Rather drastic and expensive when you could have loaded this free tool http://www.iobit.com/iobitstartmenu8.php which would have given you everything you were used to with Windows XP, Vista (Yuk) or Windows 7, combined with the advantages of what Windows 8 offers if you did decide to eventually use it.

BTW: Information coming out of the Apple is that Apple is to start moving to an iPad style system for their MAC computers, so you will end up with a similar interface to Windows 8, (Primarily designed for touch screen interfaces) in the future anyway.

Bill