I must remind you that the Consumer Preview is still in beta. Your reaction is entirely normal, and perhaps a healthy dose of reality for a developer who may stumble upon this thread. Not everyone is going to accept the transition to Metro UI, and it will be a difficulty. The Consumer Preview leaves much to be desired, I have found, because we do not really know what changes are going to be made to make the operating system "better" than Windows 7. I will remind you of a time several years ago when we were worried about Windows Vista and the sluggish performance of that operating system. Those who downloaded Windows 7 were pleasantly surprised that it performed much better than Windows Vista, and in many cases, on multi-core processors, it was able to outperform XP on certain benchmarks.
In this case, I believe that the introduction of new features may seem quite imposing on anyone testing the Consumer Preview. Intensive evaluations will need to take place regarding this OS before it can be called a disaster, and that especially includes waiting for the final release-to-manufacturer (RTM) bits. When we look at the whole picture, and not just the absence of the Start Menu, we are going to be approaching the idea of whether or not the entire world is going to abandon regular workstations, desktops, and laptops and do all of their work on touchscreens. That answer is clearly a resounding no, as you have clarified in many of your posts. I would encourage you not to over-dramatize the issue, whereas, you went so far to claim that Windows 8 "violates our civil rights". I think we need to put things into perspective here when we start talking about a OS.
A lot can happen before and after Windows 8 is released. Hopefully, some hearty feedback will be read here, on Windows8Forums.com, on all other greater Windows community forums, and the developers and Windows Client Team will get the idea that people do not want the Start Menu to disappear entirely. I have no intention of switching over to a touch screen monitor and desk any time soon, so I am with you on the Start Menu issue. I have yet to extensively test the CP because I dislike Metro, but that is a personal assertion. I can say I dislike it, but that does not mean I will condemn this system for everyone. We will see if Microsoft has something to say about making the OS acceptable for mouse and keyboard users who want to opt-out of Metro UI. I agree with you on that and I hope that feedback is well taken.
I think over-analyzing it and saying the entire thing is a complete and utter disgrace is not prudent right now. The OS simply is not complete and it is clear much work needs to be done. For my own concern and the concern of anyone I work with, I will specifically be looking at the operating system's performance. This includes disk I/O usage, memory utilization, 3D graphics engine improvements, and so forth. If the OS is generally more stable, more reliable, and outperforms Windows 7, this signals to me it is a success. There is already plenty of manageability in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. I think the real question does remain about how well people will accept the Metro UI.
For one, it can be brought out that Microsoft has attempted this interactive user environment numerous times, from a failed product called "Microsoft Bob" to the security nightmare that became "Active Desktop". It is important to note that these features were primarily never found in the Windows NT kernel, but in the retired branch of code from Windows 3.1 to Windows Millennium Edition (ME). However, there is a history of them attempting to redo the user interface or extend it beyond menus and icons, and it has been brought up by the forum team in private discussion. We are not the first to notice it:
Windows 8 Metro UI and how previous attempts to revamp the desktop failed | ZDNet This is not to say Metro UI will fail. There is newer technology around. I just don't have thousands of dollars to spare to buy a touch screen desk so I can have a LED display a keyboard, and I don't think most businesses do either. That is my gripe, and I would have preferred they focused on reducing the OS overhead and making it faster and more efficient. I am sure they are doing that - but I don't view Metro UI as a road I need to go down for workstations, desktops, or even laptops right now.
An early mistake may be to come to a quick belief, with lack of evidence, that Metro UI is the only feature improvement in Windows 8. It looks like it could have a lot more to offer. Just how much, and what incentive there is to upgrade, will play an integral role in my decision making, and I imagine yours as well as many others.
I have asked the Build Team to put a Power button on the Desktop or on the Taskbar. I'm happy to have discover the menu by Rt Clk bottom left corner or by WinKeyX. I, also, like what WinKeyQ gives 
