seriously.
Steamworks is one of the best DRM systems I have gotten my hands on, and Steam runs like a dream. Most people complaining about this either haven't used Steam or haven't used it in a very long time. It's fast, small, and, if you set it to run on start-up like I do, you won't even notice it's there.
EDIT: Although the deluxe edition is something I can really get pissed about. Intentionally shipping an incomplete game so you can price gouge? Dear god, I hope it's not like Oblivion or Sims 3.