tell the program groups apart. MS also shouldn't have allowed a program group to span multiple columns, but there it is.
Now, as I've said many times before, I am using 8 like I did 7: I customize the Desktop and Task Bar with the icons I want and clear the rest. In this case, whenever I log-on, I immediately click the Desktop tile and I almost never see the Metro Start screen again. Problem solved.
Speaking of logging-in, I don't particularly like that MS gives you only two choices of passwords- your Live ID or a 4-digit PIN. In any case, I use the PIN to login because frankly, my Live ID password is too long and cumbersome!
Finally, I sincerely believe people are bitching about the wrong things here. However, I will say that there is little reason to go from 7 to 8.
EDIT: You also realize, don't you, that you CAN put MORE TILES ON THE START SCREEN, RIGHT? First, be on the Metro Start screen and bring-up Settings. When you click on it, look at the top right and you'll see the setting for Tile. Click on it and you'll see Show More Tiles. By default it's turned-off, so just slide it on, and there you go. I believe it increases the rows from 5 to 7.