Most HN contributors wouldn't have trouble using Windows 8. True and fair. However, the context of the parent comment was recommending an OS for his (presumably less tech savvy) parents. I couldn't agree more in this regard. I recommend either OSX or Windows 7 to anyone in the family who asks.

The missing start menu may not be a current issue, but it's a fair example of what's wrong with Windows 8 from a UX perspective. That is to say - abandoning almost everything that is familiar about the Windows UX in favor of a new and largely unproven desktop interface.

On top of it all, it's a touch-centric interface that feels (to many people, at least) out of place in a desktop. I personally can't imagine jabbing at my desktop monitor with my finger. What works on a tablet in my lap becomes really awkward when the screen is a full arms length from my face.

If the monitor in question isn't a touchscreen, then what's left is a really unfortunate mess that most less tech-savvy users are going to have a tough time getting rid of.