This is the poitn, I hope it will feel like the java version where you cannot find iron at the beginning easy. I have used stone tools for at least 7 hours at the beginning of rising world, because iron was just beneath the ground and with wood tools it was too slow to find them. This feeling was nice, it was a real surviving feeling. At some point the stone tools where too slow, so I was very happy to find enough iron at some point to build iron tools., to find even more iron. So please dont make it so easy to find iron ore on the surface like it is now. It feels like Rust without the need and possibility to mine.
I really have no clue and no idea why to introduce iron ore stones at the surface. There is no need and no value to it.
Thats your opinion. And on the long run i would agree, as mentioned above. Though for now its fine. Remember we are only talking about Iron. all the other ores are underground and there is definitely a high use for mining. Without mining you don´t get enough iron to build everything you want (you need it for tools, for the workbench, for the large smelters but also for walltorches, various other objects, for metal blocks and currently even for glass).
Also remember that its an EA game. What you see and experience now is not necessairly the final outcome.