First of all, Microsoft screwed up in removing the start button. It was completely unnecessary to remove it, and they added no value in doing so. They could have just as easily had the start button pop out the appropriate side navigation, and then let users optionally decide which approach to keep.
Second, I'm sure there will be tutorials built into Windows 8 for people that want to learn how to use Metro and any of the other changes. Some of the comments here seem to ignore that. It doesn't excuse the stupidity of removing the start button of course.
I wouldn't be totally surprised if MS internally has argued endlessly about removing the start button. That's a huge move on their part. I wouldn't be surprised if this consumer preview is partly an experiment to see how people react.
I feel like I'm pretty open to changes in software, I'm a habitual upgrader. But ditching the start menu really throws me for a loop. Having to leave my working screen and go to another screen just to launch a new app is super annoying. It could be that tablets are the future, but most of us are still using an actual computer so it sucks to have functionality reduced down to a tablet when you are working at a desktop.
Second, I'm sure there will be tutorials built into Windows 8 for people that want to learn how to use Metro and any of the other changes. Some of the comments here seem to ignore that. It doesn't excuse the stupidity of removing the start button of course.