Every single icon and box is simply too large for a desktop user. The interface feels large and unwieldy to me and is clearly designed from a Tablet standpoint with little regard for a desktop user.
Oh, it's definitely aimed for tablets, touchscreen monitors and portable computers, I can't argue with that. That said, Live Icons are really not a bad idea at all.
The very purpose of introducing Metro was to make the desktop "alive" - the live icons update your status in various applications, much like Gadgets did in Vista and 7, but in a more unified fashion.
Want to log on to IM services? Bam, on Metro. Want to share stuff instantly on those services? Bam, done. Want to check your mail? Your mail checks itself, right on Metro.
I don't treat it as a substitute for the desktop - I treat it as a welcome mat before it. The proper work all takes place on the desktop, but when I want to use my computer for entertainment - play some music, browse some pictures, update my status, I don't even have to go to the desktop at all - everything is already integrated.
Like I said - there should be an option that disables this User Interface for those who don't want to deal with it, much like there was an option to disable Aero, an option for Classic Windows and so on and so forth in previous editions, even down to the Command Line which gathers dust on most computers.
That said, I do admit that as an interface, Metro loads up faster than the standard desktop and appears to be more see-through for computer-illiterate users. I'm pretty sure that certain aspects of it annoy you for the same reason why they innitially annoyed me - because they're radically different from what we've seen in Windows... ever, really.
It's a new take, people got used to the Windows interface and have certain expectations, that's why it should be optional, but I wouldn't diss it just because it's different as it does have certain merits - that's about the gist of my argument here.