I just received my Windows 8 computer (ASUS VivoBook X202E, an 11.6" touchscreen with a Core i3 processor) and I don't miss the Start button (Charms bar and just typing on the main screen do the trick). What I DO miss is being able to easily go back one step while in an app, the Windows Store, settings, etc. while in the Metro interface. I've found myself pressing the Esc button multiple times in an effort to go back a step (like you can do on the HTC Trophy Windows Phone and for that matter Android devices but you can't do on an iPhone unless there is a dedicated back button on the screen). Sure, I could default to "Windows 7 without a Start button" mode or swipe/pull down from the top of the screen to exit the app/screen, but I don't always want to do that.
Two other things I don't like are 1) how when you are downloading an app, the toast notifications bump you out of the app type selection screen to the main app selection screen and 2) the (apparent) inability to get the battery level when in Metro interface mode.
I have to play around with Windows 8 more, but part of me thinks it is combination of something really awesome and something that is a little screwed up and hasn't had all the kinks worked out yet. When I use my (also new) ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 in netbook configuration (which is how I almost always use it when I use it) or even my year-old Windows 7 laptop, I can't help but think clicking on static icons is boring. On the other hand, there are enough niggling things I've experienced with Windows 8 (things I did not experience with Windows Phone 7) that's it's annoying. I am very encouraged about Windows 8 going forward though.
1.) im a little confused because you said you hit escape on your phone.. I don't know of any phones that have the "esc" key on the keyboard.. so im not sure why you are comparing the windows 8 modern UI apps with a phone... but anyway.. there should be the back arrow in the top left.. it's the standardized "back" that apps use to go between pages. Then you mention closing the apps so I think you mean hitting "esc" to close the app? That would kind of suck, if you accidentally hit esc and closed the app when you didn't mean to. Though if you hit "esc" while on the start menu it will close the start menu and open it up to the last open app (or desktop if that was last).
2-1.) Notifications bump you out of the app type selection screen? im not sure what you are referring to here, sorry.
2-2.) I am on my desktop right now so I don't have a battery indicator. However on my tablet in the charms menu it shows the battery icon next to the time I assume that is the same on laptops. Unless you mean you need to see the % which it does not show (similar to how WP8 doesn't show it).
I agree with you the OS still has some kinks... If you recall all the people that upgraded to Mountain Lion and things like the Chrome browser didn't work.. and people's computers were crashing / restarting.. but they got fixed. Microsoft has shown so far with both win 8, and wp8, that they are dedicated and working up updates, bug fixes, features, and more. I will be the first to admit that it takes a bit to get learn your way around the new stuff. But I feel it's worth it.
like the start menu since Vista to Windows 7. Just hit Windows key and type away the program you want to open. Easy
This is still there.. in fact it's been improved upon.. in the start menu.. just start typing.. it will automatically start searching all of the installed programs and apps on your computer.. on the right will appear a menu.. you can select apps (which includes programs), settings (so you can search for system settings which you couldn't do before...), and files... AS WELL as click on any of your modern UI apps and it will launch that app and send the search string to it (like the store, or Wikipedia for example).