Windows 8 is a real hodge-podge - they seemed to have lost the attention to detail that they had when Windows 95 was on the runway, so many poor UI choices, so many confusing interactions when you hover the mouse in the wrong place (still with the 8.1 update).
It looks like the Windows 9 release will turn the clock back to more of a traditional Start menu which will hopefully be like the mockup someone did.
It's hard to get excited about an OS anymore though, even OSX just seems to be change for the sake of it (transparent effects in Yosemite remind me of Vista Aero interface, LOL).