I can only offer my opinion obviously, but I like the information that can be available at a glance. Launching my most often applications are also 1 click away instead of 2 or 3. However, that being said, my favorite part of Windows 8 (so far) is how keyboard friendly it is. I use OSX, Ubuntu, and now Windows 8 daily and I think they have all gotten to a state where if you like your hands to rarely leave the keyboard you can work within all 3 very well.

Back to your original point though, I would suggest trying it out for a week or so. I was hesitant as well, but so far it seems very natural and fluid to me. Even scrolling sideways to see more tiles just feels very natural.