Windows 8

[jnealand]

To get the desktop on Win8 look on the metro start screen in the lower left corner and you should see a tile called desktop.  Click that and it will give you the usual desktop appearance, but without a start button.  You can have your apps put an icon on the desktop.  There are other solutions for this, but this will get you started.

[jeffcoast]

^Yeah, just put your most used stuff on the desktop, and then can go to the start screen for things you don't use as often.

[rdebolt]

After the season I will have to play with it, but not until the first of the year!