Windows 8 UI is Dropping the ‘Start’ Button

After 15 years of occupying a place of honor on the desktop, the "Start" button will disappear from sight in Windows 8.
The general consensus is Microsoft is accommodating the new Metro-style desktop and make it easier for cross-platform navigation.
It's possible that Microsoft may reintroduce the Start button if there is enough demand, but this isn't a recent decision for the company so we expect its removal is final.