Does ClassicShell.net truly lets one boot to the desktop on Windows 8?

To answer your question, yes the Skip Metro screen option of Classic Shell works as advertised:

BTW, nothing much has changed about the desktop in Win8 (it's not a "look-alike desktop") except for the loss of the Start button and the Start Menu being replaced by the Start Screen. Even Windows/File Explorer (which you seem to be concerned about as per your other question) is pretty much the same; it's just been "ribbonified" like Office was.

A "fake" Start button will reappear in the free Windows 8.1 Update/Service Pack later this year (it will simply take you to the Start Screen), and Boot to Desktop will be an officially supported feature so there'll no longer be a need to use 3rd party apps just for this.

WinKey + D will give you the desktop (like windows 7 has) from the start screen of Windows 8.