I just read what I consider to be two good articles about the slow and getting slower Windows 8 adoption rate. I think they make solid points.
http://www.zdnet.com/will-90-percent-of-users-always-hate-windows-8-7000012348/?s_cid=e539
http://www.zdnet.com/five-ways-to-save-windows-8-7000012369/?s_cid=e539
Interesting read.
However, for me just following this quote:
"Regardless, I now find myself in the ridiculous situation of thinking that, actually, the only way to deal with Windows 8 in the consumer market is to install one of these stupid Start menu replacements.
It’s one less thing that people have to learn".
If that’s all it takes, then what’s the problem?
Works for me. 
I’ve preached about installing Classic Shell for Windows 8 for about 1 year.
It takes the hassle out of dealing with the Modern Desktop if it bothers you.
It actually gives you the best of both worlds.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2026719/review-classic-shell-brings-the-start-menu-to-windows-8-for-free.html
Yup!!
And such a fuss over something so easily fixed/ by-passed : 
It was a stupid idea of Microsoft to have left out the start menu as that is really the only failing of win8 I can find and what most user’s hate as everything else just works better imo, thanks to Stardocks Start8 application I have everything working the same as I did with win7 only it’s faster with a few extra nice features ;D
Totally agree on the interface, despite many reviews to the contrary they never too a blind bit of notice of the users/reviews and ploughed on regardless with the metro interface and no means to permanently switch to a classic style. Until 3rd party software became available to bypass that interface completely.
For me it is this type of intransigence by MS that has shot themselves in the foot and even though there are now 3rd party options to get a classic style interface, many including myself are being just as intransigent in avoiding win8.
It might be cutting off my nose to spite my face, but isn’t that exactly what MS have done, here it is one size fits all, take it or leave it; in what has been designed as a touch screen OS.
Start8 isn’t free. ClassicShell is and has more features than Start8.
Start8 is only $5 for what is a more true too win7 look and operation and a much more professional interface and functionality Bob, I tried ClassicShell and though it was alright and did what it was supposed to it didn’t exactly resemble the win7 start menu and it’s design was messy and the Interface was horrible and confusing, way to many options as all they had to do was replicate the win7 start menu and they didn’t.
ClassicShell is good for a freebie but I’m quite happy to pay for quality
Microsoft could have saved themselves a boatload of problems if they had just released a version of win8 for the desktop & Laptop PCs W/O Metro.
All they needed to include was the start menu and the ability to boot straight to the desktop and everybody would have been as happy as a pig in mud
Another user specific opinion. I’ll still stick with ClassicShell and I’ve tried all of them including your favorite.
I’ve also reported on most of them.
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=85094.msg690352#msg690352
+1 The computer guy that did the reformat for me recently told me that he gets a lot of business from customers that bought W8.
Then take their brand spanking new machine to him so he can reformat and install Win7. He claims W8 has been good for his repair shop. 8)
Sorry but I can’t see any one downgrading to windows 7 from a Windows 8 Computer.
It doesn’t make any sense to me to convert to something that’s slower and less secure when a simple
retrofit would have left you with a better OS.
Bob, I’m seeing it also. So far I’ve taken win 8 off of two customers systems with at least 1 more to go. I’ve told them about classicshell and start8, but they still wanted Win7 and are willing to pay the extra for a copy of Win 7. And (As Microsoft should learn) The customer is always right.
Sorry but in this case, the customer is foolish. Take it from someone who has now used Windows 8 for about 1 year.
Sure, there is a learning curve but, there always has been a learning curve when you go from one OS to a newer version.
Even avast! 8 is different from avast!7 but I certainly wouldn’t want to go back to version 7 considering the increase in protection
offered in avast!8.
With all due respect I disagree. The traditional desktop icons are what people prefer. Consumers always seem to let their preferences be known with their pocket book. When the first thing a customer sees is the metro style tiles they obviously go “yikes”. A customer should never “have” to go out of their way to get what they wanted in the first place. I fail to see anything positive out of not having “all” icons on the same screen or 'never" having the start menu from the get-go. MicroSoft has displayed bad marketing technique by not listening to the ninety per centers.The way I see it is that hopefully W8 will die off before Vista. Another thing is W8 is a funeral waiting to happen. IMHO 8)
There is also startmenu setup .I thought it was great until I learned how to use metro.By the way startmenu is free ans easy to use.
Couldn’t agree more, but I think MS wanted all platforms to have the sane interface, Desktop through to Windows Phone. But the metro interface as far as I and many others were concerned is unsuitable for desktops/non-touch screens. Who can imaging trying to use a large desktop touch screen, your arms would be dropping off after an hour.
They are building the same walled garden approach as Apple also where apps come through the Microsoft app store.
My 17.3" Dell isn’t a touch screen but, I use the following to make touch on that computer available:
http://www.logitech.com/assets/46159/t650-wireless-rechargeable-touchpad.png
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/touchpad-t650
( I don’t use it very often since almost everything can be done with a mouse.)
The fastest way to access any program or command is through a simple search.
The best way to access all software is a mouse click away.
The main reason I can’t stand touch screens are all of the fingerprints and smudges left behind.
The quickest way to get a command is a “start” button already built-in.
Sorry Bob, I’m not buying the “W8 is a great machine” line. And neither are the 90%.
W8 is a multi-billion dollar fiasco. Which comes at a great time after the EU levied a huge fine against MicroSoft.
Intelligence doesn’t always equal common sense.